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Why we started the Buy-side Trading Community?

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I felt the need to create a community within the buy side nine years ago however I was unsure how to go about it. I was heavily pregnant and had a window of opportunity to ‘make it happen’ whilst being a new mum for the first time. With help from a few key stakeholders we started the Alpha Trader Forum (ATF) in London for equity traders. We were then championed by the buy-side heads of desks to build our services which encompass the Buy-side Perspectives research, buysideintel.com, the Buy-side Perspectives multi asset class publication and the Alpha Trader Forum and Asia Buy-side Forum. 

With a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment, we now have over 900 senior, heads and global heads of trading globally. 

I am very thankful and grateful to be here nine years later so thank you to every single person who supported and championed our services.

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What has the Buy-side Trading Community achieved?:

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• Heads of trading are now much more informed and connected than ever before. Historically they operated individually in silos with a lack of cross leverage of efforts.

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• We have helped the heads of trading through an evolving market structure with up-to-date research, benchmarks and live debates.

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1. Transformation of buy-side firm’s trading towards multi asset trading desks and centralised trading desks.

2. The fact-finding phase, implementation and post go-live outcome of MiFID II. We have helped the buy side and the regulators come together to discuss the first proposed HFT definition in MiFID II which thankfully was changed.

3. The electronification of the fixed income bond market. K&KGC structured the buy side’s first wish-list of features for electronic bond trading technologies in November 2013. K&KGC followed up this project by assisting the buy side to monitor the viability of bond trading solutions in development.

4. Created the first buy side trading community in Derivatives.

 

 

So, what’s next for the Buy- side Trading Community?

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As we turn 10 years old in 2019, we have lots of vision and plans for the future. We have worked extremely hard to create, form and build this community and together with the buy side and our strategic partners continued support, we can continue to grow the community.
Watch this space!

 

 

My career highlights to date:

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There have been many high points in my career  as I have enjoyed working both in large corporates and in small start-up firms. I have enjoyed working with a diverse number of colleagues, clients, business partners, many of which are now friends, who constantly challenge and stimulate me every day.

 

 

My lowest points in my career:

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One of the lowest points in my career is not linked to failures within my career, economic recessions or big dips in the financial markets but tragedies. 
On the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks in New York I was being introduced to the teams at the Goldman Sachs Asset Management offices in London and saw the planes flying into the World Trade Centre (WTC) on the TV screens which were situated around the floor. People in the office were screaming and shouting as Goldman Sachs is located very close to the attacks and many staff had friends/relatives and colleagues in the WTC and lost loved ones. 
I will also never forget the London 7/7 2005 terrorist attacks as fortunately I was in Paris on a brief business trip and my friends and family were frantically messaging me. I was very lucky that I wasn’t travelling in London on that day.

 

 

Which career path would you have taken if you didn’t work in the financial markets?

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I really enjoyed business law at university so I would have taken that route to complete a law degree and then a conversion course.

 

 

My career background 

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When I graduated from university with a BA (hons) in European Business with Spanish in 1998 I was in a fortunate position to receive multiple offers in various disciples as my degree had a broad range of business topics. I decided to help my older brother set up his technology company as he was working at Mercury Asset Management at the time and not long after, a graduate role came up at Reuters Business Insight. This was a fantastic first role into finance which led me onto Goldman Sachs Asset Management where I worked in the third-party distribution team. The role was varied involving marketing fund performance versus benchmarks, assisting with product launches with my focus being in Spain and South America. 
When I left GSAM and went to FlexTrade in 2004, I started to get more involved in electronic trading and I volunteered to help with the FIX Global publication on the editorial board. 
I also helped to launch the first FIX EMEA trading conference in London. I reported into the CEO at FlexTrade and helped the sales teams globally. I left the financial markets to work at a mortgage sourcing software company where I was a Director and part of the Executive Board. I set up K&K Global Consulting after I was made redundant in a merger of equals.

 

 

Who I am outside of work:

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First and foremost, I am a very proud mother. My daughter certainly keeps me on my toes! I tell her she is a beautiful individual ‘both inside and out’ and I love to champion her learning and development and her numerous artistic talents. I am a licensed chaperone with Surrey County Council and help backstage with my daughter’s theatre performances.
I enjoy exercising and keeping fit. When I was younger, I obtained numerous dance qualifications with the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) as well as the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) in many aspects of dance. In 2016, I trained as a level 2 group exercise to movement instructor which involved theory exams, classroom teaching and practical assessments.  It is one level below a personal training qualification. I found it very interesting to learn about the effects of exercise especially for women and the changes that we go through. I now teach three different styles of exercise classes back to back on Monday evenings in my home town of Weybridge, Surrey to 13-75-year olds and enjoy running cost effective classes that motivates and encourages everyone to exercise. I am lucky that over 600 people have enjoyed my classes including the headmaster’s wife of my daughter’s school.
I volunteer my time to help perform mock interviews and mentor college students who want to have careers in the financial markets. I also enjoy reading, criminal psychology, snowboarding, swimming, yoga and spending time with my family. I would love to be more creative - I just need to have more hours in the day to fit it all in!
 

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Read the article in The Buy-side Perspectives:  https://joom.ag/NN6a/p46

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