How I optimised capital allocation for a leading London Insurtech firm

What was your IXN project? 

My IXN project focused on using numerical optimisation techniques to improve capital allocation across different risk types within the specialty insurance space. 

It was a really interesting research task, with lots of real-world constraints, and I felt contributed meaningfully to the research community at Ki. 

From the industry projects available, how did you land on Ki?

Quantitative portfolio management is where I want to build my career - it sits at the intersection of my trading experience, and the optimisation work I’ve done in engineering. 

Through my UCL coursework I’d seen how that kind of work featured in asset management research, and Ki’s project stood out as an opportunity to explore those methods in a new domain. 

But what really sold me was the interview process itself. The people I met from Ki were technically sharp and clearly invested in the project’s success, which told me the work would be held to a high standard.

Can you tell us what a typical week was like? 

Every day I’d cycle into the Ki offices, grab a coffee and then meet my supervisor for a morning catch-up, which helped keep my research focused and highlight any bottlenecks.  

From there, the rest of the day was largely self-directed - I had real ownership over my work, which I valued. Being on-site also gave me organic exposure to their tech stack and how the business operates day-to-day. 

How was the relationship with your supervisors? 

I was really fortunate with both of my supervisors. My supervisor from Ki, Dr Hubert Dzieciol, was incredible to work with. Having completed his PhD in Signal Processing at UCL’s Optical Network’s Group a few years prior, he understands both what state-of-the-art research entails and how to meaningfully apply it in a practical business context. 

My academic supervisor, Dr Dmitry Adamsky, complemented that, as he understood the challenges of working with real data and figuring out what will work for a research project within industry. He provided clear guidance and important deadlines to keep me on target. Together, they made for an incredible team to navigate the project with. 

What was the steepest learning curve that you encountered? 

The steepest learning curve was developing the ability to adapt quickly when something wasn’t working. I think most students expect projects to go smoothly, like a course project, but you’re working with real data and within real business constraints. The research is iterative and needs you to adjust course as you go. That shift in mindset was probably the most important thing I took away from the experience. 

If you were restarting your project now, is there anything you’d do differently? 

I’d approach it with greater flexibility and an open mind from the outset. Looking back, I think early anxiety about meeting Ki and UCL’s expectations actually worked against me, and I became quite rigid in my initial approach.  

As a result, I lost several productive days pursuing a direction my supervisors were signalling wouldn’t translate. 

The lesson I took from that is to treat early feedback seriously. If I were starting again, I’d be quicker to pivot and more willing to let go of an approach that isn’t working. 

Was the IXN project you did beneficial in helping you transition to your role at Coolabah? 

Enormously so, and I think particularly as an international student. Having a reputable UK company on my CV gave me credibility with firms I was interviewing with. Beyond the CV, what I found most valuable was having a concrete project to speak to in interviews. 

It gave me the ability to demonstrate not just technical competence, but the capacity to take a complex, open-ended problem and deliver something meaningful from start to finish. Coolabah is a good example of that. They drilled into the quantitative aspects of the project and pushed me on how I navigated real-world challenges in building the solution.

What advice do you have for future students regarding final projects? 

My biggest piece of advice would be to throw yourself in. The research matters, but the industry project is a rare opportunity to connect with people across the organisation, understand how a real business operates, and learn from incredibly talented professionals you wouldn’t otherwise have access to.  

The information included in this interview was correct at the time of publication (May 2026). We’ve shared this story to bring the IXN experience to life for prospective students. While every student’s journey is different, these profiles reflect real past projects. Please note that specific partners and topics change annually based on industry needs and project availability.