Amine Chkili

 Being able to interact with, and ask for advice from people that held senior positions in top financial institutions helped make me more confident in my professional choices 

After my Engineering Degree in Applied Mathematics, I was aspiring to join the trading floor of an international banking institution. So, naturally, I applied to HEC Paris for the MSc in International Finance as it’s the most prestigious and far-reaching Business School in Europe, in order to improve my academic profile and get a better understanding of the financial world that I wanted to get into.

After joining the MSc, I had the opportunity to attend high-level classes given by renowned teachers as well as high level professionals that held senior positions in prestigious institutions. The content was not only complimentary to my initial degree but also covered a broad spectrum of financial subjects, allowing me to gain in both knowledge and confidence. On top of the classic theory courses, many classes were very much oriented towards the problematics which an individual could face on a day-to-day basis in major financial services companies. It allowed me be better prepared for the various hiring processes of companies I was willing to join. Also, being able to interact with, and ask for advice from people that held senior positions in top financial institutions helped make me more confident in my professional choices.

On the networking side, the HEC career fair is a great opportunity on campus to meet HR departments and professionals representing the most prestigious companies. It was at this specific event, that I met the person from HSBC who later hired me, and I am still working for that same company to this day.  

I started as an intern on the flow and light exotic single stocks trading desk on the equity division in Paris just after I finished my MSc program in 2007. I was then hired as an associate in the London office as a junior trader. Since then I have been gaining experience and exposure, working on different sectors and products. I am today a Director in charge of the financial sector on both single stocks and sectorial indices. My role, amongst other things, involves pricing, risk management, IT system enhancement and franchise development.