First, your job at Training The Street is about providing professional financial training.
Why did you decide to join a financial training provider, instead of continuing
your career at an investment bank?
Prior to joining Training the Street, I had been giving consideration to a change in career and
the catalyst that bought it about was merger between Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. I
have always had a passion for teaching and found the role very rewarding when working for a
previous employer. Blending both teaching and corporate finance skills, two disciplines I am
passionate about, was a great combination. The Training The Street opportunity happened by
chance as they were searching for a London based instructor to help them build out their European
franchise. Since joining the firm it has been very rewarding and it has placed me in a leadership
role where I am responsible for growing and building a business.
It is sometimes argued that Mergers and Acquisitions doesn’t create additional
value to a company and is only good for the shareholder. What is your opinion
about this statement?
Depends on the success of the merger or acquisition. If successful, ultimately the shareholders
will be rewarded in the form of capital appreciation or higher dividends. Unfortunately, value
creation is not always immediate so it does require patience on the part of shareholders. Just as