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a day in the life of andre dalton
At 31, Andre Dalton is the Head of
Equities in Queensland for one of
the most prestigious and fastest
growing Investment Banks in
the country -Tricom. Dalton is
fit, focused and financially driven and has been
working in the investment banking industry for
nine years.
With a First Class Honours degree in Exercise
Science, Dalton has used his tertiary education
to maintain a rigorous fitness regime and strict
diet. He also holds a post-graduate in Applied
Finance and Investment along with the highest
accreditation in derivatives (options) as well as
being a qualified Futures and Foreign Exchange
Dealer. Andre uses these qualifications combined
with his sharp numeracy and analytical skills to
invest in the share market and structure corporate
transactions across various asset classes.
Tricom has over 250 staff in 16 cities, spanning
six countries and employees some of the sharpest
people in the industry. Dalton describes Tricom
as an inspirational place to work with a highly
entrepreneurial culture that supports his many
driven and focused colleagues. Many of the Tricom
team are not only skilled in investing in stocks, they
also possess strong technical skills in accounting,
time: 6.00am
Waking up to the peaceful
sounds of the ocean each
morning is a great way
to start the day before
entering the mayhem of the
trading floor. Fortunately
I am able to sleep well,
given the amount of frantic
activity that is typical in
the world of the stock
market. As soon as my
alarm sounds, I reach for
my Blackberry and check
on the US markets, as
they are in the final hour of
trading when I wake up.
legal, structuring and risk management - skills
which Dalton believes are fundamental to be
successful in his industry.
Tricom has a flat management structure which
offers a competitive advantage when competing
with multi-national investment banks because
decisions can be made quickly and the key
decision makers are always contactable literally 24
hours a day. Clients are important, and Dalton
knows of many instances where bigger firms lose
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time: 6.10am
I normally exercise each
morning, and start off with
some stretching and yoga.
By now I have turned on
CNBC and am listening
to the commentary on
the stock market action
from the European and US
trading sessions.
time: 6.25am
I then go for a training
session, which involves
either skipping, swimming,
mountain bike riding,
running, paddling or deep
water running. My training
regime has a lot of variety.
interest in their clients, whereas at Tricom they are
a priority.
A number of advisors have joined Tricom from
Macquarie Bank, UBS, CSFB, ABN Amro
and Ord Minnet and all of them have been
extremely satisfied with the Tricom culture
and entrepreneurial environment to grow
their business. Although Tricom has lost a
few advisors as well, the attrition rate is very
low and some environments simply just don’t
suit everyone.
Compliant,
professional and
humble...are
the principles
that Andre
promotes to
his advisors
time: 4.00pm
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The high-pitched bell rings again at 4pm signifying the close of the
market. At this point, headsets are removed temporarily and most of
the team takes a small break, before putting their headsets back on
and making sure we’ve reported and reconciled our day’s work.
time: 6.30pm
Sometimes it’s
hard to get away,
but I usually leave
the office between
6:30pm and 7pm.
time: 10:00am
We have a bell in the office, and each morning at 10am we
hear this high-pitched ring, which signifies that the market is
open and trading. The noise becomes increasingly loud as
clients and advisors jostle for position to buy and sell stocks
at the opening of the market. There is real atmosphere on
the trading floor and a real sense of teamwork.
time: 7.15am
After picking up my breakfast and lunch at the organic
café Toast on the Gold Coast’s Tedder Avenue (highly
recommended if you have a strict, healthy diet), I arrive
at work around 7.15am. I have about 30 advisors on the
trading floor and a couple are usually there before me. I eat
my breakfast at work, whilst flicking through the ‘Fin’ (The
Financial Review) and preparing for my morning meeting.
The Boardroom: where it all happens! Video conferencing allows the entire company
to be involved – whenever, wherever. During these conferences, our analysts
provide comments on major headline news items relating to the previous day’s
trading in Australia, Asia, Europe and the US, and what to expect. We also discuss
recommendations, new corporate deals and any major economic data on the horizon.
time: 11.30pm
The US markets open at 11:30pm, and I usually lay in bed
to watch the open and then fall asleep shortly thereafter. I’m
sometimes called by my principal at this time (who never seems
to sleep) to have a meeting on some topic that we need to
spend time on. He’s almost worse than me!
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