Art

Managing Director, Equities, New York
Year of Hire: 2009

I currently work in the Equities division, globally heading up our trading and structuring effort in over the counter and structured derivatives. We call this business Equity and Funds Structured markets (EFS). I am fortunate to lead and be part of one of the deepest derivatives teams on the street, with a team of highly competent, strongly motivated, committed members focused in delivering on client needs.

Unlike many firms’ derivative businesses which are broadly product driven, we recognize that many of our clients need a broad range of solutions to meet the challenges of their evolving businesses. To ensure that we listen to our clients and that we create products that are “relevant to their conversation”, our organization is built on three pillars. These are (i) structured retail product solutions, (ii) investment strategies across retail and institutional solutions and (iii) strategic derivatives across institutional and corporate solutions. This unique configuration allows an offering spanning private banking through to retail and institutional brokerage to corporate and institutional banking.

I joined Barclays after a colleague who I had known for many years introduced me to an executive board member, who could see the potential for my contribution to the firm, even though it would not be directly working in his area. I had meetings with a few key senior executives and very shortly, I was in the firm. What is probably most revealing about the team approach at the firm is that although I work in Equities, it was colleagues in Fixed Income who introduced me to Barclays.

Coming down from Edinburgh to England, I graduated from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, with an honours degree in Economics with focus on applied econometrics and mathematical economics. I am a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and I pursued doctoral research in mathematical finance at Imperial College, University of London. At school and university, I was a keen athlete in rugby, athletics, basketball and Olympic lifting.

Following university, I worked for some of our competitors, rising to a senior leadership level in derivatives trading, structured finance, prime services and alternative capital. I left investment banking for just over six years to work on the "buy-side", as co-CEO and chief investment officer of two alternative investment firms. On my return, I joined Barclays Capital, to whom I had been a client. My career has spanned across fixed income, commodities, emerging markets, equities, distressed and fundamental credit and asset management. Today, I can honestly say that my job touches in some way on all these experiences.

Having run large derivative trading teams and also managed client monies externally, I bring to Barclays a broad range of experience including managing and developing trading, structuring and investing talent. I’ve found the firm to be a wonderful place to work, where you can express yourself in so many different ways and work with talented and highly motivated professionals. If you can make those around you better and they in turn can do the same for you, anything is truly achievable.

I chose Barclays for a number of reasons. Primarily, because a lot of colleagues, with whom I had worked over the previous twenty plus years, were at Barclays and were excited at the opportunity. Secondarily, I chose Barclays for the leadership which was displayed by the senior management.

I am involved unofficially, in mentoring talented up and coming professionals, in addition to more seasoned executives. As a member of the Global Diversity Council, I work with my colleagues to enhance the work environment and to foster increased teamwork and understanding. There are many cross divisional committees where I work with colleagues across the firm to deliver “One Barclays” and help drive the firm’s agenda forward.

While I do have a lot of personal interests, my main focus in life are my three children. Whether it is travel, sports, ballet, reading, cycling, kayaking, swimming, cooking or just talking and hanging out, this is my key past time and it is truly a blessing.

In addition, I am involved with the arts and in the past with art and music education for children. I am a former chair of a Smithsonian National Museum board of advisors and I am currently the sponsor of a charitable foundation for the arts.

Often when I am asked to give talks to up and coming talent, I tend to focus on creating balance in one’s life and the importance of self, family, community and one’s profession or vocation. I try to practice what I preach and Barclays has allowed me to continue to achieve this life goal.