At CAPIS, we put relationships first. We think of our team as a family, which is why we not only get to know each member but find it important to shine a spotlight on them as individuals.

In this installment of our Employee Spotlight series, we spoke with David Lee, our Director of Fixed-Income Trading, who has worked at CAPIS for 12 years. Take a look at our conversation below to learn about how he came to work at CAPIS, his start in fixed-income trading, some of the biggest challenges and successes he’s experienced, and his desire to enjoy live sports again.

[Note: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.]

How did you get your start in finance or the capital markets? Did you go to school for this or something else?

I have an undergraduate degree in Accounting and worked in the Corporate Finance and Treasury departments at FedEx. After that, I was hired to join the bond division of First Tennessee Bank by the head of the division, Jimmy Hughes.

How has fixed income trading changed during the pandemic? How is it changed over the course of your career?

I have found communication with clients as well as with the street to be easier during the pandemic, and we have been able to capitalize on our efforts to go the “extra mile” for our clients and trading partners. Electronic platforms have increased the efficiency of trading and, when used correctly, can augment our ability to reach counterparties that we would not have touched.

How has the proliferation of electronic fixed income trading platforms changed market dynamics?

It has increased efficiency on both the buy- and sell-side by automating trading/ticketing processes. The large number of platforms does at times pose some difficulties when it comes to determining true “best execution,” though.

How has it been trading from home since the pandemic?

The workday has changed during the pandemic. Working remotely has blurred the lines between work and after-work. I find myself looking up at the clock and realizing I haven’t eaten lunch, or it is 6 p.m. and I am still working.

What is liquidity like in the fixed income markets today?

The level of liquidity has not significantly changed over the last year, but the effort required to find the liquidity has increased.

When things “get back to normal” what do you look forward to doing that you’ve been unable to do the past year?

We hold season tickets for TCU and my son, Tim, who has Down Syndrome has become quite the TCU and Dallas Cowboy fan, so getting in the stands is what we want.

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