After working in investment banking for four years, Emil Aliev (MSc Finance, Class of 2017) helped co-found niostem, a tech start-up focused on developing regenerative technology to combat hair loss. With the balance of subjects on the programme, as well as the opportunity to engage with lecturers and guest speakers, Emil was able to apply the skills he acquired at Trinity Business School and break in to the start-up scene.
Embarking on any post-graduate programme is a crucial decision for a lot of people considering financial constraints and institutional reputation. A lot of students pursue their MSc in Finance in England, whereas I wanted to try something different – I’m honestly glad to have made this choice!
I really wanted to be a part of a community that strived for excellence – Trinity Business School is undoubtedly a top-tier institution, and the numerous alumni success stories really sparked my interest. Their MSc in Finance programme is structured excellently, with a broad curriculum that allows a ton of flexibility to choose the path that interests you most. I really enjoyed this freedom, and it allowed me to take courses that I previously would not have envisioned taking.
There is a great balance on the programme with options to take classes on corporate finance, trading, etc. all the while developing hard quantitative skills. Overall, I have fond memories of the private equity course I took – and in hindsight, it was one of the most useful in my academic career. I would take the class again given the chance.
I had the great fortune of having fantastic lecturers, all with impressive resumes and careers in the financial and accounting industries. They could really provide insightful knowledge from their experience which really allowed us to conceptualize and understand challenging topics across hands-on assignments. We also had numerous guest speakers come in to talk about fascinating challenges they faced across their storied careers which I found to be a great networking opportunity.
We also had the opportunity to work with our peers on several projects across the course of the degree. These group assignments were very useful, especially considering the challenge of working with unknown people from at least 3 continents simultaneously. Group work forces you to complete hands-on work while balancing relationships between classmates, which is an extremely useful skill for the professional sphere.
After the successful completion of my degree at Trinity Business School, I wanted to have a proper skillset that would allow me to break into investment banking. I was delighted to be given the chance at Capitalmind in Frankfurt where I worked on M&A projects for 4 years after my degree.
However, in 2021, I was able to use the valuable insights I acquired at Trinity Business School and enter the start-up scene by co-founding a tech startup called niostem. Here at niostem, we are focused on using regenerative technology solutions to activate hair growth and combat common pattern baldness. We have recently launched our smart wearable onto the market through our Indiegogo campaign, and we got fully funded within the first 7 minutes!
Life can take you across unexpected journeys, but that is what truly adds flavor to it! My time on the MSc in Finance really showed me my aptitudes and strengths, as well as areas where I can build on. It sharpened my perspective on how I assess projects and make important decisions. Nowadays, with my work at niostem, I am always trying to think of the bigger picture while not losing sight of return on investment.
If you’re looking for the next step within the broad field of finance, there is so much to gain by embarking on this journey. While it will be difficult at times, the rewards are significant!
The key takeaways I took from my time at TBS are – always challenge your environment, ask tons of questions (never be hesitant in this regard), and continue to grow your mind.