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Commodities Trader @Chigrl Talks FinTwit, Women and Trading

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Commodities Trader @Chigrl Talks FinTwit, Women and Trading

She’s been called an oil market Internet sensation. On any given day the commodities trader takes to Twitter to push out info on geopolitics and the impact crude oil prices. She engages with followers and trolls on everything from climate change to budgets to bitcoin breakouts. Tracy Shuchart, perhaps best known as @Chigrlis a major member of the fintwit community with more than 150,000 followers.

Tracy began her finance career in Chicago at the Chicago board of trade as a commodities trader and currently manages an energy and materials portfolio for a family office as well as providing insights for Hedge Fund Telemetry. Finance and trading are two areas where men considerably outnumber women. Progress is being made and DailyFX is highlighting that progress with a new series on Women Leaders Changing Finance. We’re also spotlighting hurdles. One area where women are making a mark is financial twitter, or #fintwit.

Commodities Trader @Chigrl Talks FinTwit, Women and Trading

Source: Hedge Fund Telemetry

To highlight Women Leaders Changing Finance DailyFX Strategist Peter Hanks (@PeterHanksFX) talked with Tracy about her experiences in the finance industry, her views on FinTwit, commodities trading, the energy and materials space given the current market climate. Here are some excerpts:

Q: How did you begin on Twitter and FinTwit?

A: I was working in Chicago as a commodities broker at the time and I just went on to check out the platform and that’s why my name is Chigrl, not something trading related. I had a few friends on Twitter that would know the news before the news was out and then I began tweeting about anything energy related really and, I don’t know, it just kind of organically happened. I remember when I had 100 followers and it just kind of grew from there and I started meeting people in the industry and my circle just grew over time.

Q: Do you think there are systematic barriers preventing women from joining the finance industry or commodities trading?

A: I think that’s changing. I haven’t ever worked for a big bank or anything like that so I can’t speak to their culture, but in my experience I think it is just a matter of women wanting to get into the industry and participate in the industry. I was on the floor on 2012 and there were a lot of women there and a lot of women that had been there quite a while. I kind of think it depends on what part of the industry you’re in. With the onset of computer trading and things like that, a lot of women can start their own business and the way that we trade has really opened the door to a lot of opportunity, not just for women but for anyone willing to take up the challenge.

Check out our video discussion for more insights from @Chigrl including her views on the current commodity craze and how traders can use Twitter to their advantage.

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