Director Spotlight

Morgan Stanley Director from Bocconi

A premiere conversation on building an EMEA capital markets career, managing cross-border mandates, and mentoring the next analyst class.

• Chronicles the path from Bocconi lecture halls to London director seats with rotations through Milan and Zurich.
• Breaks down how directors quarterback IPOs, sovereign deals, and liability management exercises without losing client trust.
• Shares practical prep tips for analysts: owning models, travelling for deal roadshows, and using mentors to pace promotions.

Career Transition

From bulge bracket banking to strategic finance

Candid insights on navigating long hours, knowing when to pivot, and building a fulfilling career beyond the traditional IB-to-PE track.

• Journey from Bocconi internships at Credit Suisse through spring weeks to a full-time bulge bracket offer.
• Real talk on 19–20 hour days and how the grind shifts from internship novelty to full-time reality.
• Why aligning career moves with personal wellbeing matters—and when it is time to explore new paths.

MBB Insights

Inside management consulting: from MBB to career growth

A deep dive into what management consulting really looks like—from strategy work with top executives to the competitive landscape of MBB firms and beyond.

• What consultants actually do: strategy development, financial assessments, and working alongside C-suite to tailor solutions.
• MBB vs. other firms—how to weigh prestige, work-life balance, culture, and long-term exit opportunities.
• Cracking case interviews: practice formats, genuine curiosity, and standing out in a rigorous recruitment process.

PE Fundamentals

Demystifying private equity: structure, compensation, and breaking in

A comprehensive look at what PE really is—from fund structures and the 2-and-20 model to why the career suits analytical, introspective candidates.

• What PE involves: investing in non-public companies, from billion-dollar funds to niche emerging-market specialists.
• PE vs. banking—different work styles, compensation trajectories, and why introverted deep-divers often thrive on the buy side.
• Breaking in without a standard path: proactive outreach, thorough research, and building genuine interest in target firms.

Research to Startup

From equity research to health tech: a non-linear career path

How one analyst leveraged finance skills to pivot into a startup, plus insights on the daily grind of equity research and breaking in without an Oxbridge pedigree.

• Inside equity research: early morning pitches, deep data dives, and distilling complex analysis into compelling client narratives.
• Alternative pathways into finance—using Bloomberg for networking, learning Python, and proving determination over pedigree.
• Transferable skills that travel: fundraising, strategic ops, and why resilience and self-belief open unexpected doors.

Unconventional Path

From pro golf to hedge funds: an unconventional trading career

A journey from Brunei to quantitative finance in Zurich, hedge fund trading in London, seven years at UBS, and building a quant startup—proving adaptability is the ultimate edge.

• Breaking in unconventionally: a finance blog caught a hedge fund's attention and landed a job offer before graduation.
• Building absolute return strategies for European government bonds, then transitioning through equity long-short tech funds to UBS leadership.
• Applying trading floor skills to entrepreneurship—quant models for FX and index futures, plus real estate private equity ventures.