SDS 437: Data Science at a World-Leading Hedge Fund — with Claudia Perlich

Role Overview

Claudia Perlich, a key figure at Two Sigma, outlines her role in the financial technology company, emphasizing the importance of understanding economic drivers. Her team focuses on identifying signals that provide insights into economic success, which are crucial for both public and private companies. Claudia explains the multi-stage process at Two Sigma, from hypothesis generation to signal optimization and execution, highlighting the diverse applications of data science across these stages 1.

My team has primarily worked on the very early beginning of understanding what kind of signals could be giving us some insight into how the economy works and what makes companies successful.

--- Claudia Perlich

She appreciates the collaborative environment at Two Sigma, where diverse ideas are encouraged and intellectual property is balanced with competitive innovation 2.

   

Hiring Approach

When hiring for her team, Claudia Perlich seeks candidates who bring a balance of technical skills and diverse perspectives. She values diversity of thought, which she believes is crucial for innovation and managing risk in financial markets 3. Claudia emphasizes the importance of coding skills and data analysis, but also looks for unique backgrounds that can contribute to creative problem-solving.

There's very strong emphasis in getting diversity of thought and hypotheses, and we're measuring how kind of different your ideas are.

--- Claudia Perlich

She collaborates closely with HR to identify candidates who can complement her team's existing skill set, ensuring a thoughtful and involved hiring process 4.