City Careers is LUIFS’ flagship event and the Management School’s largest annual student society event. Each year, some of the brightest and most successful LUMS alumni are invited back to Lancaster University to share their experience and support current students.

This year’s theme “What university did not teach you for your job in the financial industry” was covered by a team of LUMS alumni including Pierre Ebner (HSBC) and Caio Natividade (Deutsche Bank).

Dr Mohan Subbiah (Guest lecturer at LUMS) and Paul McCormick (LUMS Financial Career Coach and Graduate Recruiter at Thomson Reuters) rounded out the panel of speakers.


Pierre Ebner (BBA European Management, 2007) gave a clear idea of how the banking sector is divided and which strategies work best to succeed in that market. He highlighted the distinctions between the internal fields of the financial sector, and explained that as different companies focus on different fields, it’s wise to base an application on the main focus of that firm. He suggested avoiding applications for back-office jobs, as the stream of new developments in the financial sector make it very hard to move to a front-office position. Finally, Pierre covered some hot topics about finance now, such as Fintech.

Caio Natividade (BSc Finance, 2002), of Deutsche Bank, returned this year to give an engaging speech about his experiences of the financial industry. Currently working in Cross Asset Quantitative Research, he shared his knowledge of what is required of the role, and went on to enthusiastically recommend pursuing your passion in the working world. His charming personality and energetic efforts made Caio one of the most entertaining and enchanting speakers of this year’s City Careers Event.

Dr Mohan Subbiah, an experienced Hedge Fund Manager and part-time LUMS lecturer, spoke about his time at BlackRock and at UBS as Hedge Fund Manager, and why his love for research lead him to pursue a career in academia. He gave students an insight into a typical day in the Life of a Fund Manager and pointed out that in this job, not only is knowledge important, but also IT skills, attention to detail and the drive to deliver. He concluded with a look at Fund Management in the future and the impact of Big Data.

Paul McCormick, LUMS Financial Careers Coach and Graduate Recruiter at Thomson Reuters, provided a unique insight into the opportunities available in Financial Markets and related sectors. He covered all the steps which are crucial for getting a job - such as finding different opportunities, building a financial CV, writing an effective covering letter, preparing for psychometric tests and interviews, and various tips for a successful application. He also presented his blog, Opening City Doors, where students can follow Financial Market updates and find useful information.

The event provided students with a wealth of insights and helpful advice to advance in their career and form future plans. For this unique and amazing opportunity, LUIFS would like to thank all of the speakers who volunteered their time and effort to make the event so successful – we couldn’t have done it without them!