James McFarland

MIB, Director of Trading and Investment Operations

Director of Trading and Investment Operations

James joined Oak Harvest in 2016 and immediately set to work developing the firm’s investment management practice, building out the division’s operations, trading, compliance, and portfolio management functions. James currently oversees the whole of the firm’s investment management practice, and continues to build and manage the firm’s investment models.

Born in Scotland and raised in Houston, James graduated at the top of his class from Houston Baptist University, and then promptly moved to Japan. During his years in Japan, he completed a Master’s in International Business (MIB) at Tokyo’s prestigious Sophia University, graduating summa cum laude.

James has 15 years of investment management and capital markets experience. He has worked at one of the oldest financial trading house in Japan, Nissan Securities, as well as for some of the largest firms in the world, including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. He brings his wide markets expertise to bear for the clients of Oak Harvest, and enjoys seeing the impact of his work firsthand.

James is married, speaks fluent Japanese, loves karaoke and is an accomplished classical guitarist.

Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Houston Baptist University
  • Master of International Business, Sophia University

Notable Career Highlights

  • Director of specialized derivatives business unit for Morgan Stanley managing equity risk for institutional clients with $600 billion+ AUM
  • Senior Trader at Nissan Securities for equities, futures, currencies, and commodities; lead the team to becoming the largest dealer by volume on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange
  • Oversaw Nissan’s Block Trading business, successfully managing daily billion-dollar trades for hundreds of clients and counter-parties
  • Managed the development and execution of proprietary investment strategies Nomura Securities, State Street, and Morgan Stanley
  • Frequently lectured at Japanese universities on the topics of capital markets, investing, and global business
Summary
Name
James McFarland
Job Title
MIB, Director of Trading and Investment Operations
Company
Oak Harvest Financial Group