Graduate Profiles |
Gareth McCluskey - Private Clients
Prior to applying for the Davy Graduate Programme I completed an undergraduate degree in Business and Legal Studies in UCD and a Masters qualification in The Smurfit School of Business.
Having spoken to a number of people in the industry, it was clear that Private Clients was a dynamic and evolving area of finance. I felt that Davy offered a good platform for me to develop my career. The Davy Graduate Programme offers the opportunity to rotate across a number of areas of the business, providing excellent exposure to the business and the complete Davy offering.
Once I completed the programme I was offered a permanent role as an Assistant Portfolio Manager, working closely with one of the Directors. This role involved working with new clients to develop a long term investment strategy that was tailored to their needs and then implementing it over a period of time. The role of Assistant Portfolio Manager was a very enjoyable one as it developed my understanding of Portfolio Management and deepened my knowledge of the various asset classes available through Davy such as equities, property and private equity.
The next step in my career was to progress to Portfolio Manager and build a client base. There is plenty of support for new Portfolio Managers in the initial months with workshops and courses that aided us in further developing our skills.
Davy is very focused on training and development. Internal experts and industry specialists regularly present on current market developments. We are encouraged to develop our knowledge of asset classes, deepen our understanding of innovations in investment offering and develop our skill set on a continuous basis. There is also excellent financial and managerial support for professional qualifications such as the Chartered Financial Analyst programme and Securities Institute qualification.
I applied to undertake the CFA qualification while on the graduate programme. Management were keen for me to obtain the qualification and gave me plenty of time off to study and take CFA courses. I really feel that this qualification has stood to me and has increased my effectiveness as a Portfolio Manager.
Following great success in the regional development of Davy through offices in Cork and Galway, the company opened an office in Belfast in 2007. I was asked to work in Belfast to help build the Davy brand in Northern Ireland and develop a strong client base. This was a great opportunity and challenge for me, adding new areas to my skill set that I believe will stand to me going forward.
The key thing for me, during my time with Davy, has been the support and encouragement I have received from colleagues and senior management in relation to both career development and ongoing training.