Giovanni Stephens - CV/Resume
About Me
Hi there! I'm Giovanni (sometimes called Gio). I am a finance and data professional with a curiosity and interest in building cool things and helping people. I've had the chance to work in quite a few different roles across various industries, which has really sparked my interest in developing my value wherever I go. I studied finance to postgrad level at Otago, with extra stats and computer science papers thrown in. I recently finished another degree specialising in software engineering, so programming and numbers are definitely my thing!
My background spans funding, finance, and data analysis roles. I've done everything from creating startups and joining business competitions to working in private equity and venture capital. Along the way, I've built up skills in funding analysis, impact measurement, and system development.
Right now I'm pushing to grow my skills in machine learning, front-end development, and algorithmic trading. I'm pretty good with programming languages like Python, Go, TypeScript, and a bit of C. I enjoy working with data, whether it's data modelling, writing SQL queries, or creating visualisations that make complex information easy to understand.
Outside of work, you'll find me cooking for friends or enjoying the stunning scenery around Queenstown. I'm quite outgoing and love meeting new people. Ultimately, I want to develop cool systems, follow my curiosity, and find ways to help others along the way.
Education
DipGrad InfoSci – Software Engineering
Jan 2021 - Dec 2022
Massey University(New Zealand)
Graduate Diploma in Information Sciences with focus on algorithms, data structures, machine learning, data modelling, software engineering tools and practices, agile project management, web development, cloud computing, parallel computing and concurrency.
PGDipCom – Finance
Jan 2016 - Dec 2016
University of Otago(New Zealand)
Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce with specialisation in Finance.
BCom – Finance
Jul 2013 - Dec 2015University of Otago(New Zealand)
Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, endorsed in Software Engineering.
Work Experience
Community Investment Advisor
Current
Queenstown Lakes District Council(Queenstown, New Zealand)
- Advising the Queenstown Lakes District Council on how to more-effectively invest in community outcomes with grants and support
- Managing the QLDC Community Fund
- Providing strategic advice on funding priorities and community needs
HFT Trading Manager (Energy markets)
Jul 2023 - Mar 2024
Quark Energy Trading(New Zealand)
- Managed HFT, systematic trading strategies tailored for European energy markets, optimising trade execution and risk offsetting efficiency
- Monitored and analysed weather patterns to inform systematic energy trading decisions, enhancing strategy development
- Helped develop HFT strategies operating at micro/nanosecond speeds using C++ and cutting-edge technology
HFT Trading Manager (Futures markets)
Jun 2022 - Mar 2024
Liger Trading NZ(New Zealand)
- Managed high-frequency systematic trading (HFT) systems and strategies at micro/nanosecond speeds using FPGA, C++, and proprietary languages
- Consistently outperformed competitors in speed while trading futures on CME and ICE
- Applied machine learning models such as XGBoost, random forests, simple regressions, and decision trees to anticipate market events
Machine Learning Advisor
Jun 2022 - Present
Queenstown Resort College (QRC)(New Zealand)
- Providing course advisory for new data and machine learning course development
- Giving tech talks on machine learning and AI
- Running info sessions and supporting prospective students
PE/VC Investment Analyst (Impact funding)
Jun 2021 - May 2022
Purpose Capital Impact Fund(New Zealand)
- Interacted with dozens of ventures focused on community and environmental impact, evaluating where funds would have most positive effect
- Provided analysis and research using Power BI, advanced Excel modelling
- Led research in "impact" measurement and management KPIs
Data Analyst
Jan 2020 - May 2021
TrustPower / Mercury(New Zealand)
- Created intuitive reports and analyses for business units using Power BI for visualisation
- Wrangled data and performed data modelling using SQL across multiple databases including Snowflake, Azure SQL DB, MS SQL Server, and Oracle
- Used advanced analytics and Machine Learning for sophisticated analyses
Institutional Administrator (Back Office)
2019
Forsyth Barr(New Zealand)
- Automated approximately 4 hours of daily work through process improvements and scripting
- Managed institutional trades settlements and supervised junior team members
- Resolved issues and discrepancies involving large counterparties like JP Morgan, BNP Paribas, among others
Fixed Interest Administrator (Back Office)
2019Forsyth Barr(New Zealand)
- Responsible for all fixed interest trade settlements
- Automated approximately 4-5 hours of daily work through process improvements
- Promoted to institutional role within 3 months
Project Administrator
2018
Aurora Energy(New Zealand)
- Created various data entry tools and portals for contractors
- Provided reporting to board level
- Managed project documentation and administrative processes
Loans and Insurance Coordinator
2017
Roost Mortgage Brokers(New Zealand)
- Coordinated the loans team and workflow management
- Provided information and guidance to clients
- Created financial calculators to facilitate business operations
Business Analyst
2015LED Lights Australasia(New Zealand)
Created the financial plan and projections, running NPV and IRR analyses to evaluate business opportunities.
Finance and Statistics Educator
2014 - 2019University of Otago / UniTutor / Privately(New Zealand)
Taught finance and statistics to university students, providing both classroom instruction and one-on-one tutoring.
Skills
Finance & Investment
Technical Skills
Soft Skills
Languages
AI & Modern Tools
Interests
Programming | Data | AI
- I love programming whenever I get a chance, and I love working with data. I'm currently pushing my skills in front-end development to tie in with my data and AI skills.
- I'm currently learning Next.js, and a whole suite of web dev stuff. I'm also very interested in building automated trading algorithms.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
- I am not a founder (yet!); however, I feel my mind aligns well with kick-starting new ideas and things.
- I've won a couple of business and start-up competitions, which was fun. But time to take it into the real world.
- Right now, I am building micro Saas products to help me learn about building and launching new things.
Food!
- I love cooking, and hosting dinners is such an enjoyable activity for me.
- Fun fact: I originally trained to be a cook for 2.5 years before I decided to pursue a career in finance.
- My favourite cuisine centres around continental European food. I love to modify classic dishes like filet mignon or a classic pasta dish.
Curious Learning
- I have always been a curious learner. I am pushing to keep growing and learning.
- Big fan of reading. (my e-Reader is probably my best purchase under $1k!). I read a lot of psychology, finance, and innovation books.
- Coding and software development is a big skillset that I am pushing, and have been for quite a few years. I feel like I am getting good at it.
Side Projects
Fully-Automated Trading System
I am running a fully-automated trading system for quantitative, systematic trading on my personal account. I use custom-built tools and code to automate a variety of trading strategies. My performance has been solid with Sharpe ratios almost in the double-digit range.
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