Toronto · Finance & Risk

Saransh
Malaiya

Markets, risk, and the psychology of better decisions — studied patiently, with curiosity and a little humility.
FRM Certified · CFA Level III Candidate
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01About

I'm Saransh — a Toronto-based finance professional with a genuine fascination for investing, risk management, and the slightly irrational psychology behind how we all make decisions.

My career has carried me from customer service at Amazon to banking and capital markets roles across Tangerine, CIBC, and now Scotiabank — giving me a rare, end-to-end view of how money actually moves through markets, clients, and risk.

I'm FRM-certified and currently writing the CFA Level III exam, with a deep interest in long-term investing, market behavior, and the judgment that separates a sound decision from a lucky one. I take the work seriously, just not myself.

02Philosophy

I believe the best financial decisions are patient ones. Before I think about return, I think about risk — what can go wrong, what I might be missing, and where my own psychology could trip me up.

Markets are as much a study of human behavior as of numbers, and I'm fascinated by the gap between what people say they'll do and what they actually do when money is on the line. My work sits at the intersection of discipline and curiosity: doing the unglamorous homework, asking the uncomfortable questions, and staying humble about how much is genuinely unknowable.

03Journey

A path built across the whole stack of finance.

Risk & Capital Markets
Scotiabank · Present

Working across markets and risk in a regulated capital-markets environment.

Trading Desk & Client Advisory
CIBC & CIBC Investor's Edge

Executed equities and options trades, processed corporate actions, and advised clients on portfolios — learning the mechanics of markets from the inside.

Retail Banking & Risk Controls
Tangerine

Handled client accounts and fraud / risk controls — where I first learned how much banking runs on trust.

Customer Service
Amazon

Where it started: solving problems under pressure and learning to listen before answering.

FRM Certified CFA Level III Candidate Options Licensed (DFOL) Excel · Python · SQL
Education
Post-Graduate Diplomas — Financial Planning; Marketing Research & AnalyticsCentennial College, Toronto
Bachelor of Business AdministrationUniversity of Pune (Canadian equivalency, WES)
International Summer ProgramsGhent University, Belgium & Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland
04Principles

How I try to think.

01

Margin of Safety

I'd rather leave room to be wrong than count on everything going right.

02

Circle of Competence

I work within what I genuinely understand, and stay honest about where that ends.

03

Skin in the Game

Opinions should carry accountability. If I'm wrong, I'd rather own it than explain it away.

04

Survive First

Protecting against the worst case matters more than optimizing for the best.

05

Temperament Over Forecasts

A clear, calm head usually beats trying to predict what comes next.

06

Fiduciary by Default

I treat other people's trust as something to protect, not just to earn.

05Off the Clock

Life away from the markets.

When I'm not thinking about finance, I'm usually moving — on a bike, across a badminton court, or out in a kayak. One ride I'm proud of took me from Manali to Khardung La, one of the highest motorable passes in the world. The things I value at work show up out here too: patience, discipline, and the occasional reminder to stay humble.

Cycling through the high Himalaya
On the road, somewhere in the high Himalaya.
At the Khardung La pass with my bike
Khardung La — the top of the world, reached by bike.
What shaped my thinking
The Intelligent InvestorBenjamin Graham
Security AnalysisGraham & Dodd
Poor Charlie's AlmanackCharlie Munger
The Black SwanNassim Nicholas Taleb
Thinking, Fast and SlowDaniel Kahneman
David and GoliathMalcolm Gladwell
SapiensYuval Noah Harari
06Connect

Don't be a stranger.

If any of this sounds like your kind of conversation — whether you're building at the intersection of finance and tech, fascinated by the psychology behind investing, or just want to debate whether markets are really efficient — I'd love to hear from you. Reach out, say hello, and let's swap ideas.

Email me LinkedIn