Angus Ross
Senior Associate – Listing Transactions, Financial Conduct Authority, London
Bachelor of Business in International Business and Bachelor of Laws
Working in the London capital markets industry is highly complex, fast-paced and internationally significant, says Angus Ross who studied law and international business, and has been based in London since 2023.
“We’re responsible for managing the listing of companies’ equity shares, bank debt, securitised mortgages and exchange traded funds. This involves reviewing and commenting on market-sensitive information from around the world so that we, on behalf of the investor base, are comfortable with the transaction, the disclosure isn’t misleading and there are no hidden motives, like evading Russian sanctions.
“This could involve an IPO on a global stock exchange, a bank looking to securitise their mortgage portfolio, or an international asset manager looking to provide exposure to a basket of index funds and derivatives. The sheer amount of activity is fascinating – you can take the pulse of the market and how it reacts to certain news in real time, for example reacting to a president’s tweets. You definitely need a healthy capacity for adrenaline.”
This role is a natural progression from Angus’ previous work for global law firm Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman), the FMA (New Zealand’s financial markets regulator), and NZX Limited (the New Zealand stock exchange). While he has already had a number of proud career achievements since graduating from AUT in 2018, there is one particular experience that stands out to him.
“While I was working for the FMA, I led the organisation’s first regulatory action against property developer Du Val, which was challenged in the Auckland High Court and decided in our favour. While the thought of having your work poured over by judges and QCs is somewhat terrifying, I think the favourable result and subsequently reported developments justified that intervention.”
Memories of AUT
Angus says he has always been drawn to legal study.
“Law is really a study of how things were, and how that applies or doesn’t apply to the present issue. I thought law would be a great starting point to improve my written argumentative skills and develop my critical thinking ability, which is useful for any career. Studying an international business degree alongside law let me explore overseas business structures and ideas, which complemented my legal degree with an understanding of global market dynamics.”
He still has many fond memories of his time at AUT.
“I loved how close-knit the classes were – you’d regularly have the same lecturers and classmates throughout your study. The lecturers would never let you be just one of the numbers and you could build some very meaningful relationships with staff members, many of whom would go above and beyond when you had a clear interest in their chosen discipline.
“Other highlights were competing in moots, witness examination competitions and sporting events such as the ‘Log Of Wood’ contest between AUT, Auckland and Waikato. I was also selected to attend a business consulting competition held in Mt Maunganui where I represented the AUT Management Consulting Club.”
Advice for other students
Angus’s advice for other students is simple: put your hand up.
“If you’ve got an interest in something, your lecturers will go out of their way to foster that interest, and it can open doors that you never thought could open. It made a world of difference to me, and it will to you too.”
He certainly knows what he is talking about, and still remembers how mentioning his interest in cryptocurrency to his lecturers led to the opportunity to further explore this topic and ultimately opened the door to the career he has today.
“I had followed the emergence of cryptocurrency since about 2012 and contacted my lecturers to ask whether I could explore it as a research topic. While there was no specific course on that at the time, Dr Ayesha Scott from the AUT Finance Department arranged for me to pursue this as a research paper under her supervision. Throughout this project, I developed a strong interest in capital markets, fintech and high-frequency trading, and how activity in those areas frequently clashed with the law. After this project, I applied for and was hired by NZX as a graduate lawyer, which kicked off my career in capital markets.”
