Ahsan Kazmi started his journey with Loomis Sayles[i] in 2022 as the first intern in our London office. Today, he’s a full-time Senior Credit Research Associate, building on the experience and relationships he developed during his internship.

We believe Loomis Sayles internship programs create opportunities on both sides—supporting career development for participants while helping us identify and grow future talent.

Here, Ahsan reflects on surprises and takeaways from his intern experience, how the program has grown since its inaugural year, and the importance of corporate culture and mentorship.

Q: How did you find out about the Loomis Sayles internship and what attracted you to it?

A: I was pursuing a master’s degree in behavioural economics and towards the end of that program, I was looking at job roles, networking, going to job fairs. I came across the Loomis Sayles internship position. I was drawn to it because it was rotationary. It covered relationship management, fixed income research and trading. My personality type is not inclined towards relationship management, but both research and trading were very interesting. I thought this would be a great opportunity to one, understand how the different roles fit together, and two, gain experience and see what appealed to me.

Q: What was your experience during your rotations?

A: I started my internship in May 2022 in relationship management, which again, was outside my comfort zone. But it gave me a good understanding of the different strategies and vehicles the firm offers, and I gained insight into what sort of questions clients ask, which has been very helpful. I decided early on to come into the office every day even though I wasn’t required to. Our London office is open planned, and I got experience and exposure to things just by being in the room every day. I would have different conversations, and people would loop me into things, like, “Hey, do you want to sit in on this?” just because I was there in person. And so even as I was doing the relationship management intern position, I was gaining broader experience right away.

Q: How did you know Loomis Sayles’ cultural was a fit for you?

A: People are very willing to give you their time here. Recently, I remember going into Jon Levy’s (Global Macro Strategist covering Europe) office with a question I thought would take two minutes of his time and leaving 25 minutes later with a wealth of knowledge. He would tell me about what’s happening in Germany, for example, and how this will affect spreads and yields. I would digest it all and think about what it meant for the companies I was following. It’s a culture where people are willing to help and it’s genuine, it’s not forced. Even if people are busy in the moment, they will come back to you later and are willing to give you their time completely.

Q: You’re now a senior credit research associate–how did you decide which area to pursue?

A: Before the London office even had an open position, I remember talking to my colleague Joseph Mukungu (Head of EMEA Relationship Management, Head of MENA Institutional Services); I asked him if he was in my shoes and he had to choose between relationship management, trading, research, how would he go about it? The advice he gave me was to think about what I was really good at and think about what I really enjoy. Hopefully these two things are aligned. That all helped narrow the decision to research. And some of it was luck because eventually, a role opened up in research, and I applied for it. I work with Zahiye Yuksel, Senior Credit Research Analyst. She covers European telephones, building materials, retailers, supermarkets, consumer cyclical services. I support her as her Senior Research Associate. Even though I ultimately was hired in credit research, I think my time in trading helped make me a better analyst.

Q: How has the internship program evolved at the London office?

A: I was the London office’s first intern, and now we’re on the fourth cohort. The model has gone through different iterations during that time. This year, they decided to hire two interns. So, it’s nice to see that things are growing. One individual is working with the consultation relations team, and then the other is the shared resource between credit research and relationship management. She rotates back and forth every two months and on an ad-hoc basis as critical project needs pop up.

Q: What challenges and responsibilities come with mentoring?

A: I was previously the most junior person in credit research in the London office, so I was the sponge soaking up information from other people. Now I have to learn to teach others. How can I break down concepts to explain to someone who’s never done it before? It’s understanding people learn at different speeds, have different personalities, have different preferences for how they take in information. It’s learning to interact with someone else when you’re supposed to be helping guide and mold their future. I feel a strong sense of personal responsibility, knowing that how well I mentor can profoundly shape someone’s view of a field and possibly influence their future career choices.

[i] Refers to the Loomis Sayles United Kingdom entity, Loomis Sayles Investments Limited a subsidiary of Loomis, Sayles & Company L.P.