Inter(n)view: Axelle Requien

After completing a dual master’s degree in Lille, you started as an intern in the Business Strategy & Analytics team in Deutsche Börse Group’s Trading & Clearing division. Why did you decide for this internship?

I knew I wanted to go abroad for my final internship. I had heard of Deutsche Börse Group, and on my university’s career website I found the job offer for Business Strategy & Analytics. It sounded innovative and really spoke to me because it would give me the opportunity to enhance my strategic thinking. And the interviews only reinforced my first impression: that I would be deeply involved in a broad range of projects and work with people who would invest in and empower me.

Two of the projects that you’ve been part of revolve around ESG. Can you tell us about them and how they tie in with your academic background?

I have a strong interest in sustainable investing and already had various touchpoints at university. There, I was part of a student association offering consultancy services to corporates in which we designed our own CSR strategy, and I examined how ESG performance affects corporate financial performance for my master thesis. I was excited when I was given the opportunity to help with the commercial due diligence in the acquisition of Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a leading provider of ESG and governance data. I was already familiar with their rating methodology from my research, and being part of such a huge project and exchanging views with executives, advisors and experts helped me expand my experience significantly. Currently, I’m supporting an ESG innovation initiative where I am in charge of Project Management Office tasks, working on various design aspects and pitching our concept to potential partners. I’ve been part of the project right from the start, and it’s been great to experience the entire life cycle, to learn and contribute and I’m excited to eventually see it go live.

And as if this weren’t enough, you are also responsible for a series of global capital markets calls. What does that look like?

As part of a global internal buy-side investment education scheme, the calls take place every other week with up to 400 colleagues attending regularly. As operational lead, my responsibilities include coordinating and briefing internal speakers from across divisions and external investment strategists as well as aligning with our internal Events team. Also, each session is hosted by an intern, and I make sure that we include interns from across all of Deutsche Börse Group’s locations and help them prepare. Thanks to the project, I’ve been able to strengthen my capital markets understanding across all liquid asset classes, keep up to date with market developments and foster a strong global network.

If you look back at your internship, what do you value most and how have your experiences helped you grow?

I never would have expected that you could learn so much in the course of just one internship, and I feel extremely lucky and grateful. While my previous experiences strengthened my technical and operational skills, my internship at Deutsche Börse allowed me to complement these with a broader view and a more strategic and client-centric thinking. Throughout my time here, I’ve experienced a strong culture not only of guidance and feedback but also of trust. This has not only been the foundation of great working relationships but also an excellent environment for my development – both professionally and personally.