Radley James Limited, a specialist recruitment company within the financial and technology markets, today announced it has appointed Umar Balal as Head of its US Quantitative Research & Technology division.

Radley James, based in the City of London specialising in the placement of experienced professionals into Financial Investment markets, has hired Balal to initially work closely with its management team in the UK preparing the infrastructure for its first physical operation, to be based in New York. With demand for the services of recruitment firms in the USA, Balal will be responsible for Radley James’ Quantitative Trading practice in the US, as the company aggressively looks to grow its Global footprint.

Balal is a University College London graduate with a 1st Class Master’s degree (MEng) in Aeronautical Engineering. He began his career in recruitment during 2008, arguably the most challenging and demanding markets of modern history. Utilising his engineering background and analytical thought process to familiarise and educate him within the Quantitative Trading space, Balal was headhunted in 2010 by a boutique search firm as part of a three man team to grow the US business. He successfully completed numerous projects including placing Researchers, Traders & Technologists into some of the most prestigious and highly reputed Quantitative Trading Teams and Firms before joining Radley James. Throughout his career, Balal has combined his background and his experience to offer a bespoke service both to his clients and candidates.

Umar Balal, Head of US Quantitative Research & Technology, Radley James commented, “I’m thrilled with my appointment at Radley James. The new role will enable me to push myself further and allow me to utilise my knowledge of and passion for Quantitative trading. I am looking forward to the challenges of heading up the US team and growing the business overseas to firmly establish Radley James as a leading global recruitment company.”
James Drysdale, Managing Director, Radley James said, “I am delighted Umar has joined Radley James. He is a vital acquisition for us and he will play a key role in our growth and success into the US markets. He clearly understands the industry in which we operate and he is a perfect fit for our team dynamic, who will assist Umar in sourcing and attracting very high-quality candidates for our clients. We are confident his expertise within Quantitative Trading will be effective and produce the results we strive for in order to build a strong and established recruitment firm in the US.”