2023.03.16
from France
Mr. Karim Faye
Associate
Derivatives Solutions Group, Paris Branch
MUFG Securities (Europe) N.V.
A subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co., Ltd
My Life as a Banker in Paris
My life at MUFG
I joined MUFG 2 years ago, which gave me some time to familiarize myself with the values of the group. What I noticed the most is that every individual, in every entity, in every country where the group is present, put a central focus on the interest of our clients. I work as a salesperson in the trading room of MUFG Securities in Paris, on the Derivatives Solutions Group, a team of 10 people of whom 7 are located in London and 3 in Paris. Our main task is to help Corporates and Project Finance clients of the bank to manage risk and hedge their financial risks through derivative solutions. This is exciting to be engaging with clients having diverse topics to cover, and with knowledgeable colleagues, on such a regular basis. Another great plus is that we are based in a lovely building with the aesthetics of a silver palace. The skylight was even built by Gustave Eiffel Workshops, which participated in the design of the Eiffel Tower.
The skylight of the Paris Branch office
Hobbies and free time
Banking is my second career—before wearing a suit and tie every day, I used to roam Europe as a professional wrestler. As such, sports are still one of the main activities I use to relax in my free time. At the same time, as I was injured quite a lot, I also developed a real pleasure for more artistic activities, such as drawing, painting or walking in search of architectural masterpieces with my architect friend. Some of my free time is also spent teaching economics at the university and spending some quality time with family and friends in Paris. The city is particularly vibrant, as I get the chance to meet and interact with lots of different people in the middle of such an iconic set of buildings. This is also a lovely place to spend holidays thanks to a wide variety of landscapes.
Performing as a professional wrestler, prior to my career as a banker
The country and city
I really enjoy France, even though I did not grow up here. This is a country where you can be enjoying a hot chocolate on the terrace of a bistro facing the Eiffel Tower on a Monday, watching a football game at the stadium on a Friday, and visiting an old medieval city on the weekend. I am especially attached to Paris, as I feel that this is a land of opportunities, where anything is within reach. Hence, when major banks relocated their activities to Paris, pursuant to Brexit, I seized the opportunity to expand my skill set by moving to MUFG. I have learnt a lot since I joined the bank, both at the personal and professional level, especially through the interactions with my colleagues.