Instructus Markets is a training and advisory firm which aims to provide clear and jargon-free training courses covering all aspects of finance, capital markets and investment banking.

graham smith

Instructus was established in 2011 by four senior investment banking executives who identified a need for a range of financial training courses which would cut through the technical complexities of the finance industry and equip course participants with a sound understanding of investment banking and the functions of capital markets. Instructus’ core courses, all of which are designed in conjunction with clients in order to match their precise training requirements, range from the Investment Banking Masterclass – a 3-day program providing a broad introduction to the workings of investment banks and capital markets – to the Trading Skills Workshop which covers the dynamics and strategies of successful trading across asset classes.
Our clients are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and experience: students intending to pursue a future career in finance; corporate executives wanting to improve their overall understanding of financial markets; investors keen to enhance their understanding of market movements; and anyone else with a desire to increase their knowledge of how modern financial markets work. Students from a wide spectrum of universities and business schools have already attended Instructus courses either on campus or in our offices on St James’s Street in the West End of London and have found the courses invaluable in identifying potential career paths and in preparing for interviews.
In addition to our program of courses, Instructus also produces a bi-weekly ‘Markets Round-Up and Interview Briefing’ which is available to students – and others – by subscription. The Round-Up provides a concise and jargon-free digest of current macro-economic and micro-economic stories and explains the background to recent financial news. This is an invaluable aid to students seeking a position on an investment banking graduate training program or to time-pressed executives looking for a quick update on the world of finance.

instructus markets

The team at Instructus includes a number of former investment banking and markets professionals who have experience in a variety of senior roles in the finance industry both as practitioners and managers. Graham Smith has 20 years’ experience as a European equities trader and ran Pan-European Equities Trading at Citi before becoming Global Head of Trading and Sales-Trading at Unicredit. Giles Johnston has been a senior trader across a range of sectors but most recently specialised as a senior energy and oils trader at Citi and Unicredit. Paul Thompson has worked for over 30 years in global equity markets as an investment analyst, salesman and senior manager. He was latterly COO of Global Capital Markets at Citi and then Deputy CEO of Oriel Securities, the independent UK stockbroker.  This combined experience – and the fact that Graham continues to trade actively as manager of a European long/short hedge fund – means that course participants get a proper insight into the reality of modern markets as well as the theory.
Instructus is based in central London and also has an office in Cornwall, where Graham Smith is located. This provides a useful counter-balance to the London-centric nature of financial markets and also acts as a base for Instructus’ relationships with universities and businesses in the south-west of the UK.
Graham Smith and his family always dreamt of eventually living in Cornwall as it is where his wife grew up.  However, it was not until the extensive roll out of superfast broadband in Cornwall that Graham was able to consider a move which involved bringing his work with him. With the high speed internet connection, Graham has access to the stock exchange without any latency issues and with a live video link open all day to London he can work from Cornwall and yet maintain the feel of the London office. Graham and his family now have the best of both worlds. Enjoying the beach and outdoors lifestyle, while also running an incredibly successful business, without any of the worries of commuting!

Instructus Markets can be contacted at [email protected] or on 0207 290 1271.