Who is Asita Anche, the high frequency trading ace?

9 August 2010

2 minute read

Who is Asita Anche, the high frequency trading ace?

Asita Anche is an exception. Not only is she a female, high frequency, quant-driven, trader, a rarity in itself, but she has also been hired by Goldman to build its prop trading activities. Goldman doesn't often hire outsiders, and at this moment in time the precise future of its prop trading activities is doubtful.

How, therefore, does one become a sought-after female high frequency trader in a boy's world where logic suggests banks shouldn't be hiring at all?

Here's how Asita (full Facebook profile photo available here or here), did it...

1) Study computer science at a top(ish) school

According to her LinkedIn profile, Anche only graduated in 2004. She studied a Masters in Computer Science at the University of Illinois, which ranks fifth for such things in the US according to this table.

2) Do an internship at a renowned software lab

Many a quant has cut his or her algorithmic teeth at industry-leading software labs. Uber-quant Emanuel Derman started out at AT&T Labs. Anche did a five month internship at IBM Labs. IBM Labs was the birthplace of data mining and has spawned at least 5 Nobel prize winners.

3) Join a top hedge fund

Straight out of university, Anche's first job was in the high frequency trading group at Citadel in the US. 20 months later, she moved to Citadel's high frequency trading group in Europe.

4) Join another top hedge fund

Four years' later, Anche joined Millennium Capital Management Europe, where she appears to have been one of only three women among 42 men. Millennium Capital Management Europe is the London arm of Israel Englander's US hedge fund. According to Financial News, it's renowned for giving its managers a high degree of autonomy.

5) Join Goldman Sachs

After just one year at Millennium, Anche has joined Goldman, as an MD.

AUTHORSarah Butcher

Global Editor

Ni
Nikminster
5 November 2017
I agree with you. Completely sexist. Seeing someone you know written up like this makes it all seem base and unprofessional. Shame on e-financial careers. Stupid article, stupid links, appeals only to the incapable.
Plus, who are these people to judge her based on her FB page. Asita should be judged on her background alone. Impressive or not or just so-so (IMHO from my many encounters, kinda middling, determined yes, super intelligent? I've met plenty women and men who had more horsepower).
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Se
Seth
14 August 2011
its about being at the right place at the right time.. obviously she did great.. focused on something that is highly in demand at the time...
there is a rule of 10,000 hours of practice, which she did at citadel... and she chose this profession same way steve jobs, bill gates chose computer back then...
HFT is still in developing phase, same way computers were in early days... so anyone who works hard and is smart in this domain basically is going to be very successfully...
another such field is bio technology in the area of stem cell research....
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Go
GoGirl
19 August 2010
The comments above, like the fantasy from "Her Boss", are a good indication of why this field is WIDE open to anyone, but especially women, with brains.
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no
non
12 August 2010
Nah, you guys are giving CIG alums too much credit. If you can dodge the bullet for a few years (which can be done with EITHER skill or a quick tongue), then you've got a free pass to just about any job, qualified or not. Especially these days where all you have to do is hint that you once bumped into someone who worked in CIG HF. A sucker is born every minute....
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Ta
Tarquin
10 August 2010
@ Lisa-zzzzzzz, havent you got some ironing or dishes to do?
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