I currently live in Australia but began my career in South Africa, where I earned a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree in Mathematical Science, specializing in Financial Risk Management (Financial Engineering), from Stellenbosch University. I also completed an Honors degree in Statistics. From a young age, I had a passion for math and finance, and my studies allowed me to combine these interests. After graduating, I began working as a Quantitative Interest Rate Analyst at Futuregrowth Asset Management, Africa’s largest specialist fixed-income manager. The role provided an excellent foundation for applying my quantitative skills, bridging the Interest Rate Team’s top-down macro focus with my bottom-up quantitative approach to investment decision-making. It was challenging work, and early on, I recognized that I still had much to learn to fully excel in the role. 
 

That experience sparked my interest in the CQF program. I was already focused on gaining more practical skills beyond what I had learned at university, having completed my CFA and considering a master’s in quantitative finance. During an interview with a candidate for our team, I learned that she had completed the CQF and found it highly valuable, which piqued my interest. Around the same time, my wife and I were in the initial stages of planning to immigrate to Australia. I was concerned that my experience in the South African rates market, focused on a single asset class in an emerging market, might not be as recognized or relevant on the international stage. This further motivated me to build a more transferable and globally applicable skill set, one that could be valuable across regions and asset classes. 

While working full-time, I completed the CQF program, which was well-suited to my schedule as the lectures were held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm due to London timings. The flexibility of having recorded lectures available on demand made it easy to study whenever it suited me. One of the greatest benefits of the program has been ongoing access to the materials – I’ve revisited several lectures to refresh my understanding, particularly the derivatives volatility modelling modules.  This enhanced skill set proved invaluable after moving to Australia, where I joined Future Fund, Australia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, as a Senior Investment Associate. 

The CQF has been instrumental in enabling me to change both my career path and location. Moving from South Africa, where my focus was on a niche segment of financial markets, to Australia, I joined the Overlays team at Future Fund, one of the most respected sovereign wealth funds globally. In the Overlays team, we manage global currency hedging, interest rate and commodity exposure, synthetic equity and credit exposure, and inflation protection using a combination of futures, swaps, and options. The CQF has given me a lot of confidence to discuss and handle complex topics, which is crucial for our options trading strategies. Looking ahead, I am committed to staying in quantitative finance and trading derivatives, which I am passionate about. For those evaluating their educational options, the CQF is highly technical yet practical. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely!