A Little Background

What brought you to Driehaus?

A recruiter had reached out to me. At the time I was working at Northern Trust and I knew I wanted to stay within the financial services industry, so, I came over! The uniqueness of Driehaus made a positive impression on me and after I did my in-person interview with the head of operations I knew it was a great team and the right fit. I had also just gotten married and was very excited to start a new chapter both personally and professionally.

What is your role here at Driehaus?

My role at Driehaus is Operations Specialist, where I do primarily trade support. I provide support for the PMs and traders in order entry, order modification, rebalancing portfolios in line with model account, matching trades with brokers, etc. I get to interact with other departments, which makes for an efficient workflow, and means I get to wear a lot of hats. Overall, I am exposed to all aspects of operations which has been incredibly helpful in growing my knowledge of my field and career.

Funny story, I actually got promoted the exact same day my wife and I found out we were pregnant! Suffice it to say, it was a memorable day.

How do you explain your job to friends and family?

Explaining my job to friends and family, especially those not in finance, can be tricky. I explain that I help make sure trades such as buying and selling of stocks go smoothly after they are made. I work behind the scenes to confirm the details, solve any problems and make sure that everything is accurate and settled on time.

What about Driehaus

What would you say is most unique about Driehaus?

The office setting of course is unique, being surrounded by historical art in a historical building every day is something you never get used to. I’ve heard the story that our founder Richard Driehaus purposefully wanted our offices in this mansion because he wanted the firm to be like a family. Whether that is true or not, I think it’s a great sentiment. My team truly does feel like one big family.

What is your favorite memory at Driehaus?

My first event at Driehaus was a cocktail/mocktail happy hour in the courtyard. It was great to see all the different departments in that environment and being new, it was great way to get to know my colleagues.

Also, our late director of the operations department, Tim Kelly would always organize an operations outing each year. We did all sorts of activites such as whirley ball, laser tag, escape room and dinners with the team. These moments have made great memories and we still continue this tradition to this day.

Damian after work

What are your hobbies?

My wife and I just recently had a baby, so lots of kid related activities as of late. I also enjoy bike rides and hikes. Recently I have started growing a lemon tree from a seed. It requires a lot of maintenance, but fingers crossed that in seven years I have fresh lemons!

If money and time were of no consequence, what would you do?

Definitely travel more, I’d love to go back to Poland for a little while and visit my family out there. I also enjoy snowboarding, so it would be awesome to do that everywhere I could – Switzerland is in the top two destinations!