“When I entered the financial markets sector, I did not have an established network or a manual explaining how to navigate the industry. I had to ask questions, find mentors and build relationships one conversation at a time.”
Sema Acar’s career is evidence that being proactive, acting with curiosity and stepping slightly outside your comfort zone is an approach which reaps rewards.
“I did not begin university with a perfectly mapped out career plan. I came to the UK as an international student and knew that, after graduating, I needed to become financially independent and find a way to build a life here. I had to start somewhere and quickly learned to create opportunities rather than wait for them to appear.”
Today, Sema is an Assistant Vice President in Institutional FX Sales & Trading at Brown Brothers Harriman in London. “I work with institutional investors across the EMEA region, helping them to navigate foreign exchange markets, from G10 currencies to emerging and restricted markets.”
“My role sits at the intersection of markets, relationships and problem solving. I provide execution support and market insight, but equally important is understanding what each client is trying to achieve and bringing together the right people across trading, operations and relationship management to deliver it. Markets may be driven by numbers, but relationships are built on trust. When conditions become challenging, clients remember who stayed composed, communicated clearly and helped them navigate the uncertainty.”
“My degree taught me the syllabus and theoretical fundamentals, but some of the most valuable lessons happened outside the lecture theatre.”
“Group projects meant learning to work with a random group of different personalities and competing opinions while trying to deliver something credible by Friday. It is excellent preparation for professional life as the workplace is essentially one long group project, only the deadlines matter more. Success is not simply about having the best individual idea. It is about listening, managing disagreement, recognising people’s strengths and keeping everyone moving towards a common goal.”
“Bayes provided many opportunities through societies, activities, entrepreneurship initiatives and its wider network. The important lesson was that nobody would knock on your door and insist that you take part. The opportunities existed, but we had to notice them, ask questions and put ourselves forward. Opportunities often arrive quietly. Learning to recognise them was just as important as anything I learned in a lecture.”
Alongside her day job, Sema chairs the ACI UK Next Gen network, part of the Financial Markets Association.
“We represent a network of more than 200 professionals, organising events, educational programmes and industry partnerships designed to make financial markets more accessible to the next generation.”
Sema’s networking skills were honed during her time at Bayes.
“For me, networking is not collecting names, sending generic messages or appearing only when you need a favour. It is taking a genuine interest in people, treating them well and allowing relationships to develop over time.”
“I also encourage people to build a network before they need it. The professional world is much smaller than it initially appears and reputations travel surprisingly quickly. Technical knowledge matters enormously, but people also remember how it felt to work with you. A degree may help you reach the door, but it is your judgement, confidence and ability to work well with others that will often determine what happens once you enter the room.”
“Through my work leading ACI UK Next Gen, I want to create some of the access I would have valued earlier in my career: rooms where younger professionals can meet experienced practitioners, ask honest questions and realise that there is a place for them in the industry.”
“Moving to London and studying at Bayes taught me that confidence is not something you either have or do not have. It is evidence you gradually collect about yourself. You add to that evidence every time you enter a room where you know nobody, or raise your hand to ask a question, learn from a mistake or attempt something before feeling completely ready.”
“It also showed me that I am more resourceful than I had realised. If there is no obvious route forward, my instinct is to start speaking to people, connect the dots and build one.”
“Perhaps most importantly, I learned not to confuse being inexperienced with being incapable. Everyone begins somewhere.”