swapskills.com

What It Is

Swapskills is a financial markets consulting and training company founded by Simon Rogers in 2002. Based on the available text, it currently delivers full-time training in financial products and derivatives from Dubai. It is not a standardized online course platform for the general public; it is closer to a specialist training provider serving financial institutions, regulators, and corporate clients. Simon was previously an accredited trainer for the ACI Dealing Certificate, but the page clearly states that he stopped delivering classroom training for that course in 2024.

Core Courses and Instructors

Judging from the content, its training focuses on financial markets, fixed income derivatives, foreign exchange-related products, credit derivatives, commodities, interest rates, and structured products. The course design emphasizes “identifying opportunities” and applying knowledge in practice, while downplaying purely mathematical or academic approaches. This makes it suitable for institutional learners who want to turn an understanding of financial products into business practice. The instructor profile is its strongest selling point: Simon has held derivatives marketing, structuring, and sales management roles at institutions such as ABN AMRO, CIBC World Markets, and HSBC Markets, and has extensive experience in both internal and external training. Courses also use current Bloomberg market rates and market conditions, alongside interaction, exercises, and case studies.

Pricing and Delivery

The page does not disclose pricing, registration methods, course duration, public course schedules, or whether the training is delivered live, on demand, in person, or as 1-on-1 customization. Since its clients include major investment banks, commercial banks, government bodies, regulators, and corporate entities, it appears to lean more toward customized institutional training, although this is not directly confirmed in the text. Before purchasing, prospective clients should confirm the syllabus, delivery location, participant numbers, fees, and whether post-course materials are provided by email or phone.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths are a strong instructor background, market-relevant course content, and coverage of multiple roles including markets staff, relationship managers, credit teams, HR, and private banking—not just traders. For teams that need to understand the commercial application of derivatives, its case-based approach and use of real-time market data can be valuable. The drawbacks are also clear: the website provides limited public information and lacks a systematic course catalogue, sample lessons, learner reviews, certificate details, and transparent pricing. In addition, classroom training related to the ACI course has been discontinued; if your goal is exam certification, you should confirm whether any tutoring or alternative arrangements are still available.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is better suited to internal training for financial institutions, corporate treasury or risk management teams, regulators or government departments, and professionals who need to understand financial markets from a business perspective. It is less suitable for individual learners looking for low-cost self-paced recorded courses, a clearly defined certification path, or Chinese-language instruction. The text does not provide enough information to judge access from China, and neither network access nor payment methods are disclosed. If access or payment is restricted, alternatives could include ACI FMA-related training, CFA Institute courses, Bloomberg Market Concepts, or domestic Chinese training providers focused on financial derivatives and fixed income.