FLASH FRIDAY is a weekly content series looking at the past, present and future of capital markets trading and technology. FLASH FRIDAY is sponsored by Instinet, a Nomura company.
For the past few weeks, we’ve been meeting Generation Z financial/fintech professionals from Clear Street, Robinhood Markets and T. Rowe Price.
Today, we continue this journey with five more up-and-coming specialists from Citadel Securities.
Mohammad Haveliwala, Options SRE, Citadel Securities
Briefly describe your educational background and work experience, including your current role/responsibilities.
I went to UNC Chapel Hill, where I double majored in computer science and statistics. During college, I interned at a major tech company before realizing that finance was the field for me. I ultimately applied to Citadel Securities and joined the firm shortly after graduation as a site reliability engineer. I work very closely with our trading, quantitative, business, and software engineering teams to support, operate, and build our core trading applications.
How did you get interested in the world of finance?
I didn’t know much about finance until a mentor of mine – an upperclassman at UNC – interned in the field. He thought it would be a great fit for my interests and abilities, so I pursued it and he was right.
What were some of the key factors you considered as you were deciding where to launch your career?
I was very focused on the rigor of the work. I knew I wanted to learn a lot, I wanted to be challenged, and I wanted to be able to have multiple areas of focus as I began my career; I didn’t want to be siloed from the start. Citadel Securities has provided me with all of that and more. The ownership I’m able to have, the impact I’m able to make – and the speed at which we move – is very exciting and very different from what I’d experienced in big tech.
What do you like most about your job?
The people. There’s a great culture here and my team members come from so many different backgrounds. Everyone brings different perspectives and different experiences, and I feel very fortunate to be part of such a talented, well-rounded team.
What role has mentorship played in your career? Are there any notable mentors, past or present, that you’d like to recognize?
Mentorship has played a big role in my career. In college, my department was more research focused, so a lot of what I learned about industry standards or going through the job process came from upperclassmen, including the one who introduced me to finance in the first place. He helped me home in on what it was that I really wanted to do and it’s through the conversations that I had with him that I came to see that if making an impact and continuously enhancing my skillset was a priority, Citadel Securities was the place for me.
What do you like to do outside work?
You can often find me playing sports with friends in the park, biking, or lifting weights. I’m also a big foodie, so I love exploring restaurants in New York and grilling and roasting in my backyard fire pit. I also like to spend time knitting for my friends; it helps force me to sit in one place, and seeing people wear things I’ve made makes me super happy.
What’s next for you?
One of the things that drew me to Citadel Securities was the opportunity for open-ended learning. There are always problems to solve, so I’m looking forward to continuing to identify and address those that are particularly compelling and, over time, building a highly specialized skill set in the areas that interest me most.
How optimistic are you in your generation’s ability to step up and lead (companies, industries, governments) when the time comes?
The platforms on which people in my generation can stand on to lead have solidified over time, and a lot of people in my generation are primed to step up. I see that in the world at large and I certainly see that at Citadel Securities, where the best idea always wins regardless of title or tenure. Even people very early in their careers like me are spearheading projects or taking on managerial roles. That’s exciting to see and it makes me very optimistic about our ability to take the reins.
Dana He, Options Trader, Citadel Securities
Briefly describe your educational background and work experience, including your current role/responsibilities.
I graduated from Caltech in 2020 with a major in bioengineering and a minor in computer science. During college, I had internships in both technology and finance and worked at another trading firm for about two and a half years before joining Citadel Securities as an options trader last fall. I work on our single stock options desk and am mostly focused on software and consumer symbols.
How did you get interested in the world of finance?
I didn’t know much about trading until fairly late into my time at Caltech. My tech internship had been fairly slow paced and I knew I wanted something more dynamic. The roles I had in finance weren’t the right fit either, but I really enjoyed the trading games I participated in during one of those internships and that’s what put me on the path to where I am now. Trading provides the fast pace I had been looking for and also capitalizes on my long-standing interest in game theory and probability, so it’s been a very natural fit.
What were some of the key factors you considered as you were deciding where to launch your career?
Coming out of college, I knew I wanted to be a trader and I knew I wanted to live in New York. Over time, I’ve also come to appreciate the importance of working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment, and that’s exactly what I’ve found at Citadel Securities.
What do you like most about your job?
I love being a trader. When friends ask what it’s like, I tell them I’m basically playing a strategy game for a living, only it’s not a game. The stakes are real and that makes it even more exciting. I also really enjoy the people I work with. We spend time together both in and out of the office and it’s a very cool community to be a part of.
What’s next for you?
I’m at the point now where I really understand the nuances of the markets I’m trading and the tools that are available to me – and that’s exciting. I’m looking forward to continuing to enhance my skillset and to taking on more responsibility. Citadel Securities provides people even early in their careers with the opportunity to make a real impact and I’m focused on becoming more involved in desk-wide challenges versus just my individual symbols.
How optimistic are you in your generation’s ability to step up and lead (companies, industries, governments) when the time comes?
I am proud to be a member of Gen Z. The world is changing very fast – and I think the fact that my generation has grown up with technology and understands its impact gives us a unique vantage point that allows us to be very strong leaders. I appreciate the increased levels of transparency and frankness that it’s helped usher in and think the current environment will support and benefit from the emergence of new leaders.
Jerry Li, Quantitative Research Analyst, Citadel Securities
Briefly describe your educational background and work experience, including your current role/responsibilities.
I studied computer science and statistics at Berkeley. During college, I also did medical and computational research and completed internships, including one in software engineering at Google, before interning at Citadel Securities as a quantitative research analyst. After graduating last year, I joined the firm full time and generate insights that inform the firm’s systematic trading.
How did you get interested in the world of finance?
Even before college, I had an interest in the financial markets. During undergrad, I got involved with a quantitative finance club called Traders at Berkeley, but it wasn’t until my internship at Citadel Securities that I found a role that tapped into that interest and my background in computer science.
What were some of the key factors you considered as you were deciding where to launch your career?
In some of my previous internships, I felt that my impact was limited and the pace was somewhat slow. I knew that in a full-time role, I wanted the opportunity for ownership, responsibility, and impact. I also wanted to be surrounded by inspiring colleagues – truly talented people that I could learn from – and I wanted a dynamic environment. It became clear to me during my interviews at Citadel Securities, and certainly during my internship, that I would find all that and more at the firm.
What do you like most about your job?
I really enjoy gathering information and pieces of evidence from the markets and other data sources and consolidating that into a story. I see a lot of behavior that you wouldn’t necessarily expect, and I iterate and create a hypothesis and then I work to validate it. Explaining what we see by using empirical data and going from an idea about why something happens to a real conviction about it is very rewarding. Working with colleagues who are as passionate about this work as I am is gratifying as well. We’re all looking to find the best ways to approach a problem or launch a strategy, and we really enjoy bouncing ideas off one another. The spirited discussions we have are great.
What do you like to do outside work?
I play a lot of golf and I like to travel. My girlfriend and I have been exploring a lot of the national parks in the middle of the country and we have a big trip to Asia planned for later this year. I also enjoy spending time with my dog and reading, especially non-fiction like “Thinking, Fast and Slow.”
What’s next for you?
I’m focused on developing a deeper understanding of the nuances of the financial markets. In particular, I’m excited about diving deeper into the microstructure of different exchanges and financial spaces.
How optimistic are you in your generation’s ability to step up and lead (companies, industries, governments) when the time comes?
I don’t have any doubt in my generation’s ability to step up. I see it every day right here at Citadel Securities. Our culture is one where if you are capable and have great ideas, your age doesn’t matter. The founder of our firm, Ken Griffin, was in his early 20s when he launched Citadel and the idea of meritocracy – of being completely age agnostic – is part of the firm’s DNA. Even just in my own business – on the systematic team – I’ve seen people early in their careers step up and exceed expectations. I am very confident that those in my generation will make a big impact in business and beyond.
Agnibho Roy, Quant Trader, Citadel Securities
Briefly describe your educational background and work experience, including your current role/responsibilities.
I graduated from Berkeley in 2022 with a degree in computer science and applied math. The summer after my freshman year in college, I had a software engineering internship and I gradually moved toward trading from there. By the time I interned at Citadel Securities two years later, I was very involved with a quantitative finance club called Traders at Berkeley and have stayed connected to that group, including by representing our firm at various competitions and information sessions. It’s fun to tell current students about my role as a semi-systematic quantitative trader focused on domestic ETFs and the great experiences I’ve had in the industry.
How did you get interested in the world of finance?
I was in an investing club in high school, but my real passion was mathematics. As I pursued that, I explored a variety of different paths and ended up really gravitating toward trading.
What were some of the key factors you considered as you were deciding where to launch your career?
Career progression was something that was very important to me. I knew I wanted to work at a firm where there was an opportunity for advancement and where the path to it was pretty clear. Ownership was important to me too. I liked the idea of being able to trade my own book and have full ownership over my positions pretty quickly. During my internship at Citadel Securities, it became clear to me that I’d be able to reach my potential faster there than anywhere else and that’s why I ultimately decided to join the firm full time.
What do you like most about your job?
I never know what problems I’m going to encounter, what trades are going to pop up, and what risks I’ll need to manage. That’s exciting. As a trader, I’m really at the whim of the market – and that context-switching, that dynamism keeps me on my toes.
What role has mentorship played in your career? Are there any notable mentors, past or present, that you’d like to recognize?
I’ve been fortunate to have some great mentors, including my first manager at Citadel Securities and my current manager, who is the head of the desk. I’ve learned a lot from them and appreciate how invested they’ve been in putting me on the right path and their willingness to answer my questions. And, let me tell you, I’ve had a lot of questions.
What do you like to do outside work?
I played tennis in high school and college and try to play once or twice a week. I also play soccer and basketball when I can. I don’t play the violin as much as I used to, but I still dabble. I also really enjoy exploring New York and spending time with friends. A number of classmates have ended up in the city as well, so I have a great community here.
What’s next for you?
I’m excited about increasing my focus on new trade ideas versus just managing the day to day. Over time, I want to assume more ownership of the desk and start to trade different asset classes, like equities and bonds, to further develop my trading acumen.
Riccardo Santoni, Low Latency Software Engineer. Citadel Securities
Briefly describe your educational background and work experience, including your current role/responsibilities.
I graduated from Carnegie Mellon with a dual degree in computer science and information systems. I did a couple of internships in big tech before I turned to trading, and I joined Citadel Securities right out of college two years ago. I’m on the low latency team and am very involved in the work we do around order entry and triggering logic for equities and futures at the firm.
How did you get interested in the world of finance?
I followed the stock market from a young age but assumed that, as a software engineer, big tech would be my path. When I explored something outside of it – and interned at a trading firm – it was clear to me that finance was a better fit. I liked working at a somewhat smaller firm, I appreciated the faster feedback loops, and I found the problem space a lot more interesting.
What were some of the key factors you considered as you were deciding where to launch your career?
The problem space was number one for me: what am I going to be doing and what problems am I going to be solving. There is a lot of correlation between the low latency and distributed systems in the trading space and the concepts I studied in school, and getting to explore those further in a dynamic, stimulating environment was of great interest. I was also looking for an opportunity to have some ownership and real responsibility right out of the gate – and I definitely found that at Citadel Securities. The people – and the availability of mentors – was important too. I wanted to be in an environment where I could learn from the people around me.
What do you like most about your job?
I really enjoy the freedom I have to think, explore, and create. From very early on in my time at the firm, I’ve been able to take ownership and make decisions about even critical components of the work we’re doing. At Citadel Securities, if you have an idea, you’re able to explore it and get buy in. It doesn’t work like that at many places.
What do you like to do outside work?
Anything that doesn’t require looking at a computer screen! I love my job, but I really like to shift gears in my free time. I enjoy being with friends, whether we’re biking, hiking, cooking, playing soccer, or throwing pottery.
What’s next for you?
I just recently returned to New York after several months in our Hong Kong office, so I’m looking forward to settling back in. My time in Asia did give me a better sense of where I want to focus my efforts going forward – and I’m very interested in further aligning myself with triggering logic, triggering code, and the quantitative development side of things in that space.
