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alongside his skillset and responsibilities before BlackRock ’ s landmark acquisition of Barclays Global Investors , which would make the firm the largest fund manager globally .
Battams says that every day at BlackRock as head of EMEA equity trading is unique . At the start of a typical day , he plugs into the market , investment teams and traders to ensure everyone is prepared to navigate the constantly changing landscape . At the same time , he communicates with clients , deals with risk , examines TCA data and analytics , and manages strategic projects more broadly within the firm .
“ It feels like everything is changing so quickly all the time - market microstructure , regulation , the liquidity landscape ,” Battams explains . “ We must look forward the entire time to make sure we have appropriate resources and that we ’ re investing in the right places for future growth . Looking at my role and everything combined , each day is different and that ’ s what I like most about it .”
Describing his approach to leadership , Battams says he values an open , transparent and direct style , always leading by example . He also places great value on connectivity to all team members to leverage their strengths and build on their weaknesses for the benefit of the desk .
His achievements as a buy-side trading leader have been recognised recently by the industry as part of The TRADE ’ s Leaders in Trading 2020 Buy-side Awards . Battams was nominated in the long-only category and crowned ‘ Trader of the Year ’ following an intense market-wide vote .
“ It ’ s the team that makes the desk such a success and so for me , team motivation and morale are extremely important ,” he says . “ We spend such a huge amount of time together , more than we do with our families , so we want to make this a great place to work and have some fun too . Some camaraderie across the desk makes it a much more appealing place to work .”
Battams defines the culture at BlackRock as inclusive , which he considers critical given that the purpose of major financial institutions is to help people experience and expect financial wellbeing .
24 // TheTRADE // Summer 2021
“ The UK has the chance to make changes to the MiFID regime in areas that are considered burdensome .”