Victor Bomers

Quantitative Research Analyst

Bachelor of Science (Hons), Statistics and Contemporary Studies, 2009

At the end of the day my job is really all about communication.

Victor Bomers says he isn’t sure exactly how he ended up on King’s Alumni Association Executive but he thinks it goes something like this:

“One of my good friends was on the executive of the Alumni Association. At one point they were looking for a treasurer and my friend knew that I did something in finance so they asked me to come on board to potentially fill that role.”

“Something in finance” is a bit of an understatement. Victor is a Quantitative Research Analyst for Citadel, a multinational hedge fund and financial services company. He works in the London office although during the pandemic, like so many, Victor worked from his flat, settling into a chair at a long desk with three large monitors lined up in front of his key board. He begins his day talking with Hong Kong (eight hours ahead) and finishes in the evening talking to New York (five hours behind). It can make for some long days.

Working in the heady and high pressure world of international finance wasn’t on Victor’s radar when he went to King’s. After the Foundation Year Program (FYP) Victor joined the Contemporary Studies program. He also, and this is what he thinks is so great about the King’s/Dalhousie connection, he also took courses in math and statistics at Dal.

“I really enjoyed Contemporary Studies but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. But I figured that numbers and statistics would be useful for almost any discipline. So I focused on building up that numerical foundation while I was learning about different ways of thinking through Contemporary Studies.”

It was a smart move.

“I graduated in 2009 during the financial crisis and the world was falling apart,” Victor explains. “And I realized I didn’t have a good understanding of what was going to happen. Stats could take me into finance. I like learning so it made sense.”

After a gap year Victor enrolled in the London School of Economics. His first job after graduating was with a young software company. While there he connected with Citadel and joined that company.

“At the end of the day my job is really all about communication. It’s amazing how hard that can be. Two people can have a conversation and believe they are in agreement. They can leave with each coming to a different conclusion about what was said. Reading all those different texts in FYP and Contemporary Studies exposed me to different belief systems and ways of thinking. So that helps me make sure that my message is resonating with my audience. It helps me make sure I am not making assumptions—that I am being understood.”

As for his role on the Alumni Association Executive, Victor didn’t end up as Treasurer because of the potential for conflict with his employer. But he still brings his expertise to the association.

And for Victor, being on the association executive is just a good idea.

“It’s great to stay connected and lets me know what’s going on at King’s.”

Posted: November 2020