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The first week of May saw FD, EPAM, and their partner KX kick off KX’s first Meetup of 2026 at EPAM’s impressive, warehouse-converted flagship office in Boston’s Seaport district. Representing FD as one of three featured speakers alongside Nick Sansone of KX, the author shared the stage with Jianwen Luo from OneTick, who expertly broke down large-scale options analytics, and Sam Duffy from MFS, who wowed the crowd by demonstrating how Claude Skills manage Kubernetes for high-scale quant workflows. Taking an unconventional, slide-free approach, the author instead led a dynamic, room-wide conversation that sparked lively debate on market volatility, kdb+ robustness, AI cognitive processing, and surveillance use cases, drawing direct insights from self-taught students, an advanced OLCP database AI firm, and FD’s own Kent Devolin on AI’s rising appetite in wealth management. The high-energy audience participation smoothly transitioned into a successful networking reception filled with collaborative buzz, drawing talented students from across Massachusetts and leaving the author feeling immense gratitude toward the host, the attendees, and the supporting FD team—Victoria Shanks, Henry Lamb, and Kent Devolin—while reflecting on the inspiring trip during the Amtrak ride back to NYC.
The true test of endurance started weeks ago, but the real buzz for FD colleagues kicked off at the Belfast City Marathon expo. Across four dynamic teams—blending seasoned athletes with relay first-timers—the energy was electric from the 9 a.m. Stormont start right through to the final, hill-heavy legs. The team group chat blew up with real-time tracking, strategic handovers, and a dramatic, last-minute position swap on the Ravenhill road. Ultimately, all four FD teams crossed the finish line in under four hours, fueled by incredible individual efforts—like Jack Howard’s impromptu Ironman training and Mark Barr doubling his distance to run his wife to the finish line. It was a spectacular day of camaraderie, top-tier craic, and well-earned celebratory pints, proving once again what FD can achieve together.
Our latest Vinyasa session was a seamless blend of athletic challenge and meditative flow, guiding practitioners through a heat-building sequence that prioritised the marriage of breath and movement. We navigated a series of dynamic sun salutations and balancing postures designed to build core stability, ultimately peaking in a heart-opening flow that encouraged both physical expansion and mental release. The energy in the room transitioned beautifully from high-intensity effort to a grounded, restorative finish, leaving everyone with a palpable sense of clarity, strength, and renewed focus as they stepped off the mat.
The “Future of Finance – Agentic AI in Action” event, co-hosted by EPAM Systems and Google, successfully gathered financial industry leaders at EPAM’s London office to explore the profound impact of Agentic AI. The evening centred on practical discussions, live demonstrations, and hot debate concerning how AI is actively reshaping core business areas, including trading, risk, compliance, and client engagement. The consensus highlighted AI’s role in driving efficiency and innovation, setting the stage for the next wave of technological adoption across the sector.
The event featured compelling insights from a strong lineup of speakers, including expert panelists Nicola Magennis, Darren Lester, Chor Teh, and Chris Conway, guided by moderator Tom Mason. A key presentation by Jamie Thompson and Leon Orr specifically addressed ‘The Future of KYC,’ showcasing AI’s transformative effect on compliance and financial crime prevention. The lively discussions, enhanced by contributions from attendees like Ben Brinkworth, Stephane Aïta, and Christos Solomonides, fostered significant networking and idea-sharing. The conversation has now been energised, and the hosts look forward to maintaining this crucial momentum with all who attended.
We were delighted to welcome our clients, partners, and friends to our First Derivative Belfast offices, which feature panoramic views over the city.
This event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our incredible capabilities as part of EPAM and to highlight our powerful, ongoing partnership with KX.
Our Northern Ireland–based teams presented a series of impressive demos from both First Derivative and KX, making the entire day a true celebration of innovation and collaboration.
The exciting Colour Run Charity Fun Day in Newry on Sunday, September 22nd, successfully raised vital funds for the Brian Conlon Foundation.
Attendees were covered in a kaleidoscope of color and enjoyed first-class entertainment from the one and only DJ Magiggs. Amazing raffle prizes were also up for grabs, and much, much more was on offer.
