Participants of the 18th Class
The participants of the 18th class of the Portfolio Management Program took over the management of the portfolios from the previous class in May 2021. Underneath you can find the candidates that put in the effort to educate themselves in financial economics and strive for a carreer in finance.
Ali Özgür Diksöz

Ali Özgür Diksöz is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Quantitative Finance at Vienna University of Business and Economics. He previously completed his bachelor’s degree in Economics with a specialization in money and business cycles at the same university and attended St. George's Austrian High School in Istanbul, where he had his first encounters with macroeconomic and financial issues. In his bachelor thesis, he researched the impact of Quantitative Easing on asset prices. He is very clear that the PMP will provide him with the ideal opportunity to understand decision-making processes in financial institutions in the complexity of the global world. He hopes that the program will bridge the gap between theoretical approaches and hands-on experience. He is looking forward to expanding his understanding of financial key figures and evaluating new investment strategies with enthusiastic colleagues. Lastly, he enjoys traveling to Eastern Europe in his leisure time and finding out more about different cultures.
Andreja Đurićis

Andreja Đurićis currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Quantitative Finance at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Prior to that, Andreja successfully graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in International Economics andFinance at Bocconi University-where he specialized in field of Finance. Whilestudding a rigorous and academically intense course in Finance, Andreja acquired very broad knowledge in Quantitative Risk evaluationsby reading books in forecasting, decision making and risk analysis and following news on Foreign and Stock Exchange markets.He always craved a more practical approach and experience in Risk Management that is valuable for an ambitious career kick start.During the program presentation, Andrejawas instantly drawn by its depth, intense structure and concept of having the opportunity to experience “real-money” investments.PMP’spreparation for career in financial industry was one of Andreja’sreasons for applying to WU.
Artjoms Ogorodniks

Artjoms Ogorodniks is currently pursuing MSc in Quantitative Finance at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Previously he obtained BSc in Economics and Business from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, with merit-based honors and receiving the Best Bachelor Thesis award. Artjoms has more than two years of experience in the field of Financial Planning and Analysis, Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as Forensic Finance from the Big Four. In his free time, he enjoys learning foreign languages and doing sports. For Artjoms, the Portfolio Management Program is an excellent opportunity to receive comprehensive insights into the world of asset management.
Christoph Pelzmann

Christoph Pelzmann is currently enrolled in the Quantitative Finance Master Programm at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU). Prior to the Master program, Christoph finished his Bachelor in Business Administration at WU with specializations in Finance and SMB. Moreover he devoted his Bachelors thesis to responsible investments and the correlation between ESG- and Quant-performance. Since October 2019 Christoph is working at a Vienna based HF (CTA) named SMN. At first he was offered a 9 month internship which was then prolonged indefinitely. His work at SMN includes sales assistance, R&D as well as ESG related matters. Christoph also engages in financial markets privately. He joined the PMP in order to enlarge his knowledge and experiance over different asset classes.
Duarte Murta

Duarte Murta is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Quantitative Finance at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Beforehand, he completed a Bachelor degree in Management at ISCTE in Lisbon. During his BSc. he spent a semester abroad at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea. In the year before joining WU for his Master's, Duarte worked as a Fixed Income P&L Analyst for BNP Paribas. For Duarte the PMP is an excellent opportunity to apply the theoretical knoledge he has gained in his previous education into real-world experience.
Felix Mitteregger

Felix Mitteregger is currently persuing an MSc degree in Quantitative Finance at the University of Economics and Business in Vienna. During his Bachelor’s studies in Finance and International Business (GPA 1.09 / 6 semesters), also at WU Vienna, he spent a semster abroad at ESSEC Business School. As an investment fund intern and working student at Raiffeisen Capital Management for two years he gained valuable experience in the field. In addition, Felix completed an internship at Amundi Asset Management where he was responsible for a multi asset software development project. For him, the PMP offers a unique opportunity to further strengthen strategic thinking and confidence in taking investment decisions.
Julian Strasser

Julian Strasser is currently finishing a bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Vienna. He has gained some experience in the financial sector by completing internships at Berry Palmer & Lyle Limited, an insurance broker in London, Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberösterreich and at KEPLER FONDS KAG, both located in Linz. Besides his internships, he has spent a semester abroad at Carleton University in Ottawa, to experience a different culture and improve his language skills. After his exchange semester, he started working at the sales-team of KEPLER, which allowed him to get a first-hand impression of an investment company. Ultimately, the Portfolio Management Program allows him to gain some practical experience and to pursue his goal of evolving from sales to portfolio managing.
Kiril Petrov

Kiril Petrov is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Economics at the University of Vienna, where he is also employed as a Teaching Assistant in Corporate Finance. Previously, he graduated from the university's Master's program in Banking and Finance with a distinction. During his studies, he completed a summer internship in the Risk Management Department at Raiffeisenbank Bulgaria, where he gained valuable analytical and programming skills. He represented the University of Vienna as Team Captain in the 2020 CFA Research Challenge, which motivated his pursuit of gaining practical experience as a portfolio analyst. For him, the PMP offers the opportunity to work as part of a team, exchange ideas with highly motivated and capable colleagues, and improve his understanding of the link between financial markets and macroeconomic events.
Lukas Sünderhauf

Lukas Sünderhauf is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Quantitative Finance at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He graduated from this university in Business Administration with a focus on Finance and Mathematics. His bachelor thesis dealt with “Macro-Factor Asset Pricing”, where he researched about theoretical concepts of factor investing and applied them on financial markets. Furthermore, Lukas had the possibility of gaining international experience during his exchange semester in Boston, USA. Several internships in the financial sector and his part-time job at Raiffeisen Bank International AG at the Investment Finance department equipped him with valuable practical experience. Being part of the PMP puts him in the unique position to gain further in-depth knowledge in portfolio management by combining theory and practice.
Michael Bamford

Michael Bamford is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Quantitative Finance at Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien. He completed his Bachelor's degree at New York University with a major in Finance and minor in Mathematics. Afterward, he spent four years working in the capital markets division of Societe Generale in New York, where he finished as an Associate working with Sales and Financial Engineering to market structured products and quantitative trading strategies to institutional clients. Through participation in the PMP program he aims to further develop his analytical and mathematical skills, and to have the opportunity to make real-world investment decisions. His interests center on designing quantitative investment strategies that can consistently harvest alpha from the markets.
Nils Eickhoff

Nils Eickhoff is currently pursuing an MSc. degree in Quantitative Finance at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Beforehand, he completed his BSc. in Business Administration at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU), where he specialized in Accounting and Finance. Previously Nils gathered practical experience by successfully completing an internship at Ernst & Young’s Transaction Advisory Services. Furthermore, since May 2019, he is working with a Munich based Venture Capital Fund. Outside his academic career, he enjoys playing soccer, the guitar and sailing. For Nils, the Portfolio Management Program represents the perfect opportunity to apply his prior theoretical knowledge and practical experience to the market. He is particularly keen about deepening his knowledge in portfolio management via the discussions with like-minded people and the guidance of the professional mentors and experts at PMP.
Robin Köfer

Robin Köfer is a passionate sportsman and sports gambler. After his bachelor thesis at WU, in which he set up a profitable quantitative sports betting algorithm in R for the NBA basketball league, it was immediately clear for him to pursue a carrier in the field of Quantitative Finance. Moreover, during the last two years he has gained valuable know-how in Finance. The recent challenges at the OeNB in the Statistics Department and at Erste Group Holding in the Stresstesting & Risk Simulation Department enabled him to enhance his coding skills by simultaneously broadening his view of the world of Finance. Furthermore, due to his creativity and ambition he fits perfectly into the PMP environment. Robin looks forward to further expanding his skillset in Finance and collaborating with experienced motivated colleagues and portfolio managers.
Taisiia Rodzoniak

Taisiia Rodzoniak is currently admitted to Finance and Accounting master’s program at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and is enrolled in International Business Administration master’s program at the University of Vienna. Her first bachelor degree is in Business Administration in Oil and Gas gained at the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas. The second bachelor’s degree is in Business, Economics and Social Sciences gained at Vienna University of Economics and Business with majors in Finance and International Accounting & Audit. During her studies, she spent a semester abroad in the University of South Carolina in the US, where her courses were mainly focused on International Studies and US Insurance. During her internship in the Division of Budget and Finance at the International Atomic Energy Agency she acquired an invaluable experience in diverse analytical activities. Taisiia believes that Portfolio Management Program is an amazing opportunity to work with other motivated students towards one common goal and learn from each other. She is looking forward to gaining more professional experience in this field and contributing with her current skills and competences to the team.