Myself
I am an Alaskan at heart, but not by birth. Born in South Carolina, went to elementary school in Ohio, I ended up in Alaska for the sixth grade. When I first moved up here, it was a different world from the rest. I learned to love the relative isolation and the gorgeous scenery that surrounds our city. And it continues to be the that beauty, especially in the summer, that keeps pulling me back. When I heard about an internship with APCM, I was ecstatic. A family friend had nothing but praise for the company, which I can now confirm. I’m happy I took this chance to have industry experience and happy to be home.
Education
I graduated in 2017 from Saint Vincent College with a double Major in Mathematics and Finance and a Minor in Economics. I was initially brought into this field by my grandfather, who taught me love and respect for investing. From my senior year in high school to my sophomore year of college, I was religiously paper-trading. I finally decided it was time to put some of my own skin in the game and took a leap. Losses were immediate, but I learned a good deal about diversification from that mistake. Throughout college I was blessed with good mentors, who helped foster my desire to learn more about finance. In my senior year, I passed Level 1 of the CFA exam before going off for my PhD program in the fall.
Last year I attended the University of Connecticut for a PhD in Finance. My research was focused on algorithmic trading and behavioral finance. These are both hot areas, especially as behavioral finance becomes more accepted within the academic community. The first year as a student is focused on finalizing a research area and becoming well-read within that area. So, I can talk anyone’s ear off if they are remotely interested in either of my areas!
Experience
This summer has allowed me to work directly with the institutional investments team. I have mainly played a supporting role: doing research, daily checks, streamlining processes, and presentation preparation. This hands-on experience has shown me the whole investment process. From the initial idea, to the final decision. I feel like I’ve learned so much from this, even though it has only been two months. My personal knowledge has grown through books lent to me by the team as well as from the team members themselves. I was lucky enough to sit in on an investment strategy meeting, which helped me see how the team views current events.
Future
I’m thankful for the opportunity given to me, and now excited about what the future holds. With the time I have left at APCM, I hope to continue to learn even more. I was able to help the institutional team and hope that I can continue to do so. Because of my experience here, I now know that I would like to end up in the investment industry, whether it be on the buy or sell side of research.
Alexander Emili
Summer Intern 2018
7/25/18
