Opening Doors to Finance: LVI Pupils Gain Insight at Euronext.
12 November 2025 - All
Our strong relationship with employers, both locally and beyond, offers Wycombe Abbey pupils impactful experiences which support them to make decisions about their future career pathways. Our long-standing partnership with Euronext has led to an annual visit to their Canary Wharf offices, where LVI pupils spend three days during October Long Leave. This unique opportunity gives them an invaluable insight into careers within the financial industry and an experience they’ll never forget.
Not only did the girls deepen their understanding of the financial industry, but they also developed their professionalism and strengthened a broad range of essential soft skills. Nathalie, who coordinates the experience for Euronext reported:
‘Once again, your pupils truly lived up to the ‘Wycombe Abbey’ standards. Every single client we met complimented me — and, by extension, you — on their excellent questions, engagement, and quick grasp of complex topics. During our final “takeaway session,” the girls were so thoughtful and complimentary — a real testament to the education and values they’ve received! Thank you again for partnering with us in making the future of finance brighter.’
Participants in the 2025 programme, Lucy and Navika, summarise their experience:
‘On the first day of our work experience, we heard from a variety of professionals at Euronext who explained their roles within the company, and how a stock exchange, like Euronext, operates. It was very insightful gaining an overview of the vast financial industry, and its various careers, as many of us had little knowledge of this previously. We also had the opportunity to meet the HR department, where we were given CV and interview advice from the recruiters themselves. Finally, we were exposed to the diverse culture of the workplace and how to stand out when applying for jobs in such a competitive industry.
The second day provided us first-hand experience of working in finance in a big city, as we had the opportunity to commute around London and visit various global companies, capturing an understanding of the day-to-day life of women at the top of their fields. We started off the day at AllianceBernstein with April Lin, Head of EMEA and APAC Equity Trading, who provided an insightful overview of the buy-side and sell-side within trading, along with practical advice to succeed in finance.
We then visited TP ICAP, the world’s largest inter-dealer broker, where we got to witness a trading floor in person. Here we heard from many professionals about their distinct routes into finance, contradicting the common belief that you need a degree in Maths or Finance. We ended the day at Tower Research, a leading High Frequency Trading company, which used algorithms to identify and execute trades within nanoseconds to make profit from the slightest price changes.
One of our highlights came on the final day with an interactive panel featuring six inspiring female leaders, each holding senior roles in their respective fields. We heard from:
- Virginie Saade (Head of Government and Regulatory Policy at Citadel)
- Joelle Tarrant (previous Global Co-Head of Cross Asset Electronic Sales at HSBC),
- Frances Ritter (Trader and Index Portfolio Manager at Vanguard)
- Natasha Jones (Co-founder and CEO of Metris Energy)
- Nathalie Ruiz (Head of Continental Equity Sales at Euronext)
- Oriane Cochard (Equities Trader at T. Rowe Price).
These phenomenal women shared powerful stories of their career journeys and the lessons learned while navigating a male-dominated industry, offering both inspiration and advice. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to network and connect with them, which proved immensely rewarding.
This amazing opportunity is one that will stay with us forever. The breadth and depth of this experience not only gave us a more comprehensive understanding of the financial industry, but also left us with so much raw, valuable advice from leading female professionals. We greatly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to attend this work experience in the future, as it was truly an unparalleled opportunity.’
Lucy and Navika
LVI
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