The Curious Quant

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The Curious Quant series, hosted by Michael Kollo, is a discussion between technically-minded professionals in the financial services, technology and data science fields. It examines the application of new data and new methodologies to common problems in financial markets. Michael Kollo has a PhD in Finance is from the London School of Economics where he lectured in quantitative finance in addition to Imperial College and at the University of New South Wales. He has created models and led quantitative research teams at Blackrock, Fidelity and Axa Rosenberg in the UK before more recently moving to Australia where he established the quantitative team for the $50 billion industry superannuation fund, HESTA. The aim is to promote better discussions about these emerging areas, and a better understanding of new technologies for practitioners and academics alike. Consider it a sort of scientific, quantitative banter, at its finest. But don’t worry, no equations, I promise, unless you are into that kind of thing. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

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    • Nov 10, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 55m AVG DURATION
    • 22 EPISODES


    Latest episodes from The Curious Quant

    EP22: Professor Stuart Russell. The future of Humanity and AI.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2021 53:33


    I spoke with Professor Russell at the beginning of the pandemic about AI and humanity. He is a world famous thinker, researcher and name in this field. Its raw.. it is unedited. It is exactly what you need to hear. No intros, no outros, no marketing. Just the conversation. 

    EP20: Prof Rob Hyndman: Forecasting COVID, time-series, and why causality doesnt matter as much as you think.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2020 45:53


    Prof Rob Hyndman discusses the interesting elements of his work as editor of the Internal Journal of Forecasting, his work on forecasting COVID for the Australian government, time-series and causality. 

    EP19: Igor Halperin: On the application of reinforcement learning in Finance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2020 53:27


    Fantastic conversation with Igor Halperin around the application of reinforcement learning into forecasting problem, and the limits to data and understanding the world. 

    COVID Popup Podcast: Curious Quant and Nick Wade discuss if risk models have something to say about pandemic risk.

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2020 53:53


    Nick Wade from Northfield and the Curious Quant discuss the impact of COVID on risk modeling frameworks, assumptions, and how the recent movements in asset markets may or may not impact the short and long-term assumptions of asset owners. 

    EP18: Matt Kuperholtz: On Ethics and AI and old ATARI computers

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2020 51:10


    I speak to Matt about his wonderful collection of old (retro?) computers but also all about the challenges of defining an ethical framework for algorithms, and what we can do to understand this tricky area. 

    EP17: Saeed Amed: The New Age of (data and research) in FX and Macro

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2020 53:46


    I speak with my a great voice of independent research in London on the topics of using alternative data for FX and macro research for quantitative strategies. We talk a lot about Saeed's well known work in macro-economics, in FX research, as well as his well known and regarded book. 

    EP16: Christina Qi: High Frequency Trading - Then and Now

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2020 61:07


    I chat with Christina about her experiences starting her own firm dealing with high frequency trading strategies, and her observations about how high frequency strategies have evolved, where they are now, and where they may be going in the future.

    EP15: Asif Noor: Opening up on data and financial fragility

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2020 54:17


    I chat with Asif on his career journey, how the world changed after the GFC and what he sees for the future of machine learning assisting with rigorous testing of a hypothesis. Career, systems, how the world changed after GFC, data sets that are interesting, AI and machine learning, neural networks, testing a hypothesis and data. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP14: Alex Antic: Data science across finance, academia and government

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2020 50:42


    I chat with Alex on his experiences across a range of environments, the role of machine learning in Australia's future and how to best deploy data science in academia and industry. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP13: Paul Wilmott: Juggling mathematics and small business

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2020 63:02


    I chat with Paul on derivative pricing, the application of mathematics within financial services and the implications for society due to AI. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP12: Vinesh Jha: The craft of mining alternative data

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2020 56:17


    I chat with Vinesh, ceo at ExtractAlpha, on the research behind alternative data, stock selection techniques and the expertise required to differentiate signal from noise. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP11: Campbell Harvey: Factor investing beyond the snake oil

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2020 54:15


    I chat with Campbell, Professor of Finance at Duke University, on the future of quantitative finance, academic journals, model fitting and the intellectual fallacies within inference. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP10: Sean Anthonisz: Risk and the rules of finance

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2019 57:26


    I chat with Sean, senior quantitative analyst at Mine Super, on the scientific process, uncertainty and the changing relationship between academia and the private sector in Australia. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP9: Alexander Fleiss: Humility and mean reversion

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2019 49:21


    I chat with Alexander, CEO at Rebellion Research, on stock selection, portfolio construction and his passion for teaching. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP8: Gideon Smith: Fundamentals and the golden age for quants

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2019 44:19


    I chat with Gideon, CIO & global head of portfolio management at Rosenberg Equities, on data playgrounds, hubris and the exciting future for quantitative investing. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.

    EP7: Anthony Tockar: Data ethics and the AI arms race

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2019 58:20


    EP6: Michael Recce: The goldilocks approach to neuroscience, AI and investing

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2019 64:33


    EP5: John Fawcett: Disrupting the secretive world of quants

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2019 56:18


    EP4: Nick Wade: Driving from Beijing to Paris and stories in risk modelling

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2019 65:58


    EP2: Scott Treloar: Skiing in Singapore and how to quantify investor skill

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2019 61:12


    EP3: Linda Gruendken: Cycling in Cambridge and the randomness of markets

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2019 51:16


    https://www.investmentmagazine.com.au/2019/10/linda-gruendken-cycling-in-cambridge-and-the-randomness-of-markets/I chat with Linda, the lead scientist from GAM Systematic CANTAB, and recently named as one of the top 50 women in the hedge fund industry. We have a fascinating conversation about the difference between quant and systematic approaches, and the vast uncertainty of financial markets. We talk about the usefulness of machine learning models and the critical role that investment horizon plays. Nothing on this podcast is to be considered investment advice or a recommendation. No investment decision or activity should be undertaken without first seeking qualified and professional advice.For more like this: https://www.investmentmagazine.com.au/

    EP1: Jim Creighton: Quant in the 90s and the AI reinvention

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2019 51:24


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