MEMBER PROFILE
Mohammed Fawaz, IMC
Quantitative analyst, Fulcrum Asset Management
INTERVIEW BY: MAHA KHAN PHILLIPS
then began a PhD. “In 2005, during the occurring are not necessarily reversible
second year of the PhD, I did a summer and it’s doubtful that we’ll return to the
internship at Fulcrum Asset excesses of a couple of years back anytime
Management. Th ey off ered me a full soon. Capital markets will remain in
A
lthough Mohammed Fawaz time job, and because the job involved existence, so there will always be a need
studied Astrophysics at University working in a quantitative role, and I for hedge funds and investment banks to
College London, he has always enjoyed working with the people at compete away market ineffi ciencies, and
held an interest in fi nance. “Th roughout Fulcrum, I took it.” the industry will survive,” he says.
my undergraduate years, I was closely At Fulcrum, Fawaz is now responsible Still, it won’t be plain sailing. “My
following market developments, for managing a quant/systematic macro career prospects depend crucially on the
especially during the bear market of hedge fund. He runs and develops profi tability of the strategies that we as a
2000-2002. Towards the end of my quantitative strategies across diff erent team are developing. To that end, it’s
degree, I realised I wanted a career which asset classes. He sat the IMC soon after important that I continue to expand my
would satisfy my commercial aspirations joining. “It was a compulsory step knowledge of fi nancial markets and
and allow me to utilize the mathematical required for communcating with clients instruments and stay up to date with
and quantitative skills which I had and executing trades., so I got the changes infl uencing the markets,” he says.
acquired,” he explains. qualifi cation,” he explains. Fawaz tries to spend some time in
Fawaz, a native of Lebanon, went on He believes the recent industry shake Lebanon each year. “I love sports and
to complete an MSC in Econometrics at up of hedge funds is going to leave a travelling, and of course spending time
the London School of Economics. He lasting mark. “Th e changes that are with my family and friends,” he says.
in Port-of-Spain and in 2008 moved
to London with the fi rm as a liquefi ed
natural gas (LNG) trading analyst.
Pascal Vernaeve, IMC
“I’m back on the trade fl oor now, and
Institutional relationship manager,
its energy meets fi nance, LNG
physical cargo trading and paper
Man Investments
hedges against those cargos,” she says.
INTERVIEW BY: STUART NEWMAN
But Woodroff e is not a trader.
“Th ere is going to be a point where I
ask myself whether I want to move
away from analytics into trading. You W
hen Pascal Vernaeve
began his career as an
institutional relationship
can be very valuable support staff but manager at Man Investments, he
if you want to make a diff erence then was expecting his role to primarily
you need to trade. Th e next career involve raising capital. Instead, the
step for me may be in business credit crunch began and he had to
origination and contracts.” At the quickly adapt.
moment though, Woodroff e says that “I was supposed to have the
she’s concentrating on completing the responsibility of speaking to
CFA Program. potential investors,” he says. “But
Woodroff e, who is an active my job changed to informing and
member of her church, is also getting retaining them.”
married this year. “My church Th is was quite diff erent to his
community, my work, planning a previous, brief guise as a consultant,
wedding, and the CFA. Th ere’s plenty but his background was no doubt
going on!” she says. helpful. Vernaeve entered the world of
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