We spoke with International Master in Finance graduate Lorenzo Giacomelli about his experience in wealth management and his studies at EADA. Lorenzo holds a bachelor’s in Economics and Business from his home country of Italy.
He participated in EADA’s Double Degree Programme and completed a second master’s at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in 2021, while working at Banca Patrimoni Sella & C.
Tell us a bit about your current internship at Banca Patrimoni Sella & C. What are your main responsibilities?
My experience at Banca Patrimoni Sella & C. so far has been magnificent. Thanks to a very prepared team and colleagues who are willing to help me, I have been able to immerse myself in this context from the first moment. I immediately had the opportunity to participate and carry out several operations on my own for bond desks, for the equity part and especially for investment funds. Being able to participate in our weekly online meetings about the current situation of the market and the weekly trends definitely helps me a lot.
What drew you to wealth management after graduation?
I have always had a great passion for financial markets. Being able to combine my passion for this branch of finance and help people to grow financially with their investments is the right combination for me. The work is extremely satisfying and, at the same time, I can be financially independent. I must certainly thank Professor Alejandro Alcaraz very much for familiarising me with wealth management in his class.
My time at EADA was essential for my personal development. Not only for what I was taught at an instructive level, but especially for all of the soft skills that I developed during the year.
What is the most challenging part of your current position? And the most rewarding?
At the moment, the most challenging part of my job is being ready to work in multiple environments at the same time, being under pressure given the “never stop” of the markets and learning from what I am doing at the same time. Balancing my work and personal life in the online mode is also quite demanding and it requires good organisational skills.
How do you see the wealth management industry evolving over the next few years?
I think that wealth management will play an increasingly important role. Today, it is practically impossible to manage your savings without having extensive knowledge about financial markets and, above all, experience in the world of markets, which have demonstrated their total unpredictability this year.
How do you use what you learned at EADA in your current position?
My time at EADA was essential for my personal development. Not only for what I was taught at an instructive level, but especially for all of the soft skills that I developed during the year (special thanks to the modules in the Residential Training Centre). The leadership training allowed me to enter today’s new reality on the right foot from the very first moment.
How important are soft skills in your position?
Nowadays, I believe that soft skills are indispensable in the world of work. Being able to understand other people’s point of view, work in a team made up of colleagues with different backgrounds and reach the same conclusion with excellent results is of great importance and crucial to success.
I recommend getting some experience in the wealth mangement sector in order to understand which specific branch of wealth management is most interest interesting for you: Equity, Fund, Corporate or Bond.
What advice would you give to students interested in getting into wealth management?
Get some experience in the sector immediately in order to understand which specific branch of wealth management is most interest interesting to them: Equity, Fund, Corporate or Bond. They also have to take in consideration that in order to create their own career, they will have to make a lot of sacrifices and work long hours.
You participated in EADA’s Double Degree programme. What was your biggest takeaway from this experience?
My biggest takeaway was being able to immerse myself in yet another learning context. Studying with my colleagues from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management while working for Banca Patrimoni Sella & C. definitely taught me how to manage working and studying while taking a further step in my personal knowledge and experience every day.
