FINAL v2 – 16.07.14 – incorporates Clearnet dot

NEIL

  • Studied at University of Kent
  • Joined in September 2013
  • Now on second rotation in graduate programme

“My passion for finance began with a year at HSBC in Hong Kong, which was part of my Computer Science degree. It was an incredible experience and I learnt what it was like to work in the front office of a bank.

“I’d heard of LCH.Clearnet, which is now part of LSEG, and was looking for a technology graduate scheme. My degree was pretty general – programming, databases and networks – so it provided me a good reference point for the work I’ve taken on within the business. It gives you the general ability to pick up new things.

“When you join, you have a ‘buddy’, who’s someone in your team who helps you out with the everyday things you need to know. You also have a mentor, who’s someone more senior, but not your line manager. They can give you a different perspective on things. It’s up to you how often you choose to keep in touch. And then there are opportunities to meet people right at the top of the business. We had lunch with the Chairman of the Stock Exchange, Chris Gibson-Smith, for instance. He was a very remarkable man – candid and incredibly intelligent.

“My first role within SwapClear was geared towards reporting, especially in relation to regulatory purposes. I worked closely with the ‘middle office’ in New York, emailing and phoning daily, and getting a good understanding of management information statistics. There are clear requirements to register a swap within a minute and any ‘outlying’ data needs to be explained to regulators.

“It was great to see the fruits of my labour. It was genuinely interesting work, rather than something arbitrary. They’re big on ownership here for the graduates. You become a member of the team and are treated like everybody else.

“In terms of technologies, we’re dealing with Oracle and Perl, as well as UNIX and big mainframes. And then there’s SAP Business Objects. We also have some of our own stuff, which is home-made and home-brewed. I’ve recently started in Forex and am delving deeper into technology. There’s more in-depth programming involved. In the first few days, I was thinking that I ought to go away and read about 15 books!

“There’s a lot of energy and dynamism here, but I don’t feel I’ve had to work excessive hours. When you’re in London, you obviously want to be able to explore bars, clubs and restaurants. Or visit places like Brick Lane and Petticoat Lane. The gym subsidy I’m offered cut my membership fee in half. And we also have a number of other attractive benefits, including a pension.”

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