Inspire to engage
“Your career will be one filled with success, humbling moments and one where you will ask whether you are doing the right thing. Don’t become arrogant, learn from others and stay curious…” said Olivier Delay, CEO Natixis Americas.
Inspiring words are often those which give us that push along the pathway towards success. Sometimes, they help us make significant decisions and give us a sense of purpose on the way. We are living through a difficult period where being inspired is perhaps even more important.
This is just one of the many reasons why Financial Economics (FE) Track has organized this series of webinars. Professor Laurent Deville, FE track’s director, sees them as being the opportunity to not only discover financial themes mastered in class but also an opportunity to go beyond the curriculum and explore the real potential of a career in finance from professionals who have made it to the top themselves.
Since the beginning of the academic year, 2020/2021 FE Track has hosted a series of high achievers such as Christophe Babule (Executive Vice-President and CFO L’Oréal), Ana De Pro (CFO Amadeus IT Group), and most recently Olivier Delay, CEO Natixis Americas. They have covered a wide range of subjects as diverse as sustainable finance and crisis management. Students have had the opportunity to have an open dialogue with them through the webinar chat and student panel maximizing their experience with these exceptional professionals.
The speakers all come from diverse business organizations based in France, Spain, the USA, and this month our speaker is from the UK. Diversity is the aim. They, however, share a key common element; the importance of cultural diversity within the work context in this globalized world.
While it is true that we can learn a wealth of knowledge from the expertise of our dedicated EDHEC professors and of course from the hard study of books, we also learn from life. Perhaps the most difficult lessons in our career are life lessons. Indeed, it is sometimes these lessons that lead us later to bloom in our careers and help us make it to the top.
The wise eyes of our FE Track speakers certainly bring the financial industry to life and they give a real insight into the bright future which lies ahead. A difficult year maybe, but the message is loud and clear: working in the financial industry is stimulating. It is undoubtedly a fast-moving environment with much to offer. There is a panoply of possibilities for a long and varied career and getting to the top of the game is tangible. Indeed, it is wide open and although there is no one recipe for success, the unique combination of hard work and a balance of academic and life learning are amongst the fundamentals towards achieving an exceptional career.
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