Ultumus
Yazz Butt
08 Jan 2026
Yazz Butt, business development at Ultumus, discusses entering asset services straight from university, the value of learning on the job, and how combining data analysis with relationship-building has shaped her early career
Image: Ultumus
Can you give us an insight into your personal journey into the asset services industry, why did you decide this was the career for you?
I work in business development at Ultumus, where we provide the industry with three core solutions: exchange traded fund (ETF) and index data aggregation, portfolio composition file (PCF) calculation, and our creation/redemption platform — Cosmos. Getting here was not necessarily straightforward.
I started university in 2021, just as the world was emerging from the Covid pandemic. I studied geography, which gave me a strong foundation in data analysis and interpretation — skills that proved far more transferable than I initially realised. Leaving university without a clear career plan meant I had to take a step back and assess what I was actually good at.
Two things kept surfacing: I am naturally drawn to people — I like building relationships and understanding how to communicate effectively; I had also developed an interest in data analysis during my degree — working through complex information and finding insights.
I needed to find a role where those two skills could work together. That is what made working in business development at Ultumus appeal to me when I found it.
What drew me to Ultumus was not just the role itself — it was the company culture. From the very first conversations, it was clear that people here genuinely believe in the solution we are providing. On top of that, I was attracted to the opportunity to work in a smaller company where I could learn from people who have built something from the ground up.
How did your experience differ amongst your peers? Were there benefits or disadvantages to starting your career early-on?
What has struck me most since joining is how little university actually prepares you for the realities of working in financial services (or the realities of professional life).
You learn far more by doing — by being in the moment and asking questions.
Working closely with our founders and senior management on a daily basis has given me insights into the industry, its challenges, and its opportunities that I simply could not have gained in a classroom. That proximity to decision-making and strategic thinking has been invaluable, and it has shaped how I understand not just what we do, but why it matters.
Starting at 21 in financial services, I definitely felt behind at first. The learning curve was steep. I had to pick up industry knowledge, understand our products, learn how to speak to clients, and figure out how everything connected — all at the same time. It meant a lot of asking questions and getting comfortable with not knowing everything immediately.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I really enjoy the variety of working with different people. Every person comes with a different challenge or need, and I like being able to help them figure out solutions. It keeps things interesting and there is real satisfaction in being able to solve a problem that makes a tangible difference for a client.
The role keeps me challenged in a good way. There is always something new to learn or a different angle to consider, which keeps me motivated and prevents things from feeling repetitive. I appreciate that I am constantly picking up new knowledge, whether it is understanding different parts of the business or learning new approaches to problems I have not encountered before.
What is the training process of a new employee?
The first three to six months are really about learning the products inside out and understanding the why behind what we are doing. There is no formal classroom-style training program — it is very much learn-as-you-go. From day one, you are shadowing senior members of the team, sitting in on client calls, and absorbing as much as you can in real time.
I started at the same time as two other graduates, which was incredibly helpful. We relied on each other a lot for peer learning — asking each other questions and figuring things out together. That support system made the steep learning curve more manageable for us all.
Industry knowledge comes through doing. You pick it up gradually through client conversations, understanding the problems they are facing, and seeing how our solutions fit into the broader ecosystem.
Looking back after 18 months, the learning curve was intense at the start, but I feel like I understand things at a much deeper level now. The advantage of this approach is that you are learning in context — you are not just memorising concepts, you are seeing them applied in real client situations from the beginning.
Which speaks to the value of getting this kind of exposure at 21, rather than years down the line.
In terms of your career, where do you see yourself in a decade?
In 10 years, I want to still be learning and pushing myself in the same way I am now. I am particularly interested in building deeper expertise within the ETF space and contributing to how innovative solutions are brought to market, but I am keeping my options open on whether that is through client-facing work, operations, or strategy.
Financial success matters to me — I am in the process of buying my first house at the moment, and I want to build financial security as my career progresses. At some point, I would like to be leading a team as well, bringing together the technical knowledge and relationship skills I am building now. The industry is moving quickly, and I want to be actively part of that growth.
What advice would you give to anyone considering a role in financial services?
Be willing to learn and be honest when you do not know something. You are not going to know everything from day one, and that is completely fine.
What is important is how you respond — asking questions, admitting mistakes, and being upfront about what you do not understand builds far more credibility than trying to appear like you have all the answers.
Do not assume you need a finance degree to succeed in the industry either. Take the time to recognise what transferable skills you actually have, whether that is analytical thinking from another discipline, communication skills, or problem-solving ability.
Your attitude and willingness to learn will take you much further than any qualification — the industry values people who bring fresh perspectives and are not afraid to ask questions.
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