There is always more you can learn that will help you become a better professional. That is the view of compliance assistant Gerard O'Brien, who has completed a trio of CISI qualifications since 2012, most notably the Diploma in Investment Compliance.
Making a difference in Malawi
No matter what challenges he faces, Gerard has little problem keeping things in perspective after working as a volunteer for the Tikondwe Youth Organisation in Malawi.
He taught English and maths to schoolchildren in the south-east African country in 2011 before returning the following year as Malawi Project Co-ordinator. Gerard used more than £1,500 he had raised in the UK to help fund a project that allowed 100 children in Domasi to attend secondary school and receive school uniforms.
“It was a real eye opener and I found that a small amount of money goes a long way,” says Gerard. “You see people who have very little but are very happy – and it teaches you to appreciate what you have.”
“The Diploma was a milestone for me,” he says. “It shows you are competent to take a compliance role and puts you in a good position to move up the ranks.”
Gerard gets to put everything he has learned into practice in his London-based job as Compliance and Internal Control Assistant at Gordian Knot, the investment management company he has worked for since December 2011. His role involves ensuring relevant regulations, investment mandates and internal portfolio limits are adhered to. He also liaises with the company's auditors to ensure efficient and accurate auditing of both Gordian and the fund it manages, Theta Corporation.
The role has allowed Gerard to broaden his financial education. “Compliance can affect every department in a firm so you need to learn about everything, from the back office to the front,” he explains. “There are also a lot of new regulations and EU directives to comply with and I have to understand their likely impact.”
Building a compliance culture
Conveying the importance of compliance to colleagues and clients is one of Gerard’s biggest challenges. “Compliance is expensive and a front office often sees it as a hindrance, so you need to constantly reinforce its importance to people,” he emphasises. “You cannot make a profit from compliance but you can certainly prevent a loss.”
He gets great satisfaction from working to improve the firm’s compliance programme. “It is rewarding when you see your recommendations embedded in the way a firm works.”
His interest in corporate affairs began in his teens and grew when he studied Business Studies and Risk Management & Insurance at the University of Limerick. During his degree he undertook a nine-month placement in 2009 as Compliance Administrator at Invesco Global Asset Management in Dublin. “It is one thing studying but there is nothing like getting hands-on experience. It gave me a broad view of how compliance works,” he recalls.
Chief aims
After a gap year that included working at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Gerard secured his first full-time job in finance as a Research Consultant at hedge fund recruitment specialist O’Connell Resourcing, where he worked for most of 2011 before joining Gordian.
“I would like to study law as it is closely linked to compliance”
His days as a full-time student might be behind him, but he is determined to continue studying. “I would like to study law as it is closely linked to compliance,” says Gerard, whose long-term goal is to become a chief compliance officer or head of compliance.
He is very happy in his current position at Gordian Knot, though, and loves working in London after moving there from his native Ireland three years ago. “There is so much culture and entertainment on offer,” he says. “It is a great place to live and work.”
Do you have an interesting back-office story? Email lawrence.cohen@wardour.co.uk