Prudential People - Aadil Omar, Equity Analyst

Tell us why you enjoy your role at Prudential. 

I once read that investing is the last liberal art. I like this analogy because it is an activity that can be approached from many perspectives (and indeed that’s what makes a market). The part I enjoy most is formulating a thesis based on a set of factors and testing that thesis in the portfolio context. My liberal arts practice at Prudential started in 2013.

A topic you’re passionate about (apart from investing)?

I really enjoy subjects that help answer big “why” and “how” questions about the workings of the world. Everything from big history and anthropology to philosophy and evolutionary biology. I think understanding the why and the how helps us make better decisions for the future.

A recent favorite read? Why did you like it? 

Although it was my second reading, Yuval Noah Harari’s debut title Sapiens remains a firm favourite of mine. He tackles the big questions succinctly, yet surprisingly comprehensively. It’s like a spring morning caught in the covers of a book.

An ideal evening is…

A fire, on a secluded beach, under the moonlight and trapped in deep conversation. You can throw in a bottle of wine for good measure.

Your most vivid memory of school is…

Getting to the end of the day with two pockets full of marbles.

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?

I was a personal computer assembly technician. I learnt nothing profound, just how to assemble computers and that no matter how long your day is, there’s always time for lunch.

What do you do to relax?

I don’t really have a relaxation activity but I do yoga to keep the clutter at bay.

What is your number-one bucket list activity?

To live.

Your favorite app and why?

Email client. It allows me aggregate all my mailboxes and doesn’t badger me with notifications.

Where do you usually spend Saturday afternoons?

Socialising somewhere outdoors, followed more often than not by a hot yoga class.

Beer or champagne? 

Beer, unfiltered and hoppy.

Money makes the world…

A scoreboard for survival. I think the relentless pursuit for survival shared by all life forms – including humankind – is a natural feature of living in a resource-scarce environment. Since we’ve dispensed with the brute force approach to acquiring resources (at least publicly), money has taken over as the means.

Who is your hero and why?

There are many individuals who have had a pretty significant impact on the world (good and bad – most people have had a bit of both) but I think the heroes are the storytellers, authors, artists, musicians and filmmakers who have preserved the ideas and the legacy. I am grateful to people like Dr Viktor Frankl, Quentin Tarantino, The Beatles and so many people I interact with on a daily basis.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?

Unrestricted Teleportation! I’d love to feel the sense of freedom in being able to go anywhere, anytime.