My name is Philipp Schmitz and I have been a Senior Consultant at alpha portfolio advisors since 2015. I live with my family in Cologne and commute between Kronberg im Taunus and Aachen, where I hold a professorship in business administration, especially financial services.
I first came into contact with shares during an extended stay in the USA while I was at school. From that point on, I was fascinated by the capital markets and consistently focussed my education on them. During my studies in business administration at RWTH Aachen University, I became aware of the topic of behavioural finance and subsequently completed a doctorate in this field at the University of Mannheim. After several years of practical work as a fund manager at Sal. Oppenheim, I returned to the university in 2014 when I was offered a professorship in Aachen. As I had learnt to appreciate the practical application of theoretical concepts and also the contact with clients during my years in practice, I wanted to continue working in the field of tension between theory and practice and found the ideal conditions for this at alpha portfolio advisors.
I want to understand what drives the players in capital markets and what consequences this has for price formation. So the feeling that drives me is probably best described as curiosity. But there is also a bit of ambition involved. This is what drives me to develop the best possible strategy for our clients from the knowledge we gain.
The interplay between teaching and theoretical research at the university on the one hand and practical application at alpha portfolio advisors on the other provides a pleasant balance that I really appreciate. Outside of work, my family gives me a lot of energy and sporting activities, especially ice hockey and road cycling, provide a good counterbalance to the mental demands of my job.
... hopefully professor and senior consultant. That doesn't mean that I couldn't imagine myself in other professions (computer scientist, electrical engineer, pilot, etc.), but it's not obvious whether this would be better than what I'm doing now.
Perhaps there is one small exception: I always tell my football-loving son that the likelihood of a professional career is so small that he doesn't need to worry about it. But I have to admit: I could very well imagine a career as a professional ice hockey player in another life, even if I was miles away from it.
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