At Varick, we believe that exceptional quantitative talent is not built overnight. It is cultivated through years of curiosity, rigorous problem-solving, and the right environment to thrive. That conviction is at the heart of our partnership with the Nederlandse Wiskunde Olympiade, the premier national mathematics competition for secondary school students in the Netherlands.
Each year, the Olympiad challenges thousands of students across more than 300 schools to push the boundaries of their mathematical reasoning. From a first round that tests creativity and insight, the competition progressively identifies the country's most talented young minds through regional rounds and a national final. Its top performers go on to represent the Netherlands at the International Mathematical Olympiad and the European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad — returning with medals and, more importantly, an enduring passion for the discipline.
As part of our sponsorship, we had the privilege of welcoming a group of Olympiad students to our office for a day of collaborative problem-solving and practice. The intellectual energy these young mathematicians brought into our workspace was remarkable.
The students spent the day working through challenging problem sets, exchanging ideas with members of our research and quantitative teams and gaining a first-hand perspective on how advanced mathematics is applied in the world of systematic investing. Our team, in turn, was struck by the creativity and determination these students bring to every problem they tackle.
Our team and students from the Nederlandse Wiskunde Olympiade during a day of problem-solving, conversation and shared meals at Varick.
We were delighted to host the group for both lunch and dinner, creating space for more informal conversations about mathematics, about career paths in quantitative finance and about the shared passion for analytical thinking that connects our firm to this extraordinary community of young scholars.
The competition rewards creative thinking, deep mathematical insight and the ability to construct elegant solutions to complex problems — precisely the qualities we value in our own work every day.
Our firm was founded on the principle that disciplined, quantitative thinking creates durable value. The Nederlandse Wiskunde Olympiade embodies that same principle at its most foundational level, identifying and nurturing young people whose analytical abilities will shape the future of science, technology and finance.
By supporting this programme, we aim to contribute to an ecosystem that gives the brightest young minds the resources, encouragement, and exposure they need to reach their full potential. Whether these students ultimately pursue careers in academia, technology, or the financial industry, the rigorous problem-solving skills they develop through the Olympiad will serve them and society for decades to come.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Nederlandse Wiskunde Olympiade and to welcoming future cohorts of students to our office.
To learn more about the Nederlandse Wiskunde Olympiade and the talented students it supports, visit wiskundeolympiade.nl