Letter of Intent for a PhD Program - Essay Example

With my continued interest in academia after my conversation with Dr. Cvitanic, I joined Mathematical Finance Master’s program part-time while continuing to work full-time at CMS BondEdge.

This episode has defined my career in financial services for the last 11 years in various functions including programming, analytics, portfolio management, risk management, and investment advisory where I have always strived to apply my profound academic knowledge. At BNY Mellon Asset Management, I work for Investment Strategy and Solutions group. My role traditionally has been portfolio management, portfolio construction, and strategic and tactical asset allocation for multi-asset strategies. Very recently, I had an opportunity to work on an investment research topic on investing in emerging markets.

I was the primary contributor to the research as well as the co-author of the subsequent publication on thematic investing in emerging markets. The topic pertains to creating better building blocks for investing. My proven ability for investment research rekindled in me, the desire to reconnect with academia. I, therefore, took this unique opportunity provided for an executive Ph.D. at EDHEC-Risk Institute to research to solve the gravest problems the investment industry is currently facing in times of financial crisis.

This is more important considering that pension plans are underfunded, more recent employees are left stranded without proper retirement solutions, and developed countries are debt-laden and have aging demographics. Developing countries, on the other hand, have significant human capital, resources, and surplus they are looking for answers to tug of war between liquidity and reserve needs and long-term welfare planning while fulfilling their investment objectives. In my current role as an asset allocation strategist, I have been posed with several institutional investment challenges that have, usually, required a distinct client-oriented solution.

I recently attended Advances in Asset Allocation conference offered by EDHEC-Risk Institute. I liked how Dr. Martellini summarized all aspects of the latest developments in portfolio construction, and strategic and dynamic asset allocation. However unique the situation may be, he showed how a coherent framework for inter-temporal strategic asset allocation can be applied to various investor needs. I am very keen to not only learn but also collaborate and research with the brightest academia stalwarts at EDHEC-Risk Institute who have firsthand experience working with Nobel laureates Bob Merton, Mark Rubinstein, and alike.

I have followed EDHEC-Risk Institute for several years now and regard it as a pristine institute that is the pioneer in advances in the finance industry particularly investment management with a unique risk-oriented approach.