Matteo Khan Chagnon

Before discovering this program, I was not familiar with summer courses, but now I am convinced that this format is great to dive into a subject, make new connections, and have a taste of a school.

Sustainability is not an option, but the solution for a healthy, and effective economy. The Sustainable Finance & Investment course at HEC Paris allowed me to achieve a deeper understanding of this essential issue and how it connects to the way we globally operate in the financial sector. My teachers, classmates, and the guest speakers inspired me to build a better future by thinking and acting more sustainably in the financial sphere and in my personal life.

I am passionate about politics and economics, which I am currently studying in Paris. Unfortunately, during the general finance courses at university, I haven't had the chance to learn about sustainable finance. I knew I wanted to gain an in-depth understanding on this key issue, and improve my financial knowledge, in order to prepare myself for a master's degree in finance, which is why I seized this opportunity.

After graduating and gaining a few years of experience, I would like to move into private equity or venture capital, which are areas I'm passionate about. My goal is to establish myself in finance and transition back into politics later in my career. I chose this summer program as I am convinced that studying sustainable finance will be useful to me, whether in my career in finance or in politics, as the issues raised are global and common to all sectors. 

During my time at HEC, my classmates and I benefited from the expertise of Professor Layal Nabhan, who has over twenty years of experience in the financial sector, specializing in corporate and investment banking. Her lessons enabled us to engage in deeper dialogue with the guest speakers who work in diverse structures that combine finance and sustainability. Learning from their careers inspired me to think about the sustainable aspects of the future of finance and business in general. 

The most challenging part of the program for me was definitely the final group project. I have always preferred to work on my own, but this project helped me open up and learn to delegate some of the tasks. The group project allowed me to build my network in a more structured setting as well. As we built on each other’s different backgrounds and strengths to create new ways of problem solving, thinking, and empathizing, we came with greater results as a group than individually. I was very pleased to be able to take part in this experience with such an inspiring group of students, both inside and outside the classroom.
 
I came to HEC Paris with the aim to learn more about sustainable development and the ways it can be applied to finance, and I am proud to say that I left with polished personal and advanced technical skills equally. I also had the chance to attend an on-site information session about the master and MBA programs offered at the school, which was extremely helpful for planning my next step. I'm incredibly grateful for this international learning experience at HEC, which allowed me to learn more about myself. 
 

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