Inside Citadel: UCL Asset Management hosts Drew Gillanders
Photo Courtesy: Citadel
Last week, UCL's Asset Management Society hosted Drew Gillanders, the Head of International Equities Europe at the world-leading hedge fund Citadel, to provide a rare inside look at the company’s culture. He spoke about how top talent achieves long-term success in the world of asset management. Prior to the talk, Pi Media was granted an exclusive interview focusing on his career journey, Citadel’s recruitment philosophy, and key factors behind the firm’s success.
Gillanders started out as a liberal arts graduate from the University of Toronto, quickly launching his career in finance at Morgan Stanley in New York. There, he worked on major mergers and acquisition deals like AOL-Time Warner before transitioning to the buy side, holding senior roles at SAC Capital, Point72, and Och-Ziff. His subsequent move to Europe allowed him to expand his career across U.S. and European markets. Today, he is the head of International Equities of Citadel’s Europe division since 2023.
UCL’s Asset Management Society hosts questioned Gillanders on how to break into the cutthroat hedge fund industry. The speaker mentioned Citadel’s wide-ranging and dedicated effort to recruit, develop, and retain top performers, as they are increasingly hiring junior talent directly from university campuses. Traditionally, investment banking served as the primary pipeline for hedge fund firms to hire junior staff, but this focus has shifted over time as banks become less a centre of gravity. In response, Citadel has increased its campus recruitment efforts, identifying high-potential candidates early on, and fostering their development through structured intern programs. Gillanders noted the high success rates associated with these programmes: “In our business the people that do best are the ones who start at the junior-most levels and work their way up.” According to the speaker, approximately 50% of Citadel’s equity portfolio managers are home grown.
During his interview with us, the discussion shifted to hedge fund recruitment and the educational requirements. Gillanders noted that his own career began in liberal arts, and he acknowledged that while the business has become more quantitative, success in finance is not just about technical skills. It is about being able to think critically, distilling vast amounts of information, and developing structured frameworks for decision-making. Reflecting on his own journey, he emphasised that a strong foundation in analytical thinking, regardless of the specific field of study, remains a valuable asset.
Beyond this, Gillanders emphasised passion as a driver of success and recruitment. He stated that it was passion that allowed him to transition between various differing portfolios, from overseeing healthcare to international equities. He also emphasised that passion drives professionals to gain a deeper understanding of their industries, empowering them to make more informed and strategic investment decisions.
In a clear appeal to the students, Drew Gillanders reiterated Citadel's commitment to building the most successful market-neutral equities business in Europe by focusing on talent and mentorship. Citadel wants the best talents to provide them with the best tools. “Bringing people onto our platform earlier, giving them the chance to solve problems earlier, is what we’re passionate about”.