The Automated Trader Interview

First Published in Automated Trader Magazine Issue 13 Q2 2009

Success at Bluecrest Capital is a team effort, says president Leda Braga. With the company’s two funds, BlueTrend and BlueMatrix, up by 43.35% and 8.81% respectively over 2008, we think that says a lot about the quality of the teamwork there. Automated Trader’s publisher, John Howard, went to meet three key members of the Bluecrest team.

Dirk Ormoneit is Head of Research for the Systematic Trading division of Bluecrest. As such, he is responsible for all algorithm related decisions relating to trend following and mean reverting, high frequency systematic trading and is also part of the unit’s management team.

Mark Holt is Head of Technology for the Systematic Trading division, responsible for all systems deployed in production as well as some of the tools used by the Research Team to develop new strategies and carry out research.

Leda Braga is Head of the Systematic Trading unit as well as President of Bluecrest.

Looking at performance, both of your funds were up in 2008, BlueTrend by 43.35% and the Blue Matrix by 8.81%. Both funds have been nominated for awards and indeed won awards. I think all of us here, and probably all our readers as well, would like to know first – how did you do it?

Leda Braga: Without commenting on specific returns, Systematic Trading, more than any other investment management style, is about team work – a number of different skills working together to achieve something. Across all disciplines within BlueCrest Systematic – mathematics, technology, trading operations – there is a relentless desire to excel. This is what gets this team awards: a tireless desire to excel! BlueTrend has been nominated each and every year since its inception in 2004. BlueMatrix was nominated last yea...