Après TFS - Ishaan Kapoor '18
In our new feature that follows the journey of our alumni beyond TFS, we catch up with Class of 2018 grad, Ishaan Kapoor.
TFS: Please describe the path you took after TFS.
ISHAAN: After graduating from TFS, I studied international relations at Durham University in England. I Graduated in 2021 and moved down to London to start working on the trading floor of HSBC, doing emerging market sales. I then moved to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, still on the trading floor, working in Foreign Exchange (FX) sales.
TFS: What does a typical day look like for you?
ISHAAN: I’m a senior associate at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in FX Sales. In this role, I sell currency and deal with banks, central banks, trusts, fund managers, and hedge funds. A typical workday starts at 5:30 in the morning. I go into the office, catch up on what’s happening, and write a morning note for each of my clients. Then, at 7:00 am, I start answering calls from our Asia-based clients, and begin trading as the session gets going. I also write larger thematic pieces on Geopolitics and market trends across sectors. At noon, I write a midday strategy note to brief our New York colleagues. After 12pm, the market tends to quiet down. That’s when I like to schedule business development calls to see how to grow my business and speak with my traders. Interspersed between calls, I continue trading with our European and North American clients. I finish work between 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm — 12 hours after starting.
TFS: What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?
ISHAAN: Financial markets are the heartbeat of the global economy. So it’s very interesting to learn about what’s making the world “tick” every day when I go to work. I have learned to evaluate diverse perspectives, and inputs and build a nuanced view of the world. It feels great when I get a call right and correctly put the puzzle pieces together. FX is a very fast market; prices change every few seconds, so the execution process is rapid. When I monetize a trade in a way that’s beneficial for my client, that’s a great moment. It’s exciting.
TFS: How did your experience at TFS help you get to where you are now? Were there any specific courses, extracurricular activities, experiences, or projects you participated in at TFS that helped prepare you?
ISHAAN: The TFS experience, as a whole, prepared me well. The IB program and research-based learning style encouraged me to be a critical thinker. There was also a real emphasis on understanding the global perspective - which we developed through our world history, economics, and languages classes. This helped me easily integrate into the environment at HSBC. I spent my days sitting next to coworkers from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, and I think my experience at TFS helped me bridge gaps with them.
On a personal level, I had teachers who helped me grow as an individual. Mr. Yaghouba Tandia and Mr. Darnace Torou challenged me and rewarded good work, which helped me build a strong work ethic — something I think is a hallmark of TFS. Mr. Tandia’s stories of his upbringing in Mauritania, and his philanthropic work with students near his hometown inspired me greatly to ensure I “pay my education” forward. I currently work to help students from under-priveleged backgrounds break into Finance. He helped me develop a “gratitude” mindset. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to have been his student.
After leaving for university, I visited Mr. Tandia whenever I was back in Toronto; I think that speaks to the school overall and to the remarkable level of care that staff and teachers demonstrate for students.
TFS: How has French language and bilingualism impacted your career?
ISHAAN: When I was rotating through different desks as a graduate, I worked at a desk where most people spoke French. Knowing French meant I could easily integrate into the team. Since then, I've maintained French colleagues. I also took Spanish at TFS, and knowing Spanish allowed me to communicate with Chilean colleagues while working in emerging markets at HSBC.
TFS: What skills or lessons from TFS do you find yourself applying most often in your work?
ISHAAN: Discipline and critical thinking are the two things I use the most at work. The IB was a very rigorous experience. I had to keep my thoughts organized and prioritize to stay calm under pressure. Ultimately, learning those skills put me in excellent stead because today, I'm juggling multiple priorities constantly. Because of those skills, I can excel at the rapid pace of the trading floor. Equally, developing strong critical thinking skills has been very helpful to me. At TFS, I was always asked, "So what?" I had to dig deeper to find the point and understand the implications of what was being taught. Learning to be open-minded and think deeply has enabled me to understand things in detail.
TFS: What advice would you give to current students?
ISHAAN: Be curious, work hard, and enjoy yourself. There are so many possibilities in the world, and staying curious about your interests means you can take pride in your work and be engaged in the classroom. Always give your 100 percent, whether playing sports or representing the school in some other way. Working hard is an important life skill. And lastly, have fun! Enjoy your time at TFS. Some of my best experiences have been with friends and former classmates.
A TFS education is a gift, so make sure to make the best of it. It's important to take your education seriously because, ultimately, it's the ticket to creating the future you dream about. Work and real life, generally speaking, is not like school. You need to be organized and self-motivated, as you are your own primary stakeholder. Appreciate the opportunities you have at TFS and understand that many people in your community and the world don’t have access to those same opportunities.
TFS: What were some of your most memorable experiences?
ISHAAN: All of the trips and exchanges! My school trips to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dublin, and Montreal were fantastic experiences. They allowed me to learn more about the world while building deeper bonds with our cohort. I also really appreciated our relationships with our teachers, who trusted us. We got our work done, and we had fun. During IB, there were a lot of late nights studying with peers at the library, as well as messing around on our spares, going for lunch, and playing FIFA in the level five room. As a whole, we all had a fantastic time. We worked hard but also played hard, which is exactly the point I tried to make earlier: take school seriously, but enjoy yourself whenever you can!
Back
ISHAAN: After graduating from TFS, I studied international relations at Durham University in England. I Graduated in 2021 and moved down to London to start working on the trading floor of HSBC, doing emerging market sales. I then moved to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, still on the trading floor, working in Foreign Exchange (FX) sales.
TFS: What does a typical day look like for you?
ISHAAN: I’m a senior associate at Commonwealth Bank of Australia in FX Sales. In this role, I sell currency and deal with banks, central banks, trusts, fund managers, and hedge funds. A typical workday starts at 5:30 in the morning. I go into the office, catch up on what’s happening, and write a morning note for each of my clients. Then, at 7:00 am, I start answering calls from our Asia-based clients, and begin trading as the session gets going. I also write larger thematic pieces on Geopolitics and market trends across sectors. At noon, I write a midday strategy note to brief our New York colleagues. After 12pm, the market tends to quiet down. That’s when I like to schedule business development calls to see how to grow my business and speak with my traders. Interspersed between calls, I continue trading with our European and North American clients. I finish work between 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm — 12 hours after starting.
TFS: What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?
ISHAAN: Financial markets are the heartbeat of the global economy. So it’s very interesting to learn about what’s making the world “tick” every day when I go to work. I have learned to evaluate diverse perspectives, and inputs and build a nuanced view of the world. It feels great when I get a call right and correctly put the puzzle pieces together. FX is a very fast market; prices change every few seconds, so the execution process is rapid. When I monetize a trade in a way that’s beneficial for my client, that’s a great moment. It’s exciting.
TFS: How did your experience at TFS help you get to where you are now? Were there any specific courses, extracurricular activities, experiences, or projects you participated in at TFS that helped prepare you?
ISHAAN: The TFS experience, as a whole, prepared me well. The IB program and research-based learning style encouraged me to be a critical thinker. There was also a real emphasis on understanding the global perspective - which we developed through our world history, economics, and languages classes. This helped me easily integrate into the environment at HSBC. I spent my days sitting next to coworkers from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, and I think my experience at TFS helped me bridge gaps with them.
On a personal level, I had teachers who helped me grow as an individual. Mr. Yaghouba Tandia and Mr. Darnace Torou challenged me and rewarded good work, which helped me build a strong work ethic — something I think is a hallmark of TFS. Mr. Tandia’s stories of his upbringing in Mauritania, and his philanthropic work with students near his hometown inspired me greatly to ensure I “pay my education” forward. I currently work to help students from under-priveleged backgrounds break into Finance. He helped me develop a “gratitude” mindset. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to have been his student.
After leaving for university, I visited Mr. Tandia whenever I was back in Toronto; I think that speaks to the school overall and to the remarkable level of care that staff and teachers demonstrate for students.
TFS: How has French language and bilingualism impacted your career?
ISHAAN: When I was rotating through different desks as a graduate, I worked at a desk where most people spoke French. Knowing French meant I could easily integrate into the team. Since then, I've maintained French colleagues. I also took Spanish at TFS, and knowing Spanish allowed me to communicate with Chilean colleagues while working in emerging markets at HSBC.
TFS: What skills or lessons from TFS do you find yourself applying most often in your work?
ISHAAN: Discipline and critical thinking are the two things I use the most at work. The IB was a very rigorous experience. I had to keep my thoughts organized and prioritize to stay calm under pressure. Ultimately, learning those skills put me in excellent stead because today, I'm juggling multiple priorities constantly. Because of those skills, I can excel at the rapid pace of the trading floor. Equally, developing strong critical thinking skills has been very helpful to me. At TFS, I was always asked, "So what?" I had to dig deeper to find the point and understand the implications of what was being taught. Learning to be open-minded and think deeply has enabled me to understand things in detail.
TFS: What advice would you give to current students?
ISHAAN: Be curious, work hard, and enjoy yourself. There are so many possibilities in the world, and staying curious about your interests means you can take pride in your work and be engaged in the classroom. Always give your 100 percent, whether playing sports or representing the school in some other way. Working hard is an important life skill. And lastly, have fun! Enjoy your time at TFS. Some of my best experiences have been with friends and former classmates.
A TFS education is a gift, so make sure to make the best of it. It's important to take your education seriously because, ultimately, it's the ticket to creating the future you dream about. Work and real life, generally speaking, is not like school. You need to be organized and self-motivated, as you are your own primary stakeholder. Appreciate the opportunities you have at TFS and understand that many people in your community and the world don’t have access to those same opportunities.
TFS: What were some of your most memorable experiences?
ISHAAN: All of the trips and exchanges! My school trips to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dublin, and Montreal were fantastic experiences. They allowed me to learn more about the world while building deeper bonds with our cohort. I also really appreciated our relationships with our teachers, who trusted us. We got our work done, and we had fun. During IB, there were a lot of late nights studying with peers at the library, as well as messing around on our spares, going for lunch, and playing FIFA in the level five room. As a whole, we all had a fantastic time. We worked hard but also played hard, which is exactly the point I tried to make earlier: take school seriously, but enjoy yourself whenever you can!
