COLLECTIVE EXCELLENCE

It’s been an exciting rollercoaster for one of our top stars in India. Recently celebrating a five-year professional milestone, Kritika Gupta is one of the most experienced OSTC analysts in the Indian hub and proof that if you set your mind to something, the possibilities are limitless. Joining the Group in2013, she admits that “the past five years at OSTC have been a thrilling experience. The ups and downs have made me a better person professionally and personally.

One of the original founding members of OSTC Group, Rob Brophy shifted gears in 2019 to assume the role of Trading Performance Director. With over three decades of trading experience under his belt, as well as effectively managing OSTC’s global risk profile, Rob began his career back in 1991 as an independent trader on London’s LIFFE exchange. Joining forces with Danny Langley eight years later, they launched On Screen Trading to meet the key needs of traders looking to continue in the industry after open outcry exchange floors closed. So, in 2003, On Screen Trading and Trading Connections merged to become OSTC.

Monika joined OSTC in 2009 straight after completing her degree in Corporate Finance and Strategies. She immediately knew that “OSTC ticked all the boxes regarding the industry and global footprint, while providing an amazing opportunity to work in the world of global exchanges alongside key market players.” Initially, Monika began her journey in our Warsaw office as an Assistant Accountant. With the support from the Group CFO, she quickly progressed into an accountant role, and then onto the Finance Analyst FP Manager and Commercial Controller position based in the UK. By then she was working closely with the Business Development side of OSTC, and was offered to join the team and support the Director of Business Development in diversification of OSTC risk through private investments. She currently manages a portfolio of investments into various start-up companies across a range of industries. Monika says of the opportunity, “I would never have been able to imagine this in 2009, which is what makes OSTC great.”

Trading is the fairest job one can have. With our own actions, we are 100% responsible for the reward or loss on the P&L. On this path, our talents and efforts can lead us to a life of abundance and freedom. For me, the ever-changing market goes beyond mere fundamentals or technicalities, to become a kind of mirror to human consciousness. I feel grateful being a Market Analyst and I love my job, both the joyful parts and the common frustrations.

I have been working in OSTC for 6 years now. Accounting wasn’t always my major interest; I graduated from environmental protection studies and management studies. I started my career in PR but I never really felt suited to it. I asked myself: what job will be right for me? The answer came soon after I knew that my job must give me a specialized knowledge and not only soft skills. I decided to become the best accountant ever! I began by investing in accounting studies, taking several courses and finishing a course for chief accountants. For the first two years, I worked for accounting offices, before joining OSTC for a new chapter in my career. I started as a Junior Accountant, then Senior Accountant and finally, I was promoted to the role of Chief Accountant. Quite honestly, I had never imagined that I could work in one company for such a long time but OSTC changed my point of view. There are several reasons for this, including the family atmosphere, amazing people and of course, a chance for my own professional development. I can always rely on my Finance Team. They give me so much support which makes work a pleasure, not a duty.

Starting his career at Lloyds Bank, OSTC Co-founder Danny Langley became an independent trader on the LIFFE exchange floor. He quickly recognised the need for traders like him to access a screen-based trading environment. So in 1999, Danny and Robert Brophy set up Onscreen Trading to provide that service, which later merged with Trading Connections to become OSTC. Today Danny uses his negotiating and networking skills in his role as Head of Origination.

First joining the OSTC Mumbai office back in 2012, Aditi recently celebrated her six-year anniversary and is one of the most experienced Market Analysts in the Mumbai office. Speaking of the milestone, Aditi said: “Working with OSTC has been an amazing experience both personally and professionally. I have enhanced my skills, learned new strategies and made some wonderful friends. OSTC has given me a fantastic platform and provided a solid backbone of support and guidance throughout the ebb and flow of my career.”

Ian is one of the longest-serving members of the OSTC team, having joined in 2005. After 13 years in Warsaw, he is now based in London as our Chief Operations Officer. Initially hired to establish the Polish division of the business, Ian immediately embraced OSTC’s vision where anyone, anywhere, can learn and trade. He began with just nine traders in Warsaw; today there’s a 180-strong team working in five locations across the country.

Joining the Swansea office in 2017 as an Administration and Operations Assistant, Sophie’s background in Conference and Event Management placed her in great stead to transfer her creativity and drive into OSTC’s global branding and communications team. Sophie’s journey with OSTC has been filled with opportunities so far. She was offered the chance to take over global branding and communications alongside her previous role in October 2017 to become Operations & Social Media Specialist.

My journey at OSTC has been a roller coaster ride, but I continue to enjoy every bit of it. I come from an engineering background, which meant I went through a steep learning curve to get up to speed with the fundamentals of finance and core trading terminologies when I joined. Every day is a different experience, so it’s important to learn how to manage your emotions on the days when things don’t go according to plan. You’ll almost certainly lose money in the beginning, but OSTC has a great philosophy of inclusion and guidance so there’s always people looking out for you, having your back, guiding you at every step. If you are performing well, you are rewarded with bonuses, which have been at times more than my actual salary. From my experience in the industry, what distinguishes OSTC from other trading firms is the faith and commitment it has toward its employees.

OSTC is a professional, people-first company to work in, and a company where I feel supported and encouraged to grow. I am grateful to work within the Finance Team with a group of talented accountants from the UK and Poland who support me with the guidance to develop my work – and myself. My hope is that I will grow my skill set enough to become a talented Account Manager working for the Chinese office, and to contribute more valuable recommendations to company directors and managers in the future.

I started to trade markets during my studies, when I was 20 years old. Always changing, always risky and rarely predictable – markets quickly became my passion. As such, OSTC went from a part-time passion to a full-time trading job. I’m convinced that it’s impossible to make money in the market if you don’t give it your all. OSTC gave me a systematic approach and infrastructure within which to learn and improve, which I believe is important. In order to win a lot, I need to stake a lot, but only if I’m feeling confident. Timing is everything, so I’m getting better at knowing when to stake a lot and when to hold back. That’s the way I’m trying to go.

Trading isn’t an easy job. It requires real discipline and focus. There are good days when trading plans are executed successfully, and there are days when the market seems to go against each and every one of my decisions. Over time, I’ve learned to appreciate that how I manage my trades on the tough days is crucial in determining my overall performance. These days are challenging, but they’re also the moments for great learning and growth. Nevertheless, the market always offers ample rewards for hard work. Being a trader is definitely a fascinating and exciting career path.