Investing in Waterloo co-op students on a global scale
By: Krista Henry (she/her)
On a mission to attract, develop and retain exceptional people, Capula Investment Management is growing its investment in student talent to full time employees.
With headquarters in London (United Kingdom), Capula is a global investment management company with affiliated entities in the United States, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. The firm is a supporter of co-operative and experiential learning at the University of Waterloo. It has hired Mathematics and Engineering students as trading and research interns as well as trading associates.
Phyllis Yang
Waterloo Mathematical Finance co-op alum
To further develop this emerging talent, Capula offers graduates a full-time training programme that leads to trading, strategy and research roles. Phyllis Yang (she/her) (BMath ’21), a Mathematical Finance co-op alum from Waterloo, has benefitted from the collaborative and nurturing culture at Capula.
“When applying for an internship, the idea of being able to work at a highly respected hedge fund in London was enough of a reason for me,” says Yang, a trading analyst in Capula’s rotational program, currently working in Equity Derivatives. “During my internship, I was able to work on interesting projects that directly add value to the trading strategies.”
Following her internship, Yang joined Capula’s two-year rotational program to improve her knowledge and sharpen her skills alongside some of the brightest in the industry.
Co-op set the right pace for real world experience
While at Waterloo, Yang worked as a co-op student in data science and sales and trading roles that helped her build a strong foundation. “Co-ops have provided me with opportunities to bridge the gap between my academic background and practical skills. By working on different projects, I gradually learned how to better leverage my mathematical background in data analysis to solve real-business problems,” she said.
Through co-op, Yang developed her professionalism and communication skills, while learning how to adapt to various workplace environments. “Co-op is a great avenue for self-discovery, learning what kind of career excites me, and what sort of working environment suits me best,” she adds.
Yang is one of two Waterloo co-operative education alums currently working at Capula. The other, David Dymov (he/him) (BEng ’05), is a partner and senior portfolio manager who is helping to recruit and working with the next generation of Waterloo talent.
“We’ve had a very positive experience with Waterloo co-ops. The students are great. They are well equipped with a strong technical background that is very useful for market analysis. Their mathematics and computer science skills are well regarded.”
Developing emerging investment talent
At Capula, co-op students are paired with a manager and given an analysis project that is directly linked to market situations the company is exploring. “We hope that our culture of developing and helping people grow their careers is an attractive feature for students looking to enter the field,” Dymov adds.
Yang encourages co-op students to work in the investment field and to consider working at Capula. “(For) students interested in trading and wanting to build a career in this field, Capula is ideal. It is one of the largest hedge funds in the United Kingdom with consistent excellent performance,” she says. “Co-op students will have the opportunity to see how trading ideas are formed and learn how big decisions are made in a welcoming environment.”
She says co-op and Mathematics at Waterloo helped prepare her for life at Capula with strong problem-solving skills used to make strides in investment management.