Matrix Applications
Victor Wong
09 December 2025
From growing up in a deeply corporate household, to driving digital transformation, Victor Wong, junior software engineer at Matrix Applications, speaks to Carmella Haswell about his 鈥榩redestined鈥� journey into the industry
Image: Victor Wong
Can you tell me about your journey into the securities finance industry?
Honestly, you could say I was predestined for this industry. I grew up in a deeply corporate household 鈥� my mom was an accountant and my dad was a bank manager. By the time I was six years old, I was not just getting an allowance, I was filing monthly written audit and expense reports for my parents.
That discipline and sense of numbers stuck with me, even as I pivoted toward a career in technology. After graduating magna cum laude from NYU with a double major in Computer Science and Data Science, and refining my product sense as an intern at Meta, I realised something crucial 鈥� the financial sector offered the most complex, high-stakes data challenges in the world. I wanted to return to those roots, but with a modern engineering toolkit.
I joined Matrix Applications as a junior system engineer after graduation, not just to write code, but to drive digital transformation. The firm immediately threw me into the deep end. Within my first few months, I was already representing the engineering team to scout and evaluate external vendors for new Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) report-generation tools. From there, I took ownership of critical infrastructure, modernising post-trade processing and hardening security for our TradeBlazer platform.
But I did not want to stay behind a screen all day. I stepped up to lead our engineering internship programme, managing the full lifecycle from onboarding, mentoring, and training, to offboarding. I also spearheaded the initiative to build a secure, internal AI chatbot that strictly adhered to FINRA data privacy rules. That drive to bridge the gap between rigorous engineering and traditional finance is what fueled my rapid progression 鈥� and ultimately led to me being named the 2025 US Fintech Awards 'Young Achiever of the Year鈥�.
As a young professional, what aspects of your role or the industry do you find most exciting?
The most exciting aspect is the opportunity to act as a catalyst for transformation. In securities finance, there is often a gap between legacy operational workflows and modern technological capabilities. I find it incredibly rewarding to bridge that gap 鈥� transforming manual, email-based processes into automated, secure systems that revolutionise how trade files are handled. It is thrilling to see how engineering decisions directly impact the efficiency of capital markets, particularly through technologies like FIX/J and automated testing frameworks.
Furthermore, I am driven by the collaborative culture at Matrix Applications. The firm encourages us to solve problems using quantitative skills while actively breaking down silos. Coding in a vacuum is rarely as impactful as coding with a purpose; collaborating with marketing, management, and operations teams provides the fresh perspectives necessary to build truly structured and effective solutions.
Many companies offer various training and development opportunities for their employees. How has your company supported your growth?
Matrix Applications accelerated my career by pairing mentorship with responsibilities that extended far beyond traditional coding. From my very first month, I was trusted to represent Matrix in interactions with external service providers to procure technology products 鈥� a level of autonomy rarely granted to junior engineers. This exposure allowed me to integrate quickly, moving into a full-stack development cycle, where I collaborated with diverse teams across front end, back end, and deployment strategies.
Beyond technical skills, Matrix empowered me to take full ownership of the firm鈥檚 internship programme, enabling me to design a standardised curriculum and curate bespoke projects for new talent. Crucially, the firm champions my cross-disciplinary ambitions; as I transition toward a role that blends engineering with operations, Matrix is actively supporting my pursuit of FINRA Series 7 and Series 99 certifications. This encouragement to look beyond the code and understand the underlying business logic has been vital to my development.
What misconceptions about working in the financial industry have you encountered, and how do you address these challenges?
A common misconception is that engineering and finance are siloed disciplines 鈥� that developers do not need to understand the market, and operators do not need to understand the stack. I challenge this by actively integrating financial acumen with technical expertise. I recognised early on that to build the best solutions for client servicing and settlement, I needed to understand the 鈥榳hy鈥� behind the 鈥榟ow鈥�. This drove me to step out of the engineering bubble and engage deeply with operations and finance teams, ensuring our technical solutions are informed by real-world financial workflows.
What advice do you have for other young professionals aspiring to pursue a career in your industry?
Do not just be a contributor, be a transformer. My advice: look beyond your immediate job description and constantly audit your professional growth. If you are in tech, learn the business; if you are in business, learn the tools. Even a software company is a business at its core, and upward mobility requires a holistic understanding of how value is created.
I found success by fostering cross-team collaboration and stepping up to lead initiatives like internal training and recruiting 鈥� areas outside my core engineering scope. Finally, give back to the community. Whether it is volunteering as a campus ambassador or participating in industry philanthropy, these experiences build a rounded perspective that is invaluable for professional growth.
Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in the next five years in terms of your career goals and aspirations?
I see myself positioned at the nexus of quantitative strategy and product management. By obtaining my FINRA licenses, I aim to move beyond pure software development into a role where I can leverage my data science background to drive decision-making in securities finance. My focus will be on aligning technical systems with trader objectives.
I plan to use my quantitative skills to automate and streamline operational processes, creating efficiencies that benefit both front office users and post-trade operations. My goal is to lead hybrid teams 鈥� fluent in both code and capital markets 鈥� to solve complex settlement challenges. Ultimately, I aspire to mentor the next generation of talent and help define what it means to be a forward-thinking technologist in securities finance fintech.
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