It has been less than a month since the start of the semester, yet the course has already proven to be one of the most fascinating and appealing I've ever encountered in my studies at SIPA. Two features of the course that make it so special are the close working relationship with my fellow classmates and team members, and the hands- on experience with an external client.
The most enjoyable part of the course for me was getting to know my teammates and classmates. I was fortunate to be on the same project as three remarkable students from different backgrounds and with different interests. Each one of us was very dedicated to providing our client with great results. Our team was extremely diverse, one of us had around two decades of experience and was a partner in an investment management firm, another was a founder of their own business, and the other had extensive involvement in sustainability with multilaterals, while I tried to contribute with my knowledge in development finance and equity valuation. Interacting with them and getting to know them better was truly exciting. Additionally, we had a lot of conversations with all the other students in class. I was surprised to find that I was studying with people from all kinds of different backgrounds. We discussed our needs with fellow classmates and this has been truly remarkable networking experience as well.
The other intriguing part of the course was dealing with a real client and hearing what their needs were. This course is designed to replicate a genuine consulting project. Our client wanted to know how their portfolio companies could diversify their risks and what role could the firm play to help those companies. They introduced a new approach towards analyzing businesses with global operations. Since those companies have presence globally, they face systemic risks, including environment-related risks, which could negatively affect their operations in the future. This was the first time I had heard this kind of approach from an investment management firm. We had to join forces to come up with creative solutions for our client's requirements. This was a great opportunity for me to hone my teamwork skills and learn from the perspectives of my peers. We hope to continue with the same drive and ultimately deliver the client a great outcome.