EDHEC Finance Professor Riccardo Rebonato Shares Career Lessons on Risk and Culture at QuantInsti Convocation
Prof. Riccardo Rebonato, Professor of Finance at EDHEC Business School, delivered the keynote address at the EPAT Online Convocation 2026. Drawing on his 25-year career spanning nuclear physics, derivatives trading, and global market risk roles at RBS and PIMCO, he shares what he wishes he had done differently. The session covers reading firm culture, handling crises, and managing powerful new tools including AI.
Prof. Riccardo Rebonato, currently Professor of Finance at EDHEC Business School, delivered the keynote address at the EPAT Online Convocation 2026 hosted by QuantInsti. The event celebrated graduates of Batches 63 to 68. Rebonato’s background is distinctive: he began as a physicist with a doctorate in nuclear engineering before becoming part of the first generation of quantitative analysts. His career included complex derivatives trading at Barclays, serving as Global Head of Market Risk and Global Head of Quant Research at RBS, and leading Rates and FX Analytics at PIMCO.
In this talk, which he describes as "not a success story," Rebonato reflects on what he wishes he had done differently over 25 years in finance. The session outlines his journey from nuclear physics to trading interest rate derivatives, and later moving into risk management. A significant portion of the discussion addresses how to read a firm's culture, specifically looking at risk tolerance, collaboration, and bonus structures. He also touches on the experience of living through the 2008 financial crisis from inside a bank that required rescue.
For new quants and professionals in quantitative finance, the episode provides specific advice on taking risk management seriously and maintaining control over powerful new tools, including artificial intelligence. The publisher's description highlights chapters on how firms treat risk-taking and mistakes, the interplay between incentives and behavior, and broader questions about whether certain practices are good for the individual, the firm, and society. This resource is recommended for its authoritative perspective on career development and institutional dynamics in quantitative finance.