Simon Moore, Senior Quantitative Analyst
After graduating from a Management Science (MSISS) degree in Trinity College in 2003, I spent 3 months working with Paddy Power on a summer internship. With a job lined up the following September with a consultancy in Dublin, and the memory of final year exams and projects fresh in my mind, I didn’t exactly stress myself out that summer! Despite my initial slack work ethic, I grew more interested in the role as the summer progressed. The Paddy Power environment is anything but mundane and, the more I learned about the business, the more I realised its potential.
After a few years working in the consulting game, I started to get the feeling that my calling lay in a smaller company where my work would have a more direct impact. With an enthusiasm for sports, a strong numerical degree, and already having had a positive experience within the company, the natural choice for me was to return to Paddy’s.
In May 2005 an opening became available within the newly formed Quantatitiav…Quantiati……Quants Department. Despite sending in a cover letter littered with consultant-isms (‘going forward’, ‘leverage my skill set’, ‘introduce a new paradigm’ etc) I managed to get offered the job. Within a week I was burning my suits and donning my casuals to return to some real work.
Since then, I have worked with Quants in several diverse roles: sports modelling; risk management; business analysis & development. Month to month the role changes which ensures a high level of energy and enthusiasm within the team. The department holds very few ‘functional’ roles and, while everyone has their own personal objectives, the scope to stretch one’s role to diverse areas is endless. This ambition to learn about all aspects of the business is encouraged by management and ensures that everyone has an opinion…..on everything.
Paddy’s is a young company with big ambitions. The people I work with day to day are similarly ambitious and, I’m sure, could succeed in any industry. What attracts them to the company, and retains them once they’ve joined, is that their ambition is appreciated, harnessed and rewarded here – and it’s good craic!
