Contact me: qlao@uwaterloo.ca
In first year, I wish I knew more about programming and computer science. It's definitely an interesting area of my study now but first year would have been a lot easier if I had been a more enthusiastic programmer.
Involvement outside the classroom: I'm currently serving on the Student-Run Investment Fund as a Junior Analyst. I'm also helping run the UW Finance Association (UWFA) as VP Internal.
I enjoy...
- Dancing
- Working out
- Plastic model kits
Favourite place to study: Nothing is better than studying in my apartment with my huge monitor fired up and a bit of music playing in the background. MC Linus labs certainly come close though.
Favourite place to eat in Waterloo: The quality of food has really improved in Waterloo in recent years. I've recently taken a fancy for Kabob Hut in the plaza.
Memorable co-op experience: My favourite and most recent work term was my co-op term at OMERS Capital Markets. As a Quantitative Analyst, I had the chance to develop and back-test systematic trading strategies for a very large portfolio. This allowed me to really utilize my knowledge in both finance and computer science and proved to be a worthy and enlightening experience.
Plans for life after CFM: I've really found an interest for quantitative finance and trading so those are the fields I hope to be in upon graduation.
Fun fact: I danced professionally before starting my education at UW.