Members
Driven by a passion for finance and a commitment to collaborative learning, Lukas Robrecht founded Cascade Research to unite motivated individuals eager to grow and innovate. With a strong academic foundation in finance and prior industry experience, Lukas brings both knowledge and dedication to this endeavor. His vision is that, through shared insights and collective effort, Cascade Research will not only deepen understanding but also strengthen each member’s professional development, empowering them to excel in the dynamic world of finance.
Lukas Robrecht
President
Charles holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Nottingham, where he built a solid foundation in economic theory and financial analysis. Charles gained hands-on experience managing multi-asset funds during a summer internship at Barings Asset Management, followed by a 9-month off-cycle internship at Tatton Investment Management, where he managed fund-of-funds portfolios. As Portfolio Manager for the Nottingham Equity Fund, he led investment decisions, and as Lead Deal Analyst at Sortino M&A Group, he produced detailed M&A deal reports and guided a team of analysts.
Charles Crook
Vice-President
Rémi is pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL, with focus in Corporate Finance, Asset Pricing, and Quantitative Finance. As an Analyst Founder and Head of Welfare at Cascade Research, he has helped create a collaborative platform for financial research and valuation. He gained practical experience at Hudson Development as a Real Estate Development Junior Analyst, managing financial reporting and coordinating investor materials. Additional internships at Maison Arosteguy and Workwell honed his skills in client relations and operational management. Fluent in multiple languages and proficient in Excel, Rémi combines strong analytical abilities with a global perspective, complemented by an interest in classic motorsports and philanthropic work.
Rémi Lemos
Welfare Officer | M&A Analyst
Leadership:
“Cascade Research uniquely brings together motivated minds, providing hands-on training and a collaborative space to push boundaries in finance. Here, we’re driven to learn, innovate, and lead—setting a new standard for our starting careers.”
Valuations Team:
Matthew leads the valuations team at Cascade Research, where he applies quantitative expertise to value companies using discounted cash flow (DCF) models. He holds a BSc in Mathematics and Economics from Durham University, where he honed his analytical skills. During his undergraduate studies, he organized financial planning and pitched a startup idea, sharpening his financial strategy and investor relations abilities. He has also completed investing courses, developing trading strategies using Bollinger Bands, RSI, and Pivot Point Bounce—particularly in energy derivatives. Alongside his current work, Matthew maintains a keen interest in private equity, recognizing it as a growing sector in the UK finance market.
Matthew Bell
Head of Valuations
Azayr is currently pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL, building on a BSc in Economics & Mathematics from the University of Leeds, where he focused on statistics and completed a project using Monte Carlo methods—with various variance reduction techniques—to predict future stock prices. He gained practical experience at Wells Fargo, interning in the risk division to analyze data for reports and optimize internal processes. Azayr also briefly worked at Octopus Investments, researching top-performing Venture Capital Trusts’ valuations and exits. A proactive individual with a passion for problem-solving and financial markets, Azayr aims to merge quantitative analysis with practical insights throughout his studies and professional experiences.
Azayr Raja
Valuation Analyst
Adrià is currently pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL, building on a strong academic foundation with a BSc in Economics from the University of East Anglia, which included a year of academic exchange at Waseda University in Tokyo. He has gained valuable work experience through internships at Creand Wealth and Securities, where he developed expertise in portfolio management, financial modelling, and investment analysis. Furthermore, Adrià served as a Senior Analyst in Fixed Income at Oakwood Fund Management, a student-led ESG-focused fund, where he conducted in-depth research and successfully led bond pitches incorporating ESG principles. As a multilingual professional fluent in Spanish, English, French, and Catalan, Adrià brings a unique international perspective and analytical precision to valuation challenges.
Adrià Ramoneda
Valuation Analyst
James is an MSc in Finance candidate at UCL, with an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science and professional experience as a Financial Analyst at Digicel Group. Based in Jamaica during his tenure at Digicel, he managed investor reporting for bondholders during a $6 billion debt restructuring agreement, demonstrating his expertise in financial analysis and stakeholder communication. Having passed CFA Level II and preparing for Level III, James combines a strong analytical skill set with a multidisciplinary background. He is particularly interested in investment banking opportunities within the healthcare and TMT sectors, where he wants to leverage his expertise in finance and science to deliver innovative solutions.
James Durkan Watson
Valuation Analyst
Xinyao is currently pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL, building on a BBA in Quantitative Finance from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, where she focused on academic research. She has experience in constructing financial models, including a Fama-French Three Factor model tailored to the Chinese A-share market, and employing econometric methods to analyze the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on stock prices. Xinyao also gained practical experience as an Investment Research Assistant, conducting market and competitive analysis in the micro-nano optical device industry.
Xinyao Wang
Valuation Analyst
Ionuț is a Fixed Income Analyst at Cascade Research, applying advanced quantitative techniques to analyze fixed income securities. He is pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL and holds a First-Class Honours BSc in Economics and International Business from West University of Timișoara. Ionuț has expertise in econometric modeling, financial analysis, and award-winning research on energy commodity price volatility. His experience includes a virtual internship at JPMorgan Chase, where he optimized credit risk models and reduced natural gas pricing errors by 20%, and a Quantitative Analyst Internship, where he automated reporting and implemented Monte Carlo simulations. Skilled in Python, R, Stata, and C++, Ionuț specializes in financial modeling, stochastic calculus, and machine learning. He is passionate about financial innovation and delivering actionable insights.
Ionut Nodis
Valuation Analyst (Fixed Income)
Yordan is currently an MSc Finance student at UCL , having previously graduated with a BSc in Investment and Financial Risk Management from Bayes Business School. His work experience includes internship in Philip Morris International and more recently in one of the fastest growing fintechs in the UK. During his Capital Markets internship at iwoca, he developed strong analytical and problem-solving skills, conducting detailed performance analyses of loan portfolios, back-testing interest rate hedging strategies, and researching asset-backed securities (ABS) methodologies. He also contributed to benchmarking iwoca’s performance against competitors and supported the development of strategic funding insights. Proficient in Excel, Python, and Bloomberg, Yordan combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of capital markets to deliver actionable solutions.
Yordan Yordanov
Valuation Analyst (Fixed Income)
Equity Research Team:
Dk Lee is an MSc Finance student at UCL, holding a BSc in Banking and International Finance from City, University of London, Cass Business School. He gained 18 months of disciplined experience from the military, which made him a resilient and consistent individual, and gained hands-on expertise as a research assistant at Counterpoint Research. His passion lies in uncovering hidden investment opportunities and conducting in-depth analysis to drive long-term value, which aligns with the aim of the Cascade Research Equity team.
Dk Lee
Head of Equity Research
Darin holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Warwick. She has previous experience in markets with a key focus on macroeconomic analysis and industry trends. With a top-down approach to research of the market environment, industry, and current events, she generated +7% Y2023 compared to the ACWI in her previous role as a Fund Strategist in a securities firm in Thailand. She has passed the CFA level 1 exam and is the process of pursuing the whole qualification.
Darin Hansaku
Equity Research Analyst
Daniel holds an MA in Economics with Management Science from the University of Edinburgh. He spent two years as a Management Analyst at Citibank Hong Kong, where he focused on the implementation of AI and Robotics technologies. This experience provided him with valuable insights and frameworks for evaluating emerging technologies. Daniel is also an active investor who utilizes a fundamental investing approach, emphasizing business models, economic moats, financial sustainability and management integrity.
Daniel So
Equity Research Analyst
Rayne is currently pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL, with a focus on Quantitative Finance and Asset Management. He holds a BSc in Business Economics from the University of East Anglia. As a Financial Analyst at Oakwood Fund, he developed industry reports and supported strategic investments aimed at assisting underprivileged students. With a strong interest in structuring, Rayne is eager to apply quantitative and market-driven approaches to develop innovative financial solutions. A multilingual professional fluent in four languages, he combines analytical expertise and a global perspective to deliver insightful and sustainable equity research.
Rayne Wong
Equity Research Analyst
Tze Tao holds a BSc Economics and Finance from the University of Bristol, currently pursuing a MSc Finance at UCL, specialising in corporate finance practices, hedge fund strategies and private equity. He has internship experience in areas of corporate finance and advisory services, where he developed significant experience and interest in corporate transactions and financial modelling.
Tze Tao
Equity Research Analyst
Kelly is currently an MSc Finance student at UCL, with a BSc in International Business from National Chengchi University in Taiwan. She has two years of experience working in the financial industry, where she focused on corporate actions for overseas markets. This role provided her with valuable insights into global financial operations and a strong understanding of international market practices. She has successfully passed the CFA Level 2 exam and is currently working towards completing the full qualification.
Kelly Chen
Equity Research Analyst
Currently, Yajen is pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL. She holds a BSc in Quantitative Finance and Management from National Tsing Hua University, where she built a foundation in financial analysis and quantitative methods. During her undergraduate studies, she gained experience in programming, learning Python and R for data analysis and financial modeling. During an internship at Deloitte’s Audit Team, Yajen gained exposure to financial reporting and auditing processes, further enhancing her analytical and problem-solving skills.
Joanna Yang
Equity Research Analyst
M&A Research Team:
Adriano Principe is an MSc Finance student at UCL, holding a BSc in Economics and Management from the University of Geneva. Currently working as an M&A Analyst at Cascade Research, he focuses on M&A analysis and valuation within TMT and healthcare sectors. His previous roles at Orabank Togo and Lombard Odier have provided him with solid experience in market analysis, data automation, and trade settlement. He demonstrated leadership as VP of IFSA Geneva, organizing events with firms like Credit Suisse.
Adriano Principe
Head of M&A Reports
Jack Rowand graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Financial Analysis from Stellenbosch University, achieving multiple distinctions, Dean’s Merit Awards, and completing his thesis on the non-financial drivers of investment in renewable energy. During his Investment Analyst Internship at Athena Capital, Jack developed expertise in financial modelling, statement analysis, and private equity investment evaluation. With a strong foundation in financial analysis and a passion for valuation, he is dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the finance industry.
Jack Rowand
M&A Analyst
Filippo Zuccari is currently pursuing an MSc in Finance at UCL, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. He gained hands-on experience as a Performance Analyst at Mediolanum Bank, where he developed yield curve simulations, conducted comparative analyses of mutual funds, and supported private market investment initiatives. As a co-founder of an educational start-up and an M&A Analyst at Cascade Research, he combines entrepreneurial drive with a passion for M&A and financial analyses, bolstered by skills in programming and advanced financial modeling.