Alumna Jeanne Romulus shares her path to becoming a structured product sales analyst at Wells Fargo

Can you tell us about your job experiences after graduation

Right after my graduation, I joined RBC Capital markets where I was a structured product sales analyst, based in Paris. After almost two years, I moved to Wells Fargo in March 2023, as a structured product sales as well but with a focus on the rate side, as an associate.

How did you land your first jobs?

For RBC, I first did a summer programme with them. I had to go through an assessment centre, multiple test and interviews. It was quite a challenging process, but I got there in the end. At the end of the programme, they offered me a job. 

For my job at Wells Fargo, it was a head-hunter who contacted me. Fun fact, my current manager is also an EDHEC alumna!

Can you share some insights about your role as a structured product sales analyst?

I am promoting and selling financial structured product, with a focus on rates, to clients. Clients can be institutional, asset managers, insurance funds, pension funds, etc. They can also be distributors, so private banks, brokers who are distributing the product to smaller institutional or retail. Clients can also be corporate who need to hedge the market risk, interest rate risk, currency risk... so that is basically the range of clients that I cover.

What is the difference between working with private funds vs public institutions and organisations?

At RBC, when I was covering mainly private distributors, clients were coming to me for financial products, so it was more about providing the right service, the right financial product, analysing and structuring. Now, in the public sector, I have to go out and pitch. It is a very different approach and new set of soft skills I had to learn - how to negotiate for example. 

Which skills did you get at EDHEC and which ones did you learn on the job?

In the MSc in Financial Engineering, we undoubtably acquire all the complex technical skills. As a product sales analyst, I would say that I learned additional soft skills - how to deal with a client and retain that client.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I would like to have an overseas experience, especially in the USA. 

What are some great memories from when you attended EDHEC?

My friends! I arrived at EDHEC as a prepa student, engaged in various student associations, and forged lifelong friendships! 
Also, I had a remarkable teacher who has left a lasting impression on me - Laurent Deville. During his course on Options Pricings (Derivatives & Advances Derivatives course works), he is the one who made me love financial markets. It’s thanks to his teachings that I chose to specialise in this field, and even in my current jobs, I continue to refer to the notes from his course. 
The most emotional memory was my graduation. It was then I realised my EDHEC experience was coming to an end, and it made me very emotional to turn that chapter.

A tip you would share with students. Something you wished you knew before.

I would say, do not get fooled by titles and salaries at first. You will get there. What is important in the early stages of a career, is to have a great mentor with whom you will learn a lot. 
And work hard while at EDHEC!