A brief introduction: Hello Everyone! My name is Dan. I am half German and half Argentinian but currently live in Asia. I entered the financial services industry in 1999 as a systems analyst for electronic trading systems in my hometown Frankfurt am Main. After 15 years in global markets, on the technology and business side, I started my own firm, Lightbulb Capital, in 2014.

Why did I take up the FDP challenge? I always wanted to learn more about data science in financial markets, in detail. The FDP curriculum provides the foundational knowledge and understanding of how data science and machine learning is central to the financial markets of today. It is up to us to continually learn and apply our knowledge but without the foundation that the curriculum provides, it would be so much harder to hit the ground running. For example, recently, I was working on a valuation project and needed to download price data from a cryptocurrency exchange using a python script. It did not take long thanks to the Python expertise I had acquired through the FDP Institute.

What’s great about FDP: The FDP charter offers a unique opportunity to build your expertise in data science and machine learning in finance - an area that I suspect will continue to grow in importance over the next decade. It has also helped me to better share my knowledge of data science and machine learning in financial markets. For example, I had the opportunity to write a book chapter on the ethical use of AI in financial markets and am currently developing a university-level course on the data science in global markets.

My advice for aspiring industry professionals: Spend 5-7 years becoming an expert at what interests you most and dive deep into the nitty gritty details of it. Do not rush to become a manager too early but look for strong mentors to guide you. A suitable mentor is not only a successful industry professional, but they should also align with your moral compass and sense of humor. If possible, work overseas. Working overseas can help broaden our mindset which will be useful at later stages of your career. Always remain curious to stay relevant. Be bold and learn about new technologies, markets, and innovations. Being involved in the industry community is also essential. I have made numerous friends in the FDP and CAIA community with whom I can now share ideas, exchange controversial points of view, and discuss financial markets news with. Your professional network is an additional source of knowledge and expertise that can assist you when working on challenging data science projects.

About Dan Liebau

Daniel (Dan) is the founder of Singapore and Hong Kong-based, Lightbulb Capital. The firm was founded in 2014 to help realize the potential of innovation and emerging technologies in transforming financial services. They advise fintech and blockchain start-ups and deliver innovation education programs and research to corporations and universities.

He is an appointed affiliate faculty of Singapore Management University where he teaches classes on FinTech, blockchain and digital assets. He is also a lecturer at Rotterdam School of Management's Executive Education arm. Previously, Dan was a visiting professor at IE Business School in its top-ranked Master of Finance program, where he received the Teaching Excellence Award. He is also a frequent speaker at seminars on innovation in financial services and his work has been accepted for publications in and outside of academia such as for MIT Press and Wiley.

Before starting the firm, Dan served as Chief Operating Officer (COO), Board Member, and one of two executive directors for HSBC Securities (Singapore) Pte Limited, a MAS capital markets services license holder for dealing in financial products. He was previously the Head of IT for HSBC's investment bank in Singapore and Japan. Since 1999, Dan has been involved in investment banking technology at UBS in Germany and the UK, Barclays Capital in both Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as Close Brothers in Frankfurt, his hometown.

Dan is currently working towards his PhD in Finance at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. His research explores the effects of blockchain and AI on financial markets. Previously, he earned both a Master of Science in Innovation from Singapore Management University and a Master’s in finance from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. Since 2020, Dan is also a Financial Data Professional, a charter conferred by the FDP Institute (established by the CAIA Association).