We recently caught up with CAIA tutor, Stuart Jackaman. With a wealth of experience in the banking and finance industry, he shared what to expect when studying CAIA with Kaplan UK, and why he chose to go into this area.
Let’s take a closer look…
Can you tell us a bit about your previous experience and background?
My first professional job was as a trainee actuary in a large insurance company. About two years into my training, it became clear that the actuarial life was not for me and I moved to a job in operations at a large investment bank.
From there, I moved to a smaller UK bank and managed to get closer to the fund managers as a small institutional investment adviser running investment funds in the technology sector. I spent seven years trading and managing a variety of technology focused funds before moving into financial market training in 2007.
What made you decide to go into banking and finance?
I had some friends that went into finance that seemed to be constantly busy and fulfilled by their work. It seemed like an obvious choice for a quantitatively-minded, ambitious young professional.
Why did you choose to go into CAIA?
I worked with a couple of hedge funds when on the buy side, and wanted to improve my knowledge of the private funds side of things. I felt that other qualifications treated alternatives with a rather cursory glance and I wanted to dive deeper.
Can you talk about your teaching style?
I came out of university with a non-finance degree and spent the first few years of my career not really having any idea what people were talking about. It was going through financial qualification programmes like CAIA that helped me bust the jargon – there never seemed to be adequate time for that to happen in the workplace.
My teaching style is driven by helping others in that position. It is still very fresh in my mind all these years later.
How do you think Kaplan differs from other providers?
Kaplan is the only provider of a comprehensive suite of education products for the CAIA exam. It has been ever since I started working with Kaplan back in 2008.
For anyone looking to study with Kaplan, they can expect a good track record of us helping learners from all backgrounds to maximise their chances of success in the CAIA programme. Through decades of experience, delegates do just that.
Are there any trends or news stories that you’re currently excited about/following?
There has been quite a lot of news of late. The current challenge to the US dollar as a global reserve currency is something everyone should be paying attention to, considering both the reasons why it is happening and what we must do to maintain our long-term prosperity.
Ready to kickstart your career?
The CAIA qualification can help you develop key skills related to alternative investments. For more information on our CAIA courses, check out the course page.
If you’re still unsure what qualification is best for you, have a read of our guide to distinguishing IMC, CAIA, and FRM certifications.