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The Traders Trophy Worldwide for students has been held for the first time in Switzerland from 17 November to 19 November, with the final hosted by SIX Swiss Exchange. The competition is an initiative of Oxyor, an international financial training firm based in Amsterdam.
This competition provides students with real-time experience as a trader in a dealing room environment. It is part of a multi-national event spanning from the US, Europe, South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong. The competition has grown from three countries participating in 2008, to 12 this year.
More than 175 undergraduates from the three universities – The University of St Gallen, The University of Zurich and ETH Zurich – enrolled to participate in qualifying rounds which were held on-campus, on 17 and 18 November. The 25 most outstanding student traders from the respective universities then proceeded to take part in the finals at SIX Swiss Exchange.
The participants were assessed on profitability, market awareness, client service and risk management through a securities trading simulation exercise. Their ability in managing the pressures of the financial markets was also carefully considered. This trading simulation was enabled by the use of 30 laptops that were connected in a network to become a virtual dealing room, where the traders could trade with each other and fictitious market players.
Menno Haesen, Director of Oxyor explains: "Swiss students proved themselves to be highly adaptable to stock trading and we had entrants from all disciplines, from computer science majors to econometrics Masters. But in our simulation, profit is not the only winning criteria, just as in the industry. All contestants need to display a rounded skill set including risk management and good communications skills, exactly the qualities that financial companies are looking for in a trader of the future."
Urs Derendinger, COO of Swiss Exchange held the opening speech at the final and said: "SIX Swiss Exchange believes strongly that nurturing the graduate talent in Switzerland is important and this competition provides these students with an excellent opportunity to immerse themselves in a simulated trading environment that will challenge their skills of trading discipline and commercial judgment."
The winner of this year’s competition, Marc Bareth, was awarded SFR 1,000 cash and a place in the 2011 Global final in Amsterdam.
