Capital Markets & Trading

I spent nine years as a Managing Director running the EMEA exotic rates and long-dated FX derivatives trading desk at UBS, executing client transactions and managing interest rate, foreign exchange, and volatility risk across structured products. Before that, I traded interest rate derivatives at J.P. Morgan. I later moved into valuations and model risk at Deutsche Bank, giving me a view of trading from both sides of the desk, the risk-taking side and the side that scrutinizes it. I coach candidates targeting sales and trading, structuring, and prop trading roles. I focus on the technical content these interviews test, including pricing intuition, market-making and risk scenarios, and probability and estimation questions, along with how to carry yourself with the composure and clarity that trading floor interviews are specifically testing for. You may notice I don't have reviews here yet. I joined Leland last year but only started actively coaching on this platform this month, since most of my time until now has gone into consulting work and interview coaching elsewhere, where I've built a track record of 25+ five-star reviews and a top 5% job offer rate with past clients. If you'd like a sense of how I work before booking a package, the free intro call is a good place to start.

Fiona Taft is a highly experienced career and admissions coach for Master’s programs, with over a decade of demonstrated success in top-tier academic institutions such as UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. At Berkeley’s Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) Program, she has consistently achieved outstanding student placement outcomes (100% internship placement & 95% placement by Graduation), designed and implemented strategic employer relations initiatives, and provided tailored coaching in quantitative finance career pathways, networking, and interview preparation. In her prior role at Stanford, she led executive education programs and coached high-level professionals through career transitions and academic admissions processes. Fiona’s extensive background in admissions strategy, career development programming, and industry engagement—combined with her strong analytical and communication skills—positions her as a trusted guide for aspiring graduate students navigating the competitive admissions and recruitment landscape.

Welcome to my profile! With a robust background in finance and investment banking, I bring a wealth of experience to help you break into capital markets and trading. As a former Healthcare Investment Banker at Wells Fargo Securities, I managed a team and executed over $10 billion in deals, giving me firsthand insight into what it takes to succeed in this competitive field. I also served as a Finance Instructor at UC Berkeley, teaching over 300 undergraduates about equities, fixed income, and capital markets. Currently, I train new hires in investment banking and financial modeling at Training The Street. Whether you're looking to refine your skills or navigate the recruitment process, I'm here to guide you every step of the way. Let's connect and chart your path to success!

Ex-JP-Morgan Head of Trading with 15 years of experience in Capital Markets. I currently train new and recent hires at top Wall Street Firms. I work with professionals looking to pivot or advance their careers and achieve peak performance by developing technical skills, refining soft skills, maintaining mental focus and staying energized.

In summer 2026 I worked as a Power Summer Analyst on a physical commodity trading desk at Castleton Commodities International in London, and I return full-time as a Commercial Analyst in July 2027. Before that I spent a year in Corporate Structuring at Crédit Agricole CIB, building hedging and regulatory models for utilities and oil and gas majors, and I interned on the power trading desk at PetroIneos and in capital modelling at Aon. Crédit Agricole and Aon both gave me return offers. I hold an MSc in International Finance from HEC Paris (GPA 3.8/4.0, GMAT 715) and a BSc in Physics from UCL. I recently went through the full recruiting cycle for trading, structuring and analyst roles, including assessment centres, technical interviews, case studies and market discussions, so I can give practical, current advice on CVs, applications, interview preparation and how to talk about markets with confidence. I also bring more than 1,500 hours of one-to-one teaching experience, so I know how to explain technical topics clearly.

I spent roughly five years trading on Wall Street, first at Citi and then at Apollo, where I managed and executed across billions in corporate credit and at one point ran the loan trading book directly. I recruited into a top trading seat straight out of undergrad and hold my Series 7, 57, and 63. I coach people who want to break into sales and trading, markets, and finance more broadly: how to network into the desk, how to talk markets in an interview, how to handle technical and brainteaser questions, and how to show you can think under pressure. I am direct, I know what the desk is actually screening for, and I will tell you what will and will not land.

Sales & Trading professional at Morgan Stanley with expertise on both the long and short sides of the market. Over three years, I managed relationships with 60+ global hedge funds, developed innovative cross-selling strategies, and wrote research that earned top rankings in hedge fund broker votes. Beyond my professional achievements, I'm passionate about mentorship—I served as a mentor for the summer internship program and have successfully coached two Brown University alumni into roles at Morgan Stanley. I offer comprehensive career coaching services including resume optimization, interview preparation, and career transition guidance, with the ability to provide support in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Welcome to my profile! With a Master of Finance in Financial Engineering from MIT and a B.Tech from IIT Roorkee, I bring a strong academic foundation to my coaching in capital markets and trading. My professional journey includes roles as a Quantitative Analyst at Goldman Sachs and a Quantitative Researcher at a High Frequency Trading Firm, where I honed my skills in financial data science and quantitative analysis. I have also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at MIT, further solidifying my expertise in financial data science. Whether you're looking to break into the world of trading or advance your career, I am here to guide you through the complexities of the industry. Let's connect and chart a path to your success in capital markets!

I help STEM and finance professionals break into trading, structuring, and systematic markets roles across banks, hedge funds, and prop shops. Before coaching independently, I served as Assoc. Director for Career Services for Carnegie Mellon’s MSCF program, where I worked closely with managing directors and recruiting teams responsible for front- and mid-office markets hiring across trading, desk quant, structuring, and risk My approach is practical and role-specific: profile positioning, recruiting strategy, interview prep, and skill-gap targeting for trading, strats, risk, and quant markets roles.

I’m qualified to coach in Investor Relations because I bring 4+ years of hands-on experience working at the core of capital markets communication and senior leadership decision-making. I’ve worked in Investor Relations roles at listed and capital-markets-active companies such as Adler Group and HomeToGo, where I partnered directly with CFOs, CEOs, and senior management on quarterly and annual reporting, earnings preparation, investor presentations, refinancing communication, and strategic capital-markets messaging. My work involved using professional IR tools and data platforms, coordinating with advisors, and engaging with equity and debt investors, sell-side analysts, and rating agencies on a regular (often weekly) basis. This day-to-day exposure gives me a deep understanding of what strong IR teams actually do, from owning the numbers and narrative to handling difficult investor questions and market volatility. I now coach candidates targeting Investor Relations, Capital Markets, Treasury-adjacent, and Corporate Finance roles, including professionals transitioning from investment banking, consulting, FP&A, and strategy. My coaching style is direct, honest, and high-standards. I focus on financial storytelling, capital structure clarity, earnings logic, and executive-level communication, not surface-level interview prep. If you want real IR guidance grounded in real IR work, I’d be happy to help.