Unique opportunity – Very valuable. Great kick-off of Women’s Finance Insight Programme
What a joy to once again welcome a new group of bright, ambitious talents to our Nordea Women’s Finance Insight Programme. They came brimming with curiosity and lots of questions, making the kick off sessions at our head offices in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Sweden, buzzing with great energy. A few weeks into the programme, the attendees have learned a lot and connected with professionals and other students, eager to explore the world of finance.
Linda Ågren, Head of Large Corporates & Institutions (LC&I) Sweden, introducing the curious attendees to LC&I, elaborating on our strong business offering and customer service, while sharing her own career journey in finance.
During the spring, the talents will dive into the work and career opportunities within Investment Banking & Equities and Markets, with every opportunity to network and learn from the best. During 5-7 afternoon sessions, they’ll work with real-life business cases, participate in workshops and prepare for future interviews within banking – and get a hands‑on feel for what a future career in finance might actually look like.
As always, we’ll be sharing highlights and personal reflections from their WFIP journey on this blog. We’ll follow different participants from each country in every blog: First up are Frida from Norway, Nardin from Denmark, and Klara from Sweden, who’ve just wrapped up their first two afternoon sessions. The Finnish programme starts later this spring, and we’ll introduce these participants and their experiences once they’re underway.
Now, let’s meet Frida, Nardin, and Klara, and hear about their impressions and discoveries, so far.
Frida Sagstuen, Norway
I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).
How did you come across the programme?
Nordea and Tryg Forsikring, where I work part-time, has had a longstanding partnership. This collaboration made me pay closer attention to the career opportunities Nordea offers. When I came across the Women’s Finance Insight Programme on LinkedIn, I was immediately motivated to apply. The programme stood out as a unique opportunity to gain an in-depth introduction to finance and banking, directly from experienced professionals.
What do you expect to gain from the programme?
I am looking forward to learning more about the different teams within Nordea Markets and Investment Banking & Equities, and how they operate on a day-to-day basis. While I was already interested in finance before starting the programme, the industry can be difficult to navigate in given the wide range of different roles and specialisations. After completing the programme, I expect to have a clearer understanding of which areas within finance I find most interesting, which will be valuable both when selecting courses for my master’s degree and when considering future career opportunities.
Learnings, so far?
The first two sessions focused on Equity Research and Leveraged Finance. In preparation, we worked with both DCF (discounted cash flow) and LBO (leveraged buyout) models to solve a case and address typical questions related to these areas. I found it particularly interesting to learn more about how assumptions about a company’s future growth are formed.
I really enjoy the opportunity to work on the case in advance and then discuss it with professionals during the sessions to hear how they approach the same task.
Did anything surprise you during the first session?
I was surprised by how few female analysts there are in Norway within Equity Research, which really highlighted the importance of programmes like this. I also learned that this analyst role involves much more than analysing numbers in Excel, and requires a strong focus on understanding companies and industries. Lastly, I was positively surprised by how collaborative the culture in the bank seems to be, both across teams and departments.
Nardin Yousefi, Denmark
I’m currently in the final semester of my Master’s degree in Applied Economics and Finance at Copenhagen Business School.
How did you come across the programme?
I learned about the programme through FinanceLab, a student organisation at CBS. When I read about the Women in Finance Insight Programme, it immediately stood out as a great opportunity to explore different career paths within finance and gain exposure to areas I might not otherwise encounter during my studies.
What do you expect to gain from the programme?
One of the main things, is a better understanding of what working in finance and banking actually looks like beyond job descriptions and titles. To me, the programme is very much about demystifying different roles, and learning what people really do day to day, what skills are important, and whether it feels like a good personal fit. I also really value getting insight into Nordea as an organisation, especially the people, the culture, and how teams collaborate across different functions.
Learnings, so far?
One thing I really appreciate is how the sessions allow us to experience aspects of the actual day-to-day work in different teams. During the Corporate Finance session, we did a small case on an accelerated bookbuild (ABB) process, which was particularly interesting since it’s not a transaction type that is often covered in detail during coursework. Working through a case on how the process is structured and executed, made it much more tangible
Lars Fischer, Co-head of Investment Banking & Equities, shedding light on the many different roles and wide range of career opportunities within Investment Banking and Nordea.
In another session, we participated in a mini trading game where we took on the roles of both a salesperson and a trader. It was fascinating to see how quickly we realised how crucial communication between the two roles is, and how fast-paced the decision-making process can be.
Did anything surprise you during the first two sessions?
What surprised me the most was how open, enthusiastic, and genuinely invested every Nordea person was in educating us. The employees encouraged questions of all kinds, and were very transparent both about what they enjoy about their roles and the challenges. That openness made the sessions feel very honest and approachable, and it really helped create a realistic picture of what working in these roles entails.
Klara Esselin, Sweden
I recently graduated from Uppsala University with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics. I am now planning to pursue a Master´s degree.
How did you come across the programme?
I was inspired to apply after hearing about it from a former colleague who attended the programme last year, and from one of my current colleagues who participated three years ago. She spoke very positively about it and described it as a great learning experience, which motivated me to apply. Joining a programme at a large and respected company like Nordea felt like a unique opportunity to explore different areas within Markets and Investment Banking. At the same time, I also look forward to connecting with other female students who aspire to build a career in finance.
What do you expect to gain from the programme?
I hope to acquire a deeper understanding of the various departments within finance, and discover which areas interest me the most. I expect to gain valuable knowledge and practical insight into finance, while also building strong professional and personal connections. Meeting other young women from all over Sweden and creating a supportive network is something I truly value. I hope and believe that we will continue to support each other throughout our careers.
Learnings, so far?
In the first session, we learned how to structure strong CVs and cover letters, as well as how to prepare for an Investment Banking interview. These recommendations felt valuable and something that I will carry with me going forward.
Valuable learning about how to structure strong CVs and prepare for job interviews.
We also got an overview of Nordea’s finance-related departments and interacted with employees from Corporate Finance, the Debt-side and Equity Research, which gave us insight into how they work.
During the second session, we met the Corporate Finance and Equity Capital Markets (ECM) teams who presented the IPO process and their daily work. We also worked on a case in smaller groups that focused on analysing a company’s business model, financial performance, market position, and growth opportunities.
Analysts in Corporate Finance, Johanna Baek, Julia Damgard and Associate, Tom Hagéus, talking about investment banking services, their jobs and career paths.
We got a glimpse into how Investment Banking approaches real-life transactions, how financial and strategic analysis is conducted, and how different factors influence valuation and decision-making. It gave us a practical understanding of how Corporate Finance and ECM teams work together in major deals and how theory is applied in practice.
Did anything surprise you during the first two sessions?
One thing that surprised me was how many different areas, departments, roles, and career paths, there are in finance – as well as a wide range of internship opportunities. I was also inspired by hearing experienced women at Nordea share their career journeys and educational backgrounds. It made me realize that everyone has a unique path, and that there are many different ways to build a career in finance. This was both motivating and inspiring to me.
Stay tuned for more insight and inspiration in the upcoming blogs where you’ll meet some of the other 60+ participants in this year’s Women’s Finance Insight Programme. Meanwhile, check out previous WFIP blogs or other career blogs featuring interns, students and graduates.
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Nordea Markets LC&I (Large Corporates & Institutions) is the leading international capital operator and investment banking partner in the Nordic region. Let some of our student interns, graduates as well as experienced professionals explain it to you; how it works, what we do, and about the many career opportunities we can offer you.
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