Adam Whiteley

Name: Adam Whiteley
Employer: Insight Investment
University: Nottingham University
Subject: BSc economics
Graduated: 2006
Area of work: Investment management

I felt that a career in investment management would both suit my skills and be rewarding. I started exploring potential employers by browsing the Investment Management Association (IMA) website and looking at the fund management section of the Financial Times. I then visited employers’ websites to get a feel for different organisations. In particular, I looked for employers that I felt would be a good fit for my character and also seemed innovative.

My job

I work within the fixed income department; specifically, I’m an analyst in the credit research team. My work involves conducting thorough research of a company, in much the same way as an equity research analyst would. In contrast to buying shares in the company, though, we would look to invest in its corporate bonds or other types of debt. Once we’ve formed a view on a company, we report back to fund managers and discuss any trading opportunities in either the cash or derivative markets. It’s important to have a keen eye for detail as well as being able to see the bigger picture. Large sums of money can be traded following our recommendations so I need to be able to perform under pressure. My time is pretty much my own meaning that it’s important to manage it effectively; I need to be able to change tack if breaking news comes in that requires immediate attention.

Watching the markets

It’s challenging to take in a vast amount of information and condense that into a single investment recommendation. Not only do you have to consider financial performance but also how investors feel about the company itself and the sector as a whole. Seeing millions of pounds being traded and invested is an exciting feeling. Once ideas have been implemented and the fund has invested, it’s then a somewhat nervous case of watching the markets, seeing if the ideas work in your favour!