CAMÉLIA ESSID

Secondly, since I have always been internationally oriented, I was drawn to the international exposure that the programme provides through both work experience and academic exchanges in other countries, paving the way to a professional career outside of France.

Finally, the programme offers a wide array of sector- and career-specific specialisations, allowing students to tailor their experience with their personal interests and professional objectives, as well as to start building a sound business and commercial awareness from day one. I believe that these elements contribute greatly to the world-class education delivered by EDHEC Business School and for which it is renowned.

CONFIRMING AN ENTRENCHED VOCATION

I have spent the best part of my life searching for concrete ways to reconcile my paired passions for both finance and sustainable development. It was eventually during the course of my undergraduate journey at EDHEC Business School that I first familiarised myself with sustainable finance, when I was able to exchange views on the latter with one of the researchers at EDHEC-Risk Institute.

It was during my second-year internship that I finally made my actual first step in the sustainable finance space, when I undertook a three-month internship at Starsupply Renewables in Geneva in 2017 where my work concentrated on identifying new brokerage opportunities and designing innovative investment solutions and products in order for the company to become more involved in the renewable energy space while expanding and diversifying its current activities.

I then moved on to complete an academic exchange at Aarhus University in Denmark, a trailblazer in the field, with the specific aim of focusing on sustainable finance and renewable energy, studying courses such as Renewable Energy Markets, Energy Project Finance, Natural Resources & Environmental Economics, as well as Behavioural Finance and Sustainability.

Following these first two fruitful experiences, I naturally specialised in Finance in my third year, with a major in Asset Management & Investment Banking, to further develop my financial expertise, allowing me to combine a strong and comprehensive foundation in finance with my existing experience in the area of sustainable finance and clean energy in order to enhance my career opportunities.

Then, in 2018, I was responsible for sourcing and analysing investment opportunities in the renewable energy infrastructure asset class for institutional clients with a country focus on France for Goodyields Capital, a fund manager based in Munich.

I finally undertook a six-month work placement in the Climate Funds & Platforms practice at South Pole in Zurich, an environmental consultancy firm, advising clients on climate finance-related endeavours, also dedicating my thesis to the implementation of a financial scheme supporting early-stage cleantech start-ups across the Southeast Asian region.

Over the four-year programme, EDHEC Business School not only allowed me to gain the necessary theoretical and practical understandings and skills for a career in the sustainable financial sector, but most importantly represented a real stepping stone for my academic journey as I am currently studying an MSc in Climate Change, Management & Finance at Imperial College London.

THE MAKINGS OF AN IMPACTFUL CAREER

I have decided to dedicate my career to improving the current climate situation and preparing the way for future generations to continue the effort. Through tracing a path towards the sustainable finance sector at the international level, with a particular attraction for clean energy and technology, I intend to help change investment attitudes in order to make an impact at my own level.

In the short-term, I aim to work in the field of green infrastructure investment acquiring energy-related projects in the renewable energy, energy storage or clean transportation sectors in order to accompany the development of a more resilient and sustainable economy.

My long-term career path would involve collaborating with governmental bodies and international institutions on strengthening the green finance regulatory framework, as it is such instrumental organisations that will have one of the biggest reaches to achieve a large-scale paradigm shift. I believe that it is important to gain a profound understanding of the industry before entering the policy-side.

TIME TO ACT

I have been privileged to experience first-hand the teaching excellence displayed by professors and lecturers at EDHEC Business School. Not only does the institution benefit from internationally renowned expertise in finance, but it also ensures that the different programmes offered are continually adapted to evolutions in the market. As such, EDHEC rapidly witnessed the need to tackle climate change from both a business and investment perspective and is accordingly developing a new range of programmes tailored to societal changes.

EDHEC’s finance discipline is also recognised through its EDHEC-Risk Institute and Scientific Beta activities that are respectively at the forefront of their fields in investment solutions for institutions and individuals, and smart beta indices, including an Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and low-carbon offering, enabling research results to be transposed from academia to business. EDHEC is currently developing a pioneering research capability on integrating climate-related issues into investment decisions, the EDHEC Climate Finance Conference in Paris later this year being a good example of their dedicated research and outreach initiatives.

If you want to contribute to developing and encouraging a shift towards a more sustainable global economy while building a successful and rewarding career at the same time, joining the EDHEC family at this historical moment for sustainable finance represents an exciting opportunity!

Find Camélia on LinkedIn