Women’s Finance Insight Programme: Truly fascinating, excellent platform, amazing hosts - check it out
12-04-2023 13:26
(WFIP #3) More than halfway through our Nordea Women’s Finance Insight Programme, it’s time to catch up with our dedicated bloggers: Iida, Mina, Pernille Marie and Emelie. Tag along and see what they’ve been up to during the recent four sessions; see what’s been “truly fascinating”, hear about “amazing hosts”, “impressive ESG commitment”, and what makes the programme “valuable and interesting” and an “excellent platform”.
Mina, Iida, Pernille Marie and Emelie are among the around 50 ambitious students who are participating in this year’s Women’s Finance Insight Programme (WFIP), which runs annually during spring, across the four Nordic countries. When finalising the six weeks’ programme, the students will have been introduced to almost all units within Investment Banking & Equities (IB&E).
Now, let’s see who the students have met during the recent sessions – about the most interesting topics, the most challenging, and the biggest learnings and rewards.
Which units have you been introduced to – what have you been doing during the sessions?
Our third week's topic was Debt Capital Markets (DCM) and Leveraged Finance (LevFin). We went through different financing structures, processes, and credit analyses, as well as what workdays could look like in the Leverage Finance team. During the fourth session, we learned more about Equity Research and the interesting research process, from forecasting to the recommendation.
Learnings – any eye-openers, or surprises?
It was vastly interesting to hear about the various instruments the LevFin team offers its customers and how it works, especially with Private Equity companies. During the Equity Research session, we learned about multiples-based valuation, and it was truly fascinating to see graphs that show how investment recommendations significantly affect the market.
What did you find the most interesting - and the most challenging?
During both sessions, we went through interesting cases. In the LevFin session, we looked at key credit ratios that provide insights into how different ratios are used in various industries. In the Equity Research case, we analysed a recently made company results report. The case was challenging but practical and really helped to understand what the team does.
Has your perception of a career in finance changed since you joined the programme?
Learning more about investment banking has undoubtedly increased my interest in the industry. Each session and each team has been fascinating, and I am amazed by how versatile the tasks are within and across teams. Collaboration and working with a wide range of people, companies, and industries really inspire me!
Each session and each team has been fascinating, and I am amazed by how versatile the tasks are.
What do you think about the social aspect, the atmosphere, networking?
I love how small our group of participants is. It creates a relaxed atmosphere and allows us to get to know each other better. Small-group discussions and cases during the sessions have been great moments to learn together. In addition, our programme hosts have been amazing and have made this programme valuable and interesting.
What do you look forward to in the next sessions?
Our last official session's subject is Sustainable Finance Advisory (SFA), and I am excited about it because sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the financial sector, and even though, it has not been covered enough in school. I am also looking forward to talking with all our speakers during the closing dinner after the official meetings.
During the first four sessions, we were introduced to several units, including DCM, Syndicate, Debt Solutions & Structuring (DSS), SFA, ECM and M&A. In these sessions, we learned about the different services offered by Nordea and how these services are interlinked. We also engaged in hands-on, case-cracking exercises alongside seasoned teams. This practical approach allowed us to apply our newly acquired knowledge in a real-world context.
Any new learnings - eyeopeners, surprises?
Throughout the programme, I have significantly expanded my financial vocabulary, which has enhanced my understanding of complex financial concepts. One of the eye-opening aspects was delving into the private side of banking, where I gained a deeper comprehension of its inner workings, including the role of the ethical wall in maintaining confidentiality and ensuring compliance.
Nordea's commitment to green banking and sustainable finance is impressive. It was great to observe how the bank seamlessly integrates ESG principles into its operations, demonstrating a genuine dedication to fostering sustainability within the financial sector.
What did you find the most interesting - the most challenging?
The case-cracking exercises stood out as both the most engaging and challenging part of the programme. We tackled various cases by considering and comparing numerous key metrics, which required us to explore different valuation methods and funding options. This hands-on approach enabled us to apply our learning in a practical context, collaborate in groups, and present our findings while justifying our recommendations.
Challenging, yet highly enganging and educational case cracking at Nordea HQ in Copenhagen.
The programme has served to further fuel my aspirations and goals.
Has your perception of a career in finance changed?
I am impressed by the broad range of services offered by Nordea, and how the bank integrates ESG into its work. The focus on green banking was particularly impressive, demonstrating how banking can make a positive impact in the world. The programme has served to further fuel my aspirations and goals.
What do you think about the social aspect of the programme?
The social dimension was highly rewarding. The atmosphere was laid-back, fostering open dialogue and encouraging participants to ask questions during the sessions. This atmosphere provided an excellent platform for networking and engaging with professionals from Nordea's IB&E divisions. I enjoyed learning from their experiences and expanding my professional network.
What do you look forward to in the next sessions?
I am looking forward to the Equity Sales & Research session, which covers a comprehensive range of various topics. The session will provide in-depth insights into Nordea's research processes and their role in supporting various aspects of equity sales, enhancing our understanding of the bank's operations. Additionally, I am excited about the final dinner, as it will be an excellent opportunity to catch up and reconnect in a more relaxed and social setting with the employees we met during the programme.
I’ve learnt a lot more about how to approach cases, and what to keep in mind. It has also been great to see how the divisions interlink and collaborate with each other.
What did you find the most interesting - and most challenging?
I really enjoyed the sustainable finance case. This is because I did not quite know what they do in this division, and found it very interesting. Some questions or tasks were more difficult, but the representatives helped us along the way.
Has your perception of a career in finance changed since you joined the?
It has been great to see how many opportunities there are in the industry. I have a much better understanding of how tasks are approached and/or solved. In addition, I now know what the different divisions do, both how they are similar and how they differ.
What do you look forward to in the next sessions?
Now, we only have the final dinner in Oslo. It will be nice to meet the others again, as well as meeting representatives from Nordea.
Entering this programme, I was most familiar with equity, not so much about other financing alternatives like debt. Therefore, I found the session with LevFin to be very interesting, as I had no previous knowledge about what they did.
What did you find the most interesting – the most challenging?
I found the Equity Research case session very interesting. It was challenging to solve a case in such a short time, but it gave me a lot of knowledge and insights into what to look at when analysing a stock.
Have your perception of a career in finance changed since you joined the?
I have gained a more broad perspective of all the opportunities within finance after the sessions. Now, I actually feel I’ve found the area in banking which I am interested in pursuing.
Now, I actually feel I’ve found the area in banking which I’m interested in pursuing.
Introduction to Leveraged Finance at Nordea HQ in Stockholm.
What do you think about the social aspect, the atmosphere, networking?
The programme is structured in a very convenient way. First, it is more of a general presentation of the different divisions, followed by case cracking together with representatives from the team. It really provides a great opportunity to network with people in the different divisions, and ask them about their job and what it entails. It is also a great opportunity to get to know the other participants on a more personal level.
What do you look forward to in the last session?
Now that I know more about all the different units, I look forward to asking more specific questions about the daily job and the opportunities at Nordea. I also look forward to meeting everyone over dinner and networking further.
Stay tuned for the final blog in this year’s WFIP series, covering the final session with closing dinner, and sum-up of learnings, gains and impressions of the programme.
“Our aim with the programme is to equip the students with insight, skills and confidence, inspiring them to pursue a career in finance. As in previous years, this time round we’ve once again experienced high engagement and great feedback from the participants. It’s a win-win, we learn and enjoy the sessions as much as our the students.Through this programme, we do not only offer a platform for education and mentoring, but it’s also an opportunity for female talents to establish their own professional network – and jumpstart their career within finance,” says Lisa Andersson, Management Partner in Investment Banking & Equities and coordinator of the programme coordinator.
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