Trader of the Year – Sellside Award
Nilsa Vazquez
Firm: Buckingham Research
For Nilsa Vazquez, it began after her graduation from Fordham University. A friend who worked at Credit Suisse First Boston asked her what she wanted to do, and the allure of the hyper-intense trading desk and Wall Street came right out of her mouth.
I told him that I loved the energy of the trading floor, Vazquez said. He arranged for an interview and told me, I can get you an interview but I cannot get you the job. You have to do that yourself.
And that she did. Vazquez began her career as a junior trader on the buyback desk at First Boston in 1990. At first, the desk was intimidating and harsh, she recalled, but the energy and thrill of executing trades mitigated any fear she had. During her five-year tenure at the bulge firm, she co-managed in excess of 100 Fortune 500 corporate repurchase programs.
I have to credit the floor brokers, clerks and block traders who worked there for taking the time to teach me; it was a great learning experience, she said of her time at CS. Also, she enjoyed the camaraderie among the traders-something she didnt expect to see on Wall Street.
After Credit Suisse, Vazquez held trading roles at Furman Selz and Calyon Securities. From there, she moved to Ryan Beck and then to Stephens Inc. in 2007, where she opened a New York branch office for the regional research boutique firm.
In 2008, she landed at global bank State Street, opening a New York City-based trading desk before the financial world was rocked by the subprime mortgage meltdown and financial crisis. And then in 2010, she landed at Buckingham Research.
The best part for Vazquez is that she still loves trading as much as the young girl who walked into Credit Suisse two decades ago. While the business has changed, her fundamental approach to success-hard work, integrity and respect for the people she deals with-remains the same.
