Director in the Data and Innovation Group at Bank of America
Biography
Devdeep Sarkar is a Director in the Data and Innovation Group at Bank of America, where he focuses on exploring the use of Data Science in the realm of Fixed Income Investing.
Previous Roles
Vice President - Systematic Trading Strategies at Goldman Sachs
Vice President - Fixed Income Strategy (focusing on IR derivatives) at J.P. Morgan
Summer Associate – Fixed Income Strategy at J.P. Morgan
Education
M.S. in Computational Finance – Carnegie Mellon University (2012)
Ph.D. in Theoretical and Computational Physics – University of California
First and foremost, this role is quite intellectually stimulating and allows me to work with some incredibly smart people (across various teams) with a deep understanding of data analysis and financial markets. Besides satisfying my hunger of doing robust analytical work, the role also provides an opportunity to work with a wide gamut of clients. The structure of the group also allows a high degree of flexibility in terms of the projects we undertake.
How has MSCF helped you throughout your career?
I came to MSCF to get my foot in the door, and during the campus interview in January 2012, I had a number of internship offers. Maybe I was tremendously lucky, but I don’t think I would have had any of them had I not been a part of the program. When I joined MSCF, I was talking to one of the alumni, and it was through that conversation that I learned this job would be perfect for me. MSCF helped me 100% in that aspect.
Were there any courses that have helped you in your current role?
MSCF is a great program that offers a balanced approach. I think it is the balance of everything I learned that helps day-to-day. I use machine learning and advanced statistics almost every day. Given the nature of my work, I also frequently look at some aspects of stochastic calculus. The finance courses helped me better understand the markets, and the Speakers Series provided a good opportunity to engage in discussions and learn more about the real world outside of the problems we were solving in the classroom.
What attracted you to MSCF compared to other programs?
The MSCF program is unique in the sense that you get to learn from some of the best professors from 4 renowned departments in a single program. Furthermore, the program gives you access to best in class career services. I wanted to enroll in a program where I knew I could get an internship since most banks convert interns into full-time hires. Since I didn’t have finance experience, MSCF was the perfect tool for me to bridge the gap between my background in physics to the finance world. The program was structured to develop talent for the industry – it was the most efficient route for me to make this transition.
