Apollonia Stackler

Graduated with a CEMS double degree in International Management, HEC Paris 2010
Currently: Associate, Equity Sales

My main driver is to have a successful professional life, to be challenged continually and to learn something new everyday. After some research, investment banking seemed like it could give me what I was looking for. So I applied to Nomura for an internship and worked in the Equity team here for six months. This experience showed me that investment banking was definitely where I wanted to be, and that Nomura could give me the best career prospects in the industry.

Before joining Nomura, I hadn't quite realized the extent and the depth of its equity research scope: Nomura is the number one reference when it comes to Asian equities* and its leadership is rapidly growing in Europe and in the US. As an equity sales person, I couldn't have dreamt to be in a better place.

What sets Nomura apart from other investment banks is their growth. They emerged from the banking crisis unscathed and even took advantage of it by acquiring areas of the Lehman Brothers legacy. This move has given them a solid base outside of Asia and is typical of Nomura's entrepreneurial nature. Unlike so many other investment banks, it's focused on the long-term. It's preparing for the future when most banks seem to be still recovering. In that way, you could say that Nomura stands out as a new kind of ‘sustainable' global bank.

The investment banking world is undergoing tremendous changes right now. These disruptions provide the perfect breeding ground for many fantastic opportunities for new graduates, especially at Nomura. There's a lot of positive energy here at the moment; it's almost like working at a start-up firm. Nomura has set itself very ambitious objectives for the next few years, which means that the growth prospects are huge. That's certainly something you should look for when starting a career.

*No.1 ranked franchise in Japan, (Source StarMine 2009 and 2010 Nikkei Analyst)