Markets

A day in the life of a Wall Street strategist who wakes up at 5 a.m. to balance client calls with parenthood

Graham Rapier

2018-05-16T12:59:00Z

1pm alternative — Silverman meets with other members of RBC's "RWomen" employee resource group. Amy Wu Silverman/RBC Capital Markets

Amy Wu Silverman is the head of derivatives strategy for RBC Capital Markets.
The managing director, who recently returned from maternity leave, recently documented her daily routine for Business Insider.

Volatility is back in financial markets, and that means busy days for RBC Capital Market's head of derivatives strategy, Amy Wu Silverman.

As part of her daily regimen, Silverman closely follows equity volatility related topics in order to relay them to the bank's clients as well as the media. She regularly appears on networks including CNBC and Bloomberg TV, as well as print and online publications discussing markets stories.

She enjoys the qualitative parts of her job, like visiting clients around the world, as well as the quantitative aspects, such as designing an options trade or analyzing a backtest.

Silverman recently documented her daily routine for Business Insider during RBC's Trade for the Kids day, which donated over $3 million to youth-focused charities throughout the world, including Storefront School, where she is a board member.

Check it out:

5 a.m.

My day starts early. Our five month-old baby wakes up between 4-5 a.m. and goes back to
sleep. I can’t fall asleep again, so I answer emails, read news, check the markets, order
diapers and groceries, and get ready for work.

6:30 a.m.

Baby is awake again! We play, read books, and do tummy time. My husband, a partner at an investment firm in Connecticut, sings to her before heading to work.

7 a.m.

I breastfeed the baby and my four-year-old wakes up soon after. The three of us play and
read. As our nanny arrives, I prepare the pump items I will need for work. Having returned to
work from maternity leave only a month ago, breastfeeding/pumping milk is a regular part of my day.

8:30 a.m.

I arrive at work and the first thing I do is pump before heading to the trading floor. Today our offices are decorated in gold and blue to celebrate our global RBC Trade for the Kids day where we donate more than $3 million globally to 40 major youth-focused charity partners, including mine, through events across four continents and 23 cities. People ask how I can concentrate on the trading floor but after 15 years I couldn’t imagine it any other way!

9:30 a.m.

Ding ding ding — the market opens! I highlight the Trade for the Kids day to clients as
well as a report I wrote discussing how volatility has behaved so far during earnings season and
what stocks have cheap options ahead of the earnings catalyst. We talk to clients over the
phone and via Bloomberg Terminals.

11 a.m.

I pump at RBC’s lactation room. While I pump I catch up on equity research reports. Tesla
reported earnings today and I go over the earnings call, our research, as well as examine how the volatility landscape has shifted.

Noon

Lunch break! Today my colleague, Jeff Shaw, and I are hosting the charities that benefit
from Trade for the Kids day.

2 p.m.

My colleague, Steve Gracyalny, and I discuss structuring a downside trade for the Tech
sector, protecting an Energy heavy portfolio and overwriting to collect income on high dividend
yield stocks. After that I field a few calls with clients. I also have a chat with a reporter on the
recent VIX settlement and the February volatility spike’s impact on levered, inverse ETPs.

3 p.m.

The non-glamorous, but absolutely realistic, part of recently returning from maternity leave is that I’m heading back to the pumping room … again!

5 p.m.

After the market close, I wrap up some client work and head out for the day.

5:30 p.m.

I’m home and the kiddos are ready to play! Usually, we hit the playgrounds but today is special: Dad’s birthday. We prepare his present (fancy socks and new shirts).

6 p.m.

Daddy’s home too and we wear hats to celebrate his birthday. My nanny normally leaves
around now but is staying over tonight so my husband and I can celebrate his birthday together
with dinner out. We have dinner time and then bath time for the kiddos. The baby is asleep by
7pm and my older daughter by 8:30 pm.

8:30 p.m.

Birthday dinner! We enjoy the truffled oysters at Giorgio's as well as their s’mores
bread pudding for dessert... food coma. I'll definitely need some gym time tomorrow! Soon
after, I am home and off to bed.

Now read: 6 senior women on Wall Street share their best career advice

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