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DAVID PALMER

Python Data Analysis Expert, Full Stack Trading Platforms
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Achievements

Over 30 years of Experience

Creative innovator with over thirty years’ experience in finance, derivatives, trading, hedge funds, and real estate.

Bloomberg

95%

Web Development using ASP .NET(MVC)

90%

Anaconda - Python - Pandas – Numpy – SciPy

90%

WTP - WEX

90%

IB, Microsoft EXCEL

95%

Microsoft Access, SQL, VB

80%

R, Passing, C / C++, Java

75%

Areas of Expertise

Focal points

Trading Platform Development

Beginning in 1988 when Bridge Data Systems came to the floor of the American Stock Exchange, I have been involved in the development of trading systems. These systems began as a retail product, Altima Trading Systems, targeted to floor traders that evolved into a full stack global trading platform used internally at TANSTAAFL Research & Trading LLC.

Software Project Management

Starting with the introduction of Altima and continuing to this day I have managed groups of programmers and developers to craft long-term solutions for the trading industry

Trading

Beginning in 1987 till this day I have traded internationally in both over the counter products and bespoke agreements.

Real Estate Development

Beginning in 2005 I have managed the acquisition and development of land as an active general partner.

Working Experience

June 2005-Present

President

Harvester Capital Management LL ,New York, NY

  • Founded firm serving as a vehicle for quantitative trading and consultant portfolio management.
  • Designed trading platform seeking relative value arbitrage using quantitative and fundamental algorithmic strategies. Integrated platform into two separate access vendors
  • Created and founded a firm that invests in real estate ventures in Costa Rica and in the USA.
June 2016-Present

President

Twenty-One Parcels Limitada ( San Jose, Costa Rica)

  • Founder, partner, investor, and manager of real estate investment firm operating primarily in Playa Guiones, Costa Rica.
  • In the internationally prominent surfing destination of Nosara Costa Rica, identify highly underutilized and mispriced land parcels, negotiate property purchases, and create small enclaves within parcels for redevelopment in alignment with the nature and culture of the town.
  • Structure purchase agreements and lending structures to facilitate sales and achieve target returns.
  • Work with local and national regulators to ensure complete compliance with all laws and regulations both in word and in spirit
Dec. 2008-May 2014

Portfolio Manager

Hudson Bay Capital (New York, NY)

  • One of several portfolio managers allocated capital and tasked with investing capital to extract alpha from markets. My silo was all traded derivatives instruments, with a maximum capital allocation of $500 million notional, $250 million each side; typical notional value positions were less than $100 million each side.
  • Identified pricing anomalies in the marketplace, sourced liquidity, and executed profitable theses on those anomalies.
  • Designed and wrote several programs, first in R then in Python, to access data-stores, typically via SQL, analyzing the data using statistical methods and writing multi-variate models to extract metrics utilized in the decision-making process.
  • Designed and wrote an interface to multiple live feeds to monitor execution quality and risk metrics.
  • Client-facing during multiple investor meetings in which my thesis basket was reviewed and vetted by potential investors such as senior pension plan board members.
Jan. 2007-Dec. 2008

Trader

Trade for "Hudson Bay Capital"

  • Trader with a small but rapidly growing hedge fund. Work on the volatility desk to help price and manage a book of derivatives.
  • Reviewed legal documents to extract the nature of the derivative, its features and inherent risks.
  • Wrote models utilizing known pricing methods to facilitate pricing of OTC products.
Aug. 1992-Present

Senior Managing Member

TANSTAAFL Research & Trading LLC(New York, NY)

  • Founded and funded derivatives trading firm. Started an Option Specialist operation on the American Stock Exchange and quickly rose to third highest ranked firm on the Exchange.
  • Designed, developed and funded cutting-edge technology which was utilized firm-wide. Managed a group of five programmers and led the design and evolution of the derivatives platform.
  • Hired traders and staff and wrote tests utilized in the hiring process to improve effectiveness of new hires.
  • Opened offices in a total of five locations including Amsterdam. Maintained a presence on six exchanges.
  • Managed and led a team of 100 employees with a defined mandate of equality, honor, and the highest ethical standards.
  • Ensured compliance for all regulated traders and specialist units with AMEX, CME, CBOE, CFTC, and FINRA. Navigated regulatory hurdles successfully without fines, censures or notices of violation. One of only two AMEX firms to never receive a violation.
  • Negotiated a purchase of a 30-person firm in Chicago. Negotiated sale of the AMEX specialist unit to a major derivatives firm.
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I can say that David is one of the most honest and forthright people I have ever worked with.

Erik Hartog

COO at Gluu, Inc(New York, New York, United States)

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(I worked as an Equity Options Market-Maker on the floor of the American Stock Exchange from 1997-1999, reporting to David.) David managed a large group of traders on the Amex, Phlx and P Coast, developed the software used by the traders for pricing, managing risk and executing stock hedges, managed the relationship of Stonehenge and TANSTAAFL with the clearing firm and the exchanges, all the while running one of the largest books on the Amex floor during a period of unprecedented volatility. He impressed me as a hard-working, hands-on manager of people and risk and an aggressive, intelligent options trader.

Charles Krueger, CAIA

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS CONSULTANT(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States)

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Working for David was a genuine pleasure. He has the rare ability to make challenging situations fun. Every day he pushed us to discover our own ability, and gave us the chance to laugh throughout the process. Given the opportunity I would work for David in the proverbial New York minute.

John Haldi

CEO at Haldi Technologies

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As Vice President of the Amex, I have had the priveledge of working closely with David and the entire TANSTAAFL opertation. He is as bright and honest an individual as you will find in our business and his focus on fair customer execution, and the overall improvement of the Exchange has added a lot to this historic institution.

Keith Landsberg

Executive Vice President (MetroDI Disability Insurance General Agency)

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David is a highly motivated, hard working individual. He excelled in the most stressfull environment. I would recommend David as an employee for anyone. Ralph Fogel.

Ralph Fogel

Partner at Fogel Neale Partners LLC.

Education

My Education

Bachelor of Arts

Psychology

Columbia University School of General Studies
Major GPA: ~3.91 Overall GPA: 3.73

Honors: Dean’s List: Spring 2018, Fall 2019; Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Scholar; Member, Columbia University Psi Chi Honor Society.

Study of Finance

New York University

Activities and Societies: ARS Adult Returning Students.