Quick Info

• Degree - Master of Financial Risk Management
• Graduating year - 2021
• Previous education - Bachelor of Business Administration, Financial Analysis, Mount Royal University 

What is your project title?

Measuring Risk of Intraday Momentum Strategies.  

Who is your project sponsor (i.e, company)?

OPTrust

What challenge were you asked to solve by your sponsor company? 

We were asked to integrate a new product (Intraday Momentum) into OPTrust’s Total Fund Risk Management. The challenge that was presented to us was that this Intraday Strategy is relatively new, and not many firms have had exposure to it, so there was nothing to base our research on.   

What background knowledge and technical skills were absolutely essential for you to complete this project successfully?

Quantitively, we were tasked to look into some statistical analysis of historical data, which was done in Excel. One critical non-technical skill that was heavily utilized was being able to think outside the box - as mentioned before, this strategy is relatively new and my project partner and I had to present innovative ways on how to approach the problem we faced.  

What kind of opportunities did you have to interact with other staff members at the company during your virtual work experience?

OPTrust was very welcoming, although the project flew by, I felt as if I was exposed to every part of the organization. During the first week, HR had set up a meet and greet with all other co-ops for the term where I had the opportunity to meet other students.  My manager had also set up coffee chats with other groups within the Risk Management department for us. Towards the end of the project, our manager also helped us set up coffee chats with individuals from outside risk, such as Portfolio Managers and Investment Analysts. 

OPTrust was very friendly and made the virtual experience worth it!   

Do you feel that the project helped you to better understand the risk management industry, and has it changed your ideas about where you'd like to work after graduating?  

Most definitely, the project helped me understand that in a Pension Fund, the Risk Management Department does not sit in a silo, there are many moving parts when it comes to risk management and the investment decisions in such a firm.   

Was the experience and overall project outcome expected?

I am beyond satisfied. The work that we do in the Risk Management Project has real outcomes and knowing the organization we do the projects will use our research and findings makes it that much more meaningful.   

What are your tips and advice to students completing the Risk Management project next year?

To all future MFRM candidates, find a research project you are passionate about. The 9 weeks fly by and you should really enjoy what you do. Beyond academia, get to know your managers, colleagues, and organization, there is a wealth of knowledge within these organizations, and they are just waiting for you to ask!   

The Master of Financial Risk Management is a full-time program designed to prepare ambitious young professionals for careers in risk management and finance.