[ M E E T T H E D E S K | F I D E L I T Y I N T E R N A T I O N A L ]
“ Finding the right candidates can be a delicate balancing act.”
GEOFF HEALY, SENIOR FX TRADER
developments, Todd explains that he believes one must invest time to reap real rewards.
“ Technology and data are like the heartbeat, it’ s how we evolve, but it ' s understanding the data and having proper governance and protection and standardisation which rules. To ensure data is reliable and can be trusted my approach is fairly hands on. I always view things with an attitude that it ' s not somebody else ' s problem to fix.
“[…] I very much see this as an opportunity to get involved and drive the outcome that we’ re looking for. The earlier you get involved in that process, the higher the level of influence in that solution- you own the outcome.”
When it comes to making the most of what you have, the industry is increasingly looking to‘ buy before build’ or‘ buy and build’ as opposed to one or the other.
Investing in a high touch approach from the off is therefore not only refreshing, but demonstrably effective.
Mulholland explains that from Fidelity’ s side, technology and data are massively important to the team, with the approach always being to“ meet specific needs” without seeking out all the frills when it comes to a relatively passive FX desk like theirs.
“ We ' re not a proprietary hedge fund, so there ' s no point in spending a lot of money on all the bells and whistles […] what’ s more important is what you can do with what you have, especially when it comes to the data side of things,” he says.
“ You don ' t necessarily need to spend a lot of money on third party vendors for your data capabilities to succeed, but what you do need to do is make sure what you ' re doing in house is really efficient and to the best of your ability- that way you can make sure that you ' re getting the best bang for your buck or maximising the cost savings.”
Speaking about the practical use cases when it comes to data considerations on the trading desk, the team highlights that data is particularly key as the FX team looks to further expand.
From the APAC perspective, Healy highlights TCA in particular, noting that this data has helped the firm achieve a lot of efficiencies in recent times, labelling it an important aspect of what the firm has done in the last few years.
He further adds that the timing of other innovations has also been instrumental, noting that the focus has, and remains, very much on leveraging these changes to further advance the FX team, reminding The TRADE that“ FX is a fundamental piece of investing in any market”.
He adds:“ A big focus for us is naturally technology and system improvements. Advancements in
42 // TheTRADE // Q1 2025