Our Approach to Training

Our approach to all our training courses is based upon the following Chinese proverb:

I hear - and I forget
I see - and I remember
I do - and I understand

More and more UK investment institutions and banks are starting to realise that in order to compete at the very highest levels they must employ staff with a wide ranging knowledge of the financial markets. It is no longer sufficient to be a narrow based specialist, particularly in the corporate finance area, where lateral thinking on behalf of one’s clients is almost a requirement. Every banker hopes to build long-term client relationships, but those relationships are always stronger if coupled with the highest quality ideas and advice.

We believe that the combination in our training courses of intensive work, the re-enforcing of that work with exercises and with case studies, and subsequent examinations, creates an efficient learning process for the attendees.

The training courses that we offer to clients run from half a day to four weeks. In all cases, the sequence of planning and delivery is as follows:

Before the training

We discuss with you in detail what your staff wish to achieve

We set background reading

We prepare all the courses on a computer system such as "PowerPoint" and use projection equipment which can be connected directly into a portable pc.

At least one week before the beginning of the relevant programme, we present to you the slides to be used by the lecturers during that programme.

If you have requested that we supply case studies as part of the programme – which we recommend - we will work with you to create groups of people from different back grounds, countries or disciplines. The aim of this manoeuvre is that attendees will learn to work with other colleagues who have specific skills which may be different to their own.

During the training

We provide trainers who have theoretical experience in these markets coupled with practical experience. Whilst we believe that in order to train people well, the subject has to be understood thoroughly by the trainer, we also believe that attendees are more likely to respect trainers who have "been there, done that".

Our case studies cover open & closed questions - i.e. they will not be based purely upon calculations. They are designed so that attendees are encouraged to look at problems, not only from the point of view of their own business, but also from the point of view of their counterparties. Indeed, for banking clients, we require attendees to think in terms of the benefit to the counterparty, not just the profitability to the bank.

We provide copies of all the slides used, but we expect attendees to make additional notes on their hard copy. We set and mark exercises, tests and examination papers that are set.

We aim to give practical guidance to attendees in order to ensure that their subsequent conduct, behaviour and business activity is not only "ethical", but in line with current "best market practice"

After the training

As a matter of principle, we believe it to be vitally important that your staff come away from our training programmes, not only having learnt something, but also understanding it sufficiently well to be able to put it into practice.

In order to check that the course was pitched at the right level for future work with a client, we ask attendees to complete a Course Questionnaire.

We make our staff available to answer attendees’ questions on the course for three months after the end of the course. Such questions are dealt with via e-mail.

Typical Training Programmes

Normally our approach is very flexible, offering our clients a variety of different potential courses, but we have found certain topics to be popular. These are listed below together with an indication of the number of days which would be needed to cover each subject in appropriate depth for a graduate-level training course:

Economics of Financial Markets	4 days
Financial Mathematics	5 days
Portfolio Management Theory	2 days
Fixed Income Mathematics	3 days
Forwards, Futures and Swaps	4 days
Options	3 days
Pinpointing Trading & Credit Risk	1 day
Contract Law and Documentation	1 day
Regulations Governing Financial Markets	2 days

Exact details of these courses can be provided on request.

Aim of the Programmes

Clients who take the bulk of the above training programme can be assured that at the end, their staff will have obtained:

• An overall familiarity with all financial markets - fixed income, currency and equity - including new aspects such as credit derivatives and value at risk.
• An understanding of the global structure of financial markets and the role therein of investment banking and investment management.
• The ability to read the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal "cover to cover" and understand all calculations and aspects of discussion relating to financial markets.