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Testimonial: Volker Schoon, MSc in Finance

Published on June 9, 2008

Volker Schoon, MSc in Finance Graduate

Volker Schoon
Undergraduate Institution: Manchester School of Management, UMIST (now Manchester Business School)

Current position: Sales-Engineer, Structured Investments and Flow Products, ODDO & Cie, ODDO Pinatton Group, Paris



After graduation from Manchester School of Management in 2002, I was looking for the ultimate springboard to start my career in global investment banking. Instead of going mainstream and remaining back in the UK, I decided to join the MSc in Finance programme at EDHEC Business School to sharpen my financial skills and gain valuable experience in France.

Although my course mates from the MSc made it literally from all six continents and the programme was delivered entirely in English, I learnt that global financial business can not go entirely without the European way. Studying in France helped me understand how French business culture works, and how French financial organisations succeed in a world where many people assume the Anglo-Saxon style to be way ahead of all others.

I value the Master of Science programme at EDHEC especially for its intensive learning experience and its practical orientation - I believe the course really strikes the right balance between theory and practice and equips its participants with the professional skills required for careers in the financial industry.

Moreover, I also found it extremely exciting to permanently interact not just with fellow MSc in Finance students but also to make friends with the MBA-candidates, the members of the other MSc programmes, and with the numerous French students from the Master in Management programme. This explains why although the aggregate work load of our modules was significant, the social part of being a student did surely not get missed out on.

At the end of the taught part of the programme, I found it very useful to tap the large alumni network of the school - EDHEC-graduates work in almost all major global financial companies - to find the most interesting place to start my career. It really accelerated the application process for me and as a result, it took me just a few weeks (and a whole set of interviews) to join Société Générale in Paris as a full-time Junior Sales manager/employee for Equity and Hedge Fund linked investment products on the Swiss Desk.

A year later, I joined the Paris-based private investment house ODDO & Cie to develop their structured investments business on interest rate derivatives and hedge fund-linked products in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

All in all, the reputation of EDHEC Business School, the status of the EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Centre in the Asset Management industry, and my academic and professional learning experiences from the Master of Science course have opened all the doors I have knocked on so far. In addition, I also achieved fluency in French and made friends for life while at EDHEC Business School.


Written by NIKKI HARLE
Date of update June 20, 2008

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