About
On the right side
of the trade.
The thesis
Machine learning is compounding into every layer of how alpha is sourced, modelled, and executed.
The gap between quantitative and discretionary trading is widening, not closing. About eighty percent of our work is with quantitative firms — by deliberate choice. That's the side of the trade we want to be on, and the side we believe will earn the next decade's returns.
We do take the occasional discretionary mandate when the seat or the candidate is exceptional — but it's the exception, not the work. The firms still hiring discretionary traders today will be hiring quants in five years. We're already there.
Origin
Winsor was founded on the observation that the firms hiring the most consequential talent in finance — systematic funds, prop HFT, multi-strat platforms — were being served by search firms that didn't understand the work.
Most search firms send PDFs. We send a paper trade — our own write-up of every candidate, prepared from a structured interview before any introduction. Most map roles by title; we map by track record, strategy style, and geography. Most leave the candidate at the offer; we stay engaged through the first ninety days post-start, because a placement that doesn't stick isn't a placement.
Coverage
Where we recruit. Where we know.
Team
Boutique team. Direct line on every search.
Moulaye El Hassen
Founder
London / Hong Kong
Founder of Winsor International. Five years in executive search for systematic funds, prop HFT firms, and multi-strat platforms — placing the people who build their strategies. Every search runs through Moulaye directly. Lived across eight countries; speaks English, French, Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Jie Wen
Partner
London / Shanghai
Partner. More than a decade in executive search, with depth in quantitative trading across traditional finance, crypto, and predictive markets. Bridges London and Shanghai. Speaks English and Mandarin.
Nastasia Civitillo
Recruiter
Geneva
Recruiter. Four years in executive search, focused on quantitative trading. Trained psychologist with a parallel media career — both feed the interview craft the work demands. Speaks French, English, Italian, and Spanish.
Alex Hua
Recruiter
Paris
Recruiter. Four years in executive search, covering non-trading mandates — engineering, technology, and senior administration. Speaks French, English, and Mandarin.
On the name
Winsorizev.
to limit the influence of extreme values in a sample — keeping the signal, removing the noise.
— after Charles P. Winsor, biostatistician (1895–1951)