A brief introduction:

Hello Everyone! My name is Lawrence. I started off as a trader at a multi-strategy hedge fund where I employed numerous strategies in the traditional markets (equity and fixed income) to generate total return. I later progressed into the alternatives space, where I became an investment strategist responsible for developing strategies around fixed income and alternative assets (including private equity and direct lending). Currently, I am in a client-facing role where I share my knowledge and my firm's views with our clients as part of the fixed income investment directing team at Fidelity.

Why did I take up the FDP challenge?

FDP bridges the latest technological trends including big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence with my passion for investments/finance. It introduces me to the different models and tools available for running certain types of analyses as well as getting certain types of work done in a creative and efficient manner.

What is great about FDP?

The FDP Charter has provided me with the foundation that has allowed me to understand the mathematics and logic behind some of the more sophisticated analytics/tools used in assessing the financial markets.

The curriculum helped me develop my knowledge in the mathematical/quantitative side of finance. Given the trends in big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, knowing how these can be applied in financial services is important in "future-proofing" my career.

Networking is key in the financial services industry. Belonging to a global community will not only help with network expansion, but will also allow professionals to share different views, topics, knowledge, and updates. All of these contribute to a healthy development of the community.

The FDP Charter grants me access to a global community of like-minded financial professionals who share a blended interest in finance and data.

My advice for aspiring industry professionals:

Don't be afraid to take risks. Understand the market trends, know what tools will be needed to succeed, and acquire as much knowledge as possible in a wide range of topics.

About Lawrence Yu

Lawrence Yu, CFA, CAIA, FRM, FDP, Associate Investment Director, Asia Fixed Income, Fidelity International, Hong Kong