Luce Fontana, Associate Director FX Sales for Corporates, UBS

In order to help current students and recent graduates to find their way in the working world, many of our alumni shared their career story. Here the story of Luce Fontana, Associate Director FX Sales for Corporates at UBS in Zurich (CH). USI Degrees: Master in Management, 2019 and Bachelor in Scienze economiche, 2017

How did you start your career?

I started in UBS as an intern in Global Markets in the Business Management team. This role enabled me to know the majority of the desk heads on all asset classes (sales of FX, Equity, Fixed Income, structured products). I have been capable to understand the business structure working with many teams worldwide. The key has been to network with Zurich and London, in order to meet more people and obtain after one year a Graduate Talent Program position in the team which now is the one I cover my role as FX sales and trading.

Why did you choose a career at UBS?

The internship enabled me to understand all the types of clients covered (wealth management, corporates, institutional, financial intermediaries) and the types of products sold. I immediately fell in love with FX, being a dynamic market.

What is your current role/duties?

My role as a sale implies interacting with clients daily, guiding them in the best hedging strategies to cover their currencies exchange risks and exposures. Swiss companies have to handle many risks having the CHF and this makes my role very dynamic. I book trades collaborating with our electronic sales team and our traders. My daily tasks include checking the market, since every news creates a big effect on currencies.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career at UBS?

The key is being a people person. My job is the sum of the efforts of multiple teams collaborating in a fast and efficient way. Managing well the stress is the second key point necessary. On a daily basis we interact with multiple clients, so this requires social and communication skills. To sum up: soft skills are keys.

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

My bachelor and master in Economics and Management helped me a lot to develop my collaboration and team work skills. Handling stress during the exam sessions was also a good school for my daily stress I handle now. The courses gave me the right knowledge to enter the financial markets with a great basis. All my colleagues were from all over the world, enabling me to study with different cultures and confronting me with different mindset.

What competences and skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

Teamwork, stress management and economics knowledge are the basis that make it possible to handle my daily job. During my five years of study I developed these competences through interesting courses, practical lessons (excel is an example) and group works.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

When entering an interview or writing a presentation letter just be yourself. Your personality is often the most analyzed aspect. Show your strengths and capabilities but at the same time be transparent in what you still need to improve: transparency is key. Send your cv to multiple institutes and companies, try to be outstanding in your description, make people understand why you can be an added value. Always show willingness to learn and grow: this is crucial in your career.