Alumni Perspectives

Working on the ‘”tomorrow-side “of finance

My team and I focus on what we call the “tomorrow-side” of the business. In the morning, I work with our offices and clients in Europe, where it is already afternoon, to get feedback from sales and clients and incorporate them in our products. In the afternoon, I work on my own projects, researching new strategies and how to improve frameworks for back-testing.

In my earlier position at Credit Suisse, my responsibilities included building back-testing systems. I liked the technical aspects of the work, but didn’t fully understand the time series modules and strategies I was working on. The work of the structurers intrigued me, and led me to explore MFE programs. Thanks to the Berkeley MFE, I have found my dream job.

Get the Best from a Business-Minded Program

Getting an MFE from a school of engineering would be like any other science degree. A Berkeley MFE has the added value of being in a business school. And while, the East Coast may be a bigger financial hub, the West Coast is where all of the interesting work is being done with data mining and fintech. Berkeley gives you the best of it all.

There are so many Berkeley MFEs working in finance by now. They generously share their experiences to give you insights into what one company or another is really like, from the inside. There are a number of Berkeley MFEs at Deutsche Bank, as there were also at Goldman. This gives you a ready-made community when you start work. And here in New York, it’s not unusual for 100 people to show up for Berkeley MFE Alumni networking events.

Learn on the Cutting-Edge

Electives like Asset-Backed Securities and Fixed Dynamic Asset Management really prepared me for my work at Deutsche. They were relevant, insightful, and practical.

The course in Machine Learning is on the cutting edge for finance. Having that knowledge really sets you apart in the job market and gives you an edge.

Professor Martin Lettau taught Statistics in Finance our first semester. I still rely on textbook from that course and the fundamental concepts he taught. I could not have had a better introduction to statistics.

Enjoy the Diversity and Collaboration

I appreciated the different experiences of my classmates. Many had worked in insurance, central banks, structured products or technology. When we all share our insights, we learn from each other.

The workload in the MFE program—just as in the real world—is so heavy that you have to work in teams to accomplish anything. Being part of a team opens you up to different perspectives and improves the end result.

Living in International House while in the program gave me a natural and very diverse community. And while I spent an enormous amount of time in the MFE Lab, not all of it was studying. That too, was a place to get to know classmates.

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