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At Cadiz, we believe the right strategy is everything. From our design of investment instruments and solutions to the people we attract, develop and retain.

To evolve the right strategies across a range of often complex and shifting conditions, we encourage an inventive but disciplined approach and smart, creative problem-solving. Our culture of innovation keeps us thinking ahead and pushing harder to achieve ever higher standards of excellence. It allows us to skilfully navigate risk while consistently delivering superior results. For 13 successive years we have been rated the top derivatives dealing, risk management and quantitative analysis team in South Africa by Financial Mail. We are also consistently ranked as a preferred financial services employer, securing Deloitte's "Best Company to Work For" (in Financial Services) for two consecutive years.

A tightly managed company that is niched between the large corporates and small-scale boutique operations, we have built our reputation upon rigorous and leading-edge research, our flexibility in being able to maximise opportunities, our introspection that urges us to keep finding better solutions and the stability of our core team of specialists, many of whom have been with Cadiz since its inception in 1993. Their commitment and tenacity to remain focused on the long-term goals, irrespective of the vagaries of the market, are central to our success.

In everything we do, we strive to create value and it is this attitude that challenges us to extend our horizons. We are restless perfectionists, continually exploring ways to enhance our performance but always with a principled sense of accountability. Our hedge fund managers, for example, are required to invest in the funds they run.

Ours is a culture that demands and rewards independent thinking and self-management and how much you develop and advance, ultimately depends on you. We will always find a way to acknowledge the exceptional with performance-related incentives, whether monetary or involving more flexible working arrangements to accommodate individual needs. At the same time, we are highly team-focused, recognising that our collective skills and resources ensure a sum that is greater than its parts.

We may be highly driven but we also believe in maintaining a sense of balance. That is why we encourage every member of the Cadiz team to develop themselves beyond the confines of the workplace to enrich their experience of life and realise their full potential. We want people to be themselves and bring their passions with them. This is an environment where people can and do achieve more than they ever dreamed possible.

We provide an exciting, stimulating, challenging but also enabling workplace with ample support structures in place to help. Our flat lines of reporting and open-door policy mean top management is always accessible to the team. We also operate on a participative basis wherever possible. Our staff provident fund, for instance, gives members a say in how their money is invested and they can select the risk exposure to match their profile.

We have also tried to narrow the gap between work and home, encouraging people to express their individuality in the workplace and by promoting a healthy and active lifestyle to let them perform at their peak. We also know that by fostering a stable personal environment, staff can deliver of their best at work, which is why we place great value in family and try to be as family-inclusive as possible in our corporate events.

Our sense of responsibility is sound, strong and consistent, and from colleagues and their families it extends to the broader geo-physical and social environment in which we function. The Cadiz Foundation supports education, welfare and skills transfer projects with a focus on uplifting children from disadvantaged communities by providing them with skilled educators and carers. Funds are also allocated to sustainable garden initiatives and housing. Notable partnerships include Habitat for Humanity and Greater Good SA.

While our business activities may have a low impact on the environment, we nevertheless acknowledge that we have a role to play in promoting environmental sustainability, so we continue to explore ways to address environmental risk and heighten awareness of sustainability amongst stakeholders. Our eco-office programme is focused on reducing paper communications, on recycling and energy efficiency and we favour suppliers who demonstrate environmental awareness.