#WEAREHEC: Meet Bernie Cloutier, MiM Double Degree Student

An aspiring entrepreneur and Fintech fan, find out about Master in Management HEC-TUM student Bernie Cloutier's background and aspirations.

His story

My name is Bernie and I come from Canada. My background is originally in software engineering. Before starting at HEC, I have worked as a software developer, a program manager, and a consultant. I have an interest in Fintech and HEC was a great place to learn more about finance.

His studies

I was looking for a master’s program that offered a solid foundation in business along with an international perspective. Most importantly, I wanted to connect with start-ups from around Europe. The HEC Dual-degree program with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) met all the criteria I was looking for. The first year gave me the necessary skills to navigate the business and legal setting of launching your own company, and I was able to learn more about the financing process behind start-ups. The second year at TUM will give us hands-on experience in building a team and a project through pitching the ideas to investors. But beyond the classroom, the hearts and minds I met at HEC and TUM are what made the difference in my time in the program. Everyone here has an entrepreneurial mindset, or the drive to elevate themselves and achieve their dreams. It is a very powerful setting to find yourself in and to grow.

His career

I would like to build my own company and work as a teacher or professor.

His values

I am motivated by many things, but learning is a big part of what gets me going. I believe in the value of knowledge sharing and education. During my undergraduate degree, I have worked to build an association that organizes hackathons and whose core mission was to empower people to grow through education in technology. I have also taken time to give workshops near my hometown and teach basic technology skills to kids in elementary school. I also like to contribute to open-source projects, and I believe that access to free and well-designed tools in technology is crucial to the fair development of the internet.

His hobbies

In my spare time, I love to run and train for marathons. I believe that setting oneself physical goals along with career or intellectual ones helps keep the mind and the body in sync. I enjoy going on fishing expeditions in both summer and winter. I am an avid reader and I love writing from time to time. I am fascinated by the field of study at the intersection of finance and technology, and by how new customer-centric financial institutions, improve the everyday lives of people, through accessible loans, investments, and low fee banking. I am very excited to see a new generation of investors invest in companies that shape the world for the better. In terms of a personal project, I grow ornamental gourds during the Fall season. Sometimes watermelons when the climate allows for it. Growing gourds is an exciting activity, due to the versatile nature of the many fruits that exist within the Cucurbitaceae plant family.