Toxic management - Developer Optiver Employee Review

1.0
Jan 7, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company will throw money and benefits at you with one hand...

Cons

Very poor lower and middle management in IT. Team managers do nothing to support or build up the people they own. They dominate over every decision then use them to scapegoat their own failures. Every thought and action is aimed at their next review and promotion. There is no attempt to shield engineers from management games. Managers are inexperienced technically in the field they are assigned to lead and have no management experience outside of what they pick up from their time at Optiver which teaches only confidence and personal review padding above all and at all costs. They are unable to utilise their people, and chose to dominate over them instead, leading to poor outcomes capped by their own outdated or non-existent abilities. Optiver spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year trying to keep people happy, yet they did so poorly at best places to work survey they pulled out and no longer participate. If they stopped paying the bonuses no-one would turn up the next day other than the management who would not get a job anywhere else. The people are great, but overall the effect of the toxic management will leave you looking back at your time at Optiver as the worst experience of your career. Make your money and get out before you absorb anything from this environment. Johann Kaemingk, IT management at Optiver APAC are screwing you, handing high paying jobs to their friends who have no ability to do they work and are a drag on the company. Review the management team and their qualifications for the positions they hold. Being around for a long time is not a qualification.

Explore other reviews about Optiver

5.0
Feb 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

worked on a lot of different areas of the trading stack; often close with researchers learned about technical components for data driven trading saw my impact day to day

Cons

constant office renovations were a bit distracting, but was told it should be done in 2026

3.0
May 21, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good compensation, collaborative environment. Company also seems to aim to be at forefront of new tech such as AI

Cons

When HR mgmt is on record stating things like the company shouldn’t hire females anymore, it really makes you wonder how they make decisions on who should fill management positions

1
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All