What was your study and/or professional background prior to this programme?
My background is in economics. I did my Bachelor’s at Oslo Metropolitan University in Economics and Administration, and my thesis looked at the Norwegian EV charging industry and whether being early to electrification gave Norwegian charging companies an advantage abroad.
Alongside my studies I worked in EV charging operations at Circle K, on the public fast-charging network across Scandinavia and Ireland. The technology was scaling fast, but what decided whether things went according to plan was often pricing, payments and regulation, not just the chargers themselves.
I have also always been interested in broader societal questions alongside technology and finance, so a programme that put those together felt like the natural next step.
Why did you choose to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School?
I wanted to study abroad, and Edinburgh kept coming out on top. The university has a real international reputation, and the Business School has a cohort with far more varied backgrounds than I was used to at home. I was also very excited about the idea of spending a year in the city itself, as it is such a beautiful place.
About the programme
What was it about the degree programme that particularly attracted you?
I was not looking for a conventional finance master’s programme but instead was attracted to the Finance, Technology and Policy programme at the Business School as it does not treat finance, technology and regulation as three separate subjects.
This meant that I could do valuation and financial markets in the same year as data analytics, machine learning and fintech infrastructures. Not many finance degrees let you combine all of these, and I would've found it hard to choose between them.
What course(s) have you enjoyed the most so far and why?
I particularly enjoyed Blockchain, Governance and Policy. Most of the public conversation about blockchain is either hype or dismissal, and the course did neither. It also went well beyond blockchain itself. I came out of it with a much better understanding of the technological changes happening around us, and a clearer idea of which skills would be useful for me to develop.
Student experience
Have you been involved with any industry engagement activities?
Yes - a highlight was a session with Paul Taylor from Bank of America which was particularly interesting. We also had a full day at BlackRock in Edinburgh, on a programme they had put together specifically for us, which covered a lot more ground than a normal guest session.
Nasdaq came in twice with Alex Sanchez, an executive advisor there, first on his own and then alongside David Wicks, a VP at the company. I later had a one-to-one conversation with him about my own career and where I want to take it.
We also had Jessica James from Commerzbank speaking on quantitative foreign exchange, and I completed the Edinburgh Award alongside my studies.
All these opportunities gave me a way to test what we were doing in class against how people in the industry talk and think about the same problems, as well as a lot of interesting ideas regarding where I might take my own career.
Is there a specific experience you’ve had so far on the programme that stands out?
The London career trek really stands out. We visited FTI Consulting, SThree and Bank of America over a couple of days, and being in the room with people doing the work is a different thing from reading about the sector.
The formal parts were useful, but the conversations and networking in between were even better. You get an honest picture of what the working week actually looks like, and what it would be like to work at those companies.
Have you travelled to other parts of Scotland or the UK?
I have travelled as much as I could. The best trip was four days driving a loop around the Highlands with some friends from the programme in June.
We spent time in Speyside visiting distilleries, drove out to the Isle of Skye and hiked the Quiraing, and stopped at Glenfinnan and other scenic spots along the way.
Edinburgh is a great base for that. You can be somewhere that feels completely different in only a couple of hours.
Looking ahead
What are you hoping to do after you graduate from this programme?
I am moving to London to join Orbit Partners as an Associate. They work in private equity advisory and executive search, so the role mixes analysis with working closely with the people who run businesses. That is the part I am looking forward to most.
I expect I’ll end up back in Norway at some point. For now, what pulls me to London is the chance to live in a global city, with interesting work and people (and hopefully lots of Arsenal games!).
Do you have any tips for prospective or new students?
Take the industry engagement seriously from the first week. The talks, the company days and the London trek were where the year opened up for me, and they are the easiest thing to skip when you have coursework due.
And if your background is not conventional finance, do not treat that as a gap. Mine came up in almost every conversation I had with people from industry, and it was usually the more interesting part of the conversation.