Camilla Nydahl

Describe your role and what it is that you do overall and on a day-to-day basis.

I work in Securities Finance which is an area in Nordea Markets that covers a set of capital markets-related products; stock borrow- and lending, collateralised financing, total return swaps and collateral trades. My role as Associate Director and Senior Sales Manager means that I have the main responsibility of a set of clients and geographic markets - namely larger clients in Norway and Finland. In sales, our team’s responsibility is to manage and develop existing client relationships, work on customer strategies and to source and structure new deals. The clients I work with typically range from family offices and investment companies to larger corporate clients, institutions and hedge funds.

On a regular day, I spend my time speaking to existing clients, preparing and performing product pitches as well as prospecting, analysing and structuring new deals together with my team and with other stakeholders in the bank. Most days I am based on the trading floor in Stockholm, but I also get to travel to meet existing and potential new clients and my colleagues across the Nordics.

What interested you about the field / company / role you are currently in?

I joined Nordea after graduating from SSE, first in a more general client coverage role for financial institutions in Sweden. That role gave me the opportunity to develop my relationship building skills and also exposure to all of the capital markets products a large bank such as Nordea has to offer. Eventually, I decided to switch from a more generalist role into a specialised one and joined my current team in Nordea Markets. On a personal level, I have always enjoyed client interactions, I have a strong interest in financial markets and I am motivated by working in a deal focused way. That makes a trading floor the perfect spot - I get to work with intelligent and ambitious people, with an interesting and flexible set of financial products, making it possible to create tailored solutions for my clients. As such, my current role allows me to entertain both my analytical, social and creative side which ultimately is the reason I like the work that I do.

Why did you choose to study your subject area at SSE?

Throughout my Bachelor’s degree, I got introduced to the potential fields in which I could pursue a Master’s degree at SSE, and I ultimately chose finance both because I found those topics very interesting and because the program provided an attractive mix of analytical, quantitative and qualitative subjects. To me, finance is interesting as a field due to the important role it plays in our modern society. I view the field of finance as a system or lens that can be used to understand the world, and my Master’s degree at SSE provided me with the toolbox to do just that.

How did your time/education at SSE help guide you to the career journey you have embarked on?

Working in capital markets and being exposed to financial instruments on a daily basis, I would lie if I said that the curriculum-specific, technical knowledge from my studies at SSE has not been helpful. However, I soon discovered that in practice, the world does not always follow the textbook. Hence, I would say that perhaps more importantly my time at SSE also provided me with a way to process information and approach problems which have been very helpful to me in my career. Also, the peers and friends that you will end up meeting at the school are such an important part of studying at SSE. Being surrounded by highly talented and ambitious individuals with similar interests both provide the inspiration and the knowledge you need to pursue the future career of your choice. The network that comes with studying at SSE should not be underestimated either. Now, a few years after graduation, I often find myself in professional situations where I meet a familiar face, or that my SSE degree or alumni network opens a door.

Following the time at SSE, do you have any words of wisdom or advice you would like to share with our current students?

Firstly, I would advise current students to follow their genuine interests and not to get too hung up on what you should or should not do with your time as a student or with your degree. At times, it is common to feel the pressure to follow expectations and pursue a specific career path, applying for certain internships etc. There are many things you could do with your degree, so do not be afraid to try something just because it falls outside of the ”SSE norm”. Secondly, and probably more important, make sure to take good care of the friendships you develop during your studies – they will probably (hopefully) last you a lifetime. Be kind to the people around you and do not be afraid to ask for help!

What are three words / phrases that sum up your time at SSE?

Hard work, lifelong friendships and a lot of coffee!