Throughout the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, students enrolled in the Empirical Finance course of the International MSc in Finance had the opportunity to learn directly from esteemed professionals in the financial sector. This was made possible through Talks by Executives, a series of sessions designed to share expertise and spark discussions on current and relevant topics in the field.
Running from January to April, the initiative welcomed nine executives with both national and international experience, representing companies such as ActivTrades, Syngroh Advisory, Rates & Repo, Norfin, BNP Paribas, PwC Luxembourg, Explorer Investments, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
Throughout the series, a wide range of themes were explored, including financial regulation and sustainability, investment strategies and private equity, fintech and innovation in credit access, quantitative analysis and risk management, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, wealth management, and personalised financial advisory.
The first part of the series, held between January and February, featured talks from:
- Raquel Silva, Managing Director of a family office in London;
- José Maria Rego, founder of fintech company Raize and Non-Executive Director at ActivTrades;
- Tim Heise, Investment Manager at Syngroh Advisory in Frankfurt;
- Eduardo de Souza, Head of Market Access Sales for Developed Markets Rates and Repo, based in Lisbon;
- Sara Franco, Head of Investment & Origination at Norfin.
The second part, held from March to April, included contributions from:
- Nuno Silvestre, Lead Equity Quant Strategist at BNP Paribas;
- Christian Radu, Director of Private Equity at PwC Luxembourg;
- Pedro Coutinho, Partner at Explorer Investments;
- Cristina Casalinho, Executive Board Member at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation;
- As well as Raquel Silva and Eduardo de Souza, who returned to further enrich the discussions, underlining the impact of their previous sessions.
“This initiative aims to provide students with direct exposure to professionals who make strategic decisions in the financial sector on a daily basis. By bringing market experience into the classroom, we bridge the gap between theory and practice, helping students to develop a critical and informed perspective on the industry”, says Professor José Faias, who teaches the Empirical Finance course alongside Professor Zoë Venter.
Talks by Executives reinforces CATÓLICA-LISBON’s mission to deliver market-oriented learning, equipping students not only with theoretical knowledge but also with privileged access to the real-world challenges and standards of the profession.