A brief introduction: Hello everyone! My name is Steve and I currently lead front-office technology at Russell Investments, a global investment solutions provider. I work with portfolio managers and researchers to design systems that help make better investment decisions for our clients. Over the years, I have witnessed data and analytics become a key driver of business success and an invaluable digital asset. I believe that the demand for data science and finance translators will only increase, which is why the FDP charter is an exciting program. I am proud to be part of the inaugural class of 2019.

Why did I take up the FDP challenge? I have always loved working at the intersection of investments, data, and technology so this program naturally piqued my interest. I was looking to apply data science to different stages of the investment value chain. The foundational knowledge gained from the FDP charter empowered me to seek out new ideas and opportunities. It also helped me to evaluate and prioritize projects and gave me perspective on the industry’s innovations and direction. What is great about the FDP? While there is no shortage of information available on data science, the FDP curriculum includes an excellent curated reading list that is focused and diverse. The programming aspect of the charter is also relevant and practical. There is evidence that investment professionals are increasingly required to procure technical skills as datasets become larger and more difficult to navigate using traditional tools. Finally, the FDP fosters a growing community of experts. It is a great way to stay engaged and continue learning beyond the charter.

My advice for aspiring industry professionals: Learn by doing. Apply theoretical concepts to real-life problems, whether at work or with personal projects. This will help build up your expertise more quickly and make any task instantly more interesting and challenging. Equally important, do not be disheartened if a project fails or does not yield expected results – it’s all part of the learning process!

About Steve Bui

Steve is Director, Head of Investment Analytics at Russell Investments where he is responsible for developing investment systems and setting the strategy for data and analytics. Prior to Russell Investments, Steve was a Data Specialist at Moody’s Analytics. He holds a Bachelor of Mathematics and Bachelor of Business (Finance) with Honors from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia. He is a current CFA, CAIA, and FDP Charterholder.