Vital Stats
HOMETOWN: New Delhi
Master's Program:University of California at Berkeley (Haas School of Business), Master in Financial Engineering
Undergraduate Degree:Bachelor of Science in computer engineering from Valparaiso University in Indiana
Honors: Graduated summa cum laude and was a member of the National Engineering Honors Society, Tau Beta Pi.
Internships: I'll be at Citigroup in New York working in fixed-income strategy and analysis.
Mentor: One of my professors at Valparaiso, Mark Budnik, and the dean of my engineering school, Kraig Olejniczak.
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- Qualifications and Background
- Aspirations
- Beyond the Numbers
Advanced Trading: Why did you choose to pursue a master's degree in finance, and why did you choose the University of California at Berkeley's program?
Mutreja: In general I'd had an interest in finance and getting an M.F.E. I was following the stock markets in India. Then in the summer between my junior and senior years in Indiana [at Valparaiso University], I interned at a proprietary trading firm called Wolverine Trading in its stat arb group. I was working on programming an application on how the group was doing and looking at its efficiency. It was an opportunity to learn about the quant strategies and the field of finance. That's what drew me in -- seeing the application of my math and engineering skills. I had heard about the Berkeley program and wanted something similar, and it came recommended by my adviser and colleagues.
AT: What is your math background? Do you have any programming experience?
Mutreja: My background is mainly what I did in engineering. On the math side I did calculus and some stochastic processes as an undergrad. At my internship I used my programming skills and learned a lot of languages, including C++ and Matlab.
AT: What classes are you taking that will be essential to helping you be more prepared for a job on Wall Street?
Mutreja: All the classes focusing on the different asset classes. The fixed-income class was one of my favorites, as I'm doing an internship in fixed income. The empirical financial class was interesting and focused more on data handling. Then the business finance classes. ... It's about building the foundation of finance.
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AT: How would you rate your knowledge of the business of financial services, on a scale of 1 to 10?
Mutreja: I'm still learning the business of financial services. I'd say my knowledge of the industry maybe is a 6 or 7. I still don't know how much there is to know.
AT: How has your background prepared you for the practical task of analyzing data?
Mutreja: In terms of statistics, I did a lot of that in my undergrad engineering program. Also, at my internship, I did a lot of statistical analysis on the firm's data. For practical application, the M.F.E. program is where they really hit it hard -- applying to real data in finance specifically. I really enjoyed my empirical finance class because there were so many applications for the statistics I've learned.
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AT: Why did you choose to pursue a career on Wall Street?
Mutreja: I had an interest in finance but never thought of it as a career until a few years ago. I started trading in India. The way stock markets work, the way companies work definitely interested me. After my internship at Wolverine in college, I saw that finance was a field where I could really apply my skills.
AT: In what type of role would you like to start?
Mutreja: I don't know yet. I'm looking forward to my internship in fixed income. I enjoy following the markets, especially now in the crisis. I can see myself in fixed income, but I'm open to other areas -- I just need more exposure to other asset classes.
AT: What do you see yourself doing in two years? In 10 years?
Mutreja: In two years I'll be learning a lot and working as an associate at a top-tier investment bank. In 10 years I hope I can be in a managerial position at an investment bank, maybe leading a desk.
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AT: Name three firms you'd like to work for.
Mutreja: Any of the top investment banks are what I'm targeting. I definitely think I will be on the sell side.
AT: What sets you apart from other quant candidates?
Mutreja: I have good communications skills. I've worked very well in teams. I have a lot to learn, and I'm always working toward that.
AT: What three questions would you ask a prospective employer?
Mutreja: Given current market conditions, I would ask: Are you going to be bankrupt? Do you enjoy your job, and what path did you take to get where you are today? I'd also ask for any advice on how to be successful in the industry.
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AT: : Is there anyone who has been instrumental in your decision to pursue the quant profession?
Mutreja: My supervisor at Wolverine Trading, Amit Gupta, who was one of the reasons I decided to pursue a career in financial services. I learned a lot from him. He also has an engineering background, and he guided me on what to expect, how to get into finance and the path I should take.
AT: Do you trade at all? Have you ever built any algorithmic models for trading?
Mutreja: I don't program algo models in my free time. I do some trading and investing on a personal level but nothing more than that.
AT: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Mutreja: I play Indian classical guitar in my spare time. I also like to listen to music and hang out with friends.
AT: Name one thing you did this summer for fun.
Mutreja: I went to Lake Tahoe with a bunch of financial engineering students. I tried to make it a point not to work 24x7 -- to take a break and hang out with friends so I wouldn't become a workaholic.
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AT: Describe one of your personal goals beyond a career on Wall Street.
Mutreja: Coming from India, I didn't have a lot of opportunities there. I started college early, and I see a lot of students there that are very deserving and talented but don't get opportunities. So I'd like to start some kind of fund or organization to provide students with opportunities in developing countries, for those that can't afford education. Good education helps determine whether countries are successful or not, so I think that's important.
AT: Is there anything else you feel is important that you would like to mention?
Mutreja: I think it is interesting to note that I'm the youngest student in the M.F.E. program here. I'm 19. Instead of doing typical 12-year schooling, I started taking classes as a private international student in the tenth grade in India. So I started college at 15 at Valparaiso and graduated last December. I'll be done with my M.F.E. at 20.
AT: Choose one word to describe yourself.
Mutreja: Eligible. (I'm single.)
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