The Jamaican training European bankers of tomorrow
Global Capital Market Solutions (GCMS), a company which offers courses in capital market trading will expand its services into Norway and Switzerland this year as it aims to hit US$1 million in revenues, according to founder, Jamaican-born Wayne Walker, 44.
“Our next step is to launch in the universities in Norway, scheduled for mid April,” stated Walker in an exclusive Business Observer interview. “We will launch in Switzerland on March 23 with our asset management partners AlphaCapita.”
GCMS — headquartered in Denmark — offers a diploma in trading via a partnership with Finance Lab — Copenhagen Business School, University of Copenhagen & Nordnet Trading Room — Jönköping University.
“The courses are aimed at the private trader. We clearly have a niche in the European Union (EU) university market but many of our students are working professionals,” he stated about the courses which cost between US$150 to US$500.
GCMS trading diploma was originally offered in Jamaica at University College of the Caribbean (UCC). The company began in 2008 when Dr Grace Turner at UCC took a chance on Walker, when others were hesitant. “And for that I will always be grateful,” he said.
The expansion of GCMS will facilitate its revenue growth into the seven-figure range.
“Turnover is by all standards profitable, but not in the million range as yet. We are in negotiations with others where this will be a possibility in the near future,” he stated.
Walker a trader by profession worked for six years at Saxo Bank as head of investments. He managed two teams of investment advisors in Denmark and London and advised wealthy clients, but yearned for more.
“The main reason for leaving Saxo Bank was to seek other professional challenges,” he said. “I basically tried all front office investment banking roles and I needed another professional challenge.”
He initially headed a new trader education program and traveled Europe and the Caribbean to teach bankers including CMMB in Trinidad when it was a unit of Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB). The capital required to set up the business was primarily intellectual with most expenses related to traveling to Jamaica and Trinidad.
“Setting up a business in mid 2008 in Denmark was relatively easy due to the fact that we are an education firm. If we, for example, traded for others or handled peoples’ money then the process would have been far more complex,” he explained.
Walker who lived in New York City prior to relocating to the EU wants to return to Jamaica with his son.
“Returning to Jamaica and the greater Caribbean is a certainty. I love the Caribbean and I know that I can be of service in many capacities. Several opportunities are being considered. Ideally I would spend half the year in the region and the remainder in EU/Scandinavia. This chapter remains open,” stated the 44 year old.
