Some of the U.S. graduates at the First Derivatives Newry headquarters.
By Ciara Quinn
An influx of North American graduates are receiving their core training at global technology giant First Derivatives headquarters in the border town of Newry, County Down.
Up to fifty graduates are making Newry their temporary base in what is seen as a vital experience and opportunity for them “to get a taste for the culture of ethos of FD.”
Established in 1996, First Derivatives has grown to having over 2,000 employees worldwide. Elizabeth Toner, FD’s Global Graduate Recruitment Manager, explained how the company’s CEO and founder, Brian Conlon, who hails from Newry, decided to set up his own organization close to home after his own experiences working around the world.
The idea of setting up in Newry came with the added bonus of it having close links to airports both north and south of the border.
Toner explained how FD’s global graduates are flown to Newry for, “month one of training where they receive a busy timetable of finance and technical training.
“This is mixed with some great social team building events to kick start their career with FD. Post month one, our junior consultants are deployed to projects all across the world,” she said.
In terms of the required skillset, Toner spoke of how First Derivatives looks for “firstly academics” in their U.S. grad hiring.
“We want to hire from reputable universities across North America, in STEM-related degree disciplines.”
“Aside from top class academics we also look for excellent internship experience and good people skills. Ideally, we want enthusiastic graduates with an interest in progressing their careers in the Fintech/financial technology space.”
“FD have a solid North American presence and are keen to continue to hire here to continue our growth strategy in this region.
“We very much look forward to continuing our recruitment of top class U.S. graduates and welcoming them to our HQ office in Newry,” she said.
