The AIFMRM team consists of academic and professional experts, who have a wealth of experience in mathematical, quantitative and computational finance, risk management, financial economics and banking.

  • Associate Professor David Taylor

    Director of AIFMRM

    David is the founding Director of AIFMRM. He previously held a position at the University of the Witwatersrand where he ran the Programme in Advanced Mathematics of Finance for 15 years. David is also the Director of the African Collaboration for Quantitative Finance and Risk Research (ACQuFRR), AIFMRM’s research unit. In his spare time he is the Convenor of the MPhil in Mathematical Finance. He specialises in the fields of financial modelling and derivative pricing.

  • Associate Professor Peter Ouwehand

    Associate Professor

    Peter is a mathematician who lectures on both the MPhil in Mathematical Finance and the MCom in Risk Management of Financial Markets. He is an advisory member of the African Collaboration for Quantitative Finance and Risk Research (ACQuFRR). His research interests focus on applications of stochastic analysis to finance, including the pricing and hedging of financial derivatives, as well as model uncertainty and model risk management.

  • Dr Alex Backwell

    Senior Lecturer

    Alex joined AIFMRM as a Senior Lecturer in January 2020. He began his PhD with AIFMRM when it was founded in 2014. Alex has since developed and pursued his research interests in stochastic interest-rate modelling, particularly in interest-rate volatility and modelling in post-crisis, multiple-curve settings. He lectures on both the MPhil in Mathematical Finance and the MCom in Risk Management of Financial Markets.

  • Dr Abhik Mukherjee

    Senior Lecturer

    Abhik joined AIFMRM as a Senior Lecturer in March 2017. Abhik lectures on the MCom in Risk Management of Financial Markets and is an advisory member of the African Collaboration for Quantitative Finance and Risk Research (ACQuFRR). His research interests include banking, macroeconomics, financial economics, monetary policy and corporate finance.

  • Ms Mansa Aidoo

    Lecturer

    Mansa joined AIFMRM as a Lecturer in January 2020. After completing the MCom in Risk Management of Financial Markets in 2018, she briefly worked and gained experience in the financial services sector. Mansa now lectures on the MCom and is currently pursuing her PhD.

  • Mr Obeid Mahomed

    Lecturer

    Obeid lectures on both the MPhil in Mathematical Finance and the MCom in Risk Management of Financial Markets. He is an advisory member of the African Collaboration for Quantitative Finance and Risk Research (ACQuFRR). Previously, he was employed in the financial sector with extensive exposure to banking, asset management, insurance and stock-broking. Obeid's role evolved from Quantitative Analyst to Head of Quantitative Research within the investment and stock-broking industries, and then to Senior Risk Manager at one of South Africa’s largest banks. His research interests are in the fields of financial mathematics, risk management, financial economics and empirical finance.

  • Mrs Lameez Fakier

    Senior Administrative Officer

    Lameez has been with the Institute since its launch in January 2014. She has experience in institutional and financial administration and comes from a sales, marketing and client liaison background. Lameez manages the AIFMRM budget and financial reporting, as well as the research activities of the Institute.

  • Mrs Lizzy Starck

    Administrative Officer

    Lizzy joined AIFMRM in April 2016. She has over 20 years administrative experience specialising in office management and procurement. Lizzy has had various roles at UCT involving finance, external relationship management and undergraduate and postgraduate student administration.