Mr. Fabian Baumgartner at the CFA Research Challenge GLOBAL FINAL!

Tom Hashimoto: Here, we have Mr. Fabian Baumgartner. Fabian is currently pursuing the double-degree (MSc Financial Economics at ISM and Finance at BI Norwegian Business School), and with BI, he participated CFA (chartered financial analyst) Research Challenge this year. His team made it to the global final! Congratulations!

So, Fabian, how do you describe your experience in the competition (especially, when you reached the global final)?

Fabian Baumgartner: Thank you. It was an intensive, emotional, memorable and stressful but in the end very satisfying experience. I regret nothing. Being a student is not always very rewarding, the whole feedback you get is at the end of a semester, when a few small numbers are published that tell you how you did in the last 6 months. The CFA research challenge is an opportunity for students to shine, and with a bit of luck as well as hard work of course, it brings you the reward most students really deserve. CFA Institute and other sponsors [e.g. Bloomberg, local stock exchanges] are very generous with all participants. On top of that, it brings you great job opportunities and you meet lots of interesting people. We could pitch our stock in front of several asset managers in Oslo and two members of our group took a job offer from one of them.

TH: Regarding the double-degree programme (ISM-BI), how do you characterise this unique opportunity?

FB: To peruse a double degree, or in general make a use of the chance to stay for a longer time abroad, is a great opportunity to broaden your world view. Many students just talk about universities’ reputation when they choose their destination, but in my view that is secondary. What is important is that you collect different memories - the further away the destination and the more different the culture, the more you benefit. In my experience, employers value this kind of openness and flexibility, it is the things they want to know about first during a job interview and it makes you stand out in the crowd.

TH: I imagine you plan to pursue a career in finance. Do you have any preference within the field?

FB: I found a job as Junior Project Manager in a Private Bank in Liechtenstein  where I contribute to the implementation of technical innovation in the field of finance. It is thereby important to have an understanding of finance (the business) as well as technical trends that are changing the sector. I am still very much into portfolio management, investments and data science. I think, to save and invest when you are young is extremely important, since it will make most of a difference in a long term perspective. I try to also assist friends and family with managing their budgets.

TH: Once again, congratulations. Thank you and good luck!

FB: Thank you Tom. All the best for you.