[ M E E T T H E D E S K | N O R D E A A S S E T M A N A G E M E N T ]
Beyond technical competence, he argues that the strongest performers possess a deep understanding of market structure, paired with the humility to learn from mistakes
“ The systematic and the human parts aren’ t in competition – they make each other better.”
KASPER FOLKE, CO-HEAD OF GLOBAL TRADING
everything from routing decisions to liquidity sourcing and venue selection.
“[…] getting more out of our analytics and tools like our correlation model so traders make sharper, faster decisions; liquidity sourcing, where we ' re constantly evaluating venues and protocols to access liquidity with less impact; and the regulatory and marketstructure landscape, which never really leaves the agenda.”
‘ More than the sum of its traders’ As trading desks become more automated, the qualities that define exceptional traders are also evolving. Yet for NAM’ s team, the core ingredients of success remain strikingly human.
For Folke, the best traders combine intellectual curiosity with discipline:“ The best traders are comfortable with data but know when to override the machine,” he tells The TRADE.
rather than rationalise them away, adding that“ great traders are driven by curiosity and by questioning how things are done.”
Building on this, Mølkjær reiterates that at a team level, performance comes from creating the right environment for those qualities to thrive. Diversity of background and perspective cannot be underestimated when it comes to building a culture where systematic and high touch trading complement rather than compete with one another.
“ The combination of human judgement and data – that’ s what makes a desk more than the sum of its traders.”
That emphasis on collaboration is echoed across the desk. For Müller, trust and collaboration are amongst the most valuable assets built over a career.
She affirms:“ You want people who put results ahead of individual ego and understand that the outcome matters more than who gets the credit […] Some
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