Helen Thomas

Senior Currency Portfolio Manager
SSGA

Prior to joining SSGA, Helen was a Partner at a global macro fund, ABD Investment Management LLP. Before that, Helen worked for thirteen years in foreign exchange at a number of investment banks, including Societe Generale and Merrill Lynch. She also spent time working in politics, as an advisor to George Osborne in the Office of the Shadow Chancellor, and as a Research Fellow at the think tank Policy Exchange. She has authored a number of policy papers and contributed research to a book on the financial crisis entitled “Masters of Nothing”. Helen is a CFA Charterholder and is the Chair of CFA UK’s Continuing Education Committee. Helen will be hosting the Women In Trading breakfast on the 15th September and will also be contributing her expertise to the sessions ‘US Dollar Drill Down – Is The US Dollar Still A Safe Haven In The Current Market?’ and ‘Crystal Ball Session: FX Markets In 2026 - What Does The Future Hold For All FX Players In The Next Decade And Beyond?’, both also on the 15th September.

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Helen.

Download The Latest Agenda

Rising Above The Current Market Order – 14th September 2016

Monday, January 9th, 2017

14:15 Oxford Style Debate: Active Currency Strategies – Which Will Yield The Best Profits In Current Market Conditions?

Fully engage with the most contentious and divisive issues facing your industry. Sit back and witness industry-leading figures pitting themselves against each other in a battle to deliver the knockout argument. Then, continue the debate in your own small roundtable groups until you reach a majority viewpoint. Will you reconsider your position? And will you walk away with a fresh mindset and better prepared to take on this key conundrum?

Audience vote at the start of the debate to see if the audience votes in favour of discretionary trading vs. automated trading strategies: which are yielding the best results?
What is the most popular active currency management style currently?
What sort of data sources are providing the most value in providing sentiment based indicators?
Examining alternative ETF products – how and when should they be incorporated into a strategy?
Where are we seeing true innovation in FX investment strategies?
Audience vote at the end of the debate to see if the panelists have been able to influence the vote in favor of their argument

Thriving In The Future FX Landscape – 15th September 2016

Thursday, February 9th, 2017

08:00 Women In Trading Breakfast/Creative Boardroom: How Can The FX Industry Better Attract, Develop And Retain Top Female Talent?

A more rigorous, creative and interactive approach to tackling the critical challenges you all face today. Collaborate with 11 of your peers, share your recent experiences, challenge each other on points of disagreement and ultimately find a way forward that leverages the innovation, know-how and insights from the collective brain power in the boardroom.

How is the FX industry addressing the aspirations of women to develop in leadership roles?
How are firms showcasing female talent contributing in the financial sector?
Sharing common challenges with your female peers and finding solutions to address them

What does it means to be a woman in the FX industry in 2016?

11:20 Interview: US Dollar Drill Down – Is The US Dollar Still A Safe Haven In The Current Market?

The US Dollar safe haven theory- analysing global capital flows to challenge this theory
Is there real evidence of increased appetite for US assets in times of risk aversion?
An examination of cross-country international investment positions
What are the key fundamentals and drivers of the US dollar in 2016?

15:30 Crystal Ball Session: FX Markets In 2026 - What Does The Future Hold For All FX Players In The Next Decade And Beyond?

Which types of technological innovation do we expect to transform the FX market in the next 10 years?
What macro trends are likely to impact the future of the FX market? Post Brexit, how will this have changed the FX markets in 2026?
What kind of black swan events could alter the projected trends?
What does the role of the FX trader look like in 2030: are they part robot, part human?