Niki & Sebastiaan

How about starting your career in one of the departments within Capital Markets & Advisory (CMA)? With your permanent role as a base, you have a unique opportunity to dive deeper into the world of CMA. You can develop into an all-round investment banker by participating in our Early Career Group (ECG) programme. Niki and Sebastiaan explain more about it.

Niki is an Analyst in Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), which is where she also did an internship while studying for her master’s. M&A is her ‘home base’ for the duration of the ECG programme, but she is doing a six-month rotation – which is part of the programme – in Acquisition Finance. Sebastiaan, an Associate who has been with ING for a bit longer than Niki, started working in Corporate Investments in September 2024. 

‘All our teams now sit together on the same floor, which is good for collaboration and knowledge-sharing’

Sebastiaan: “The ECG programme is for all analysts and associates in Capital Markets & Advisory (CMA). The programme’s two six-month rotations enable you to try out different aspects of CMA. By the way, all CMA departments have recently started sitting together on the same floor, whereas they previously used to operate much more as separate silos.” Niki: “So even if you’re doing a rotation, like I am right now, you’re still close to your home base team and other CMA departments. We have short lines of communication and an open culture – my colleagues are always happy to help me, and there’s good collaboration between the teams.”

A different perspective on deals 

Acquisition Finance, where Niki is doing her rotation, is a different area of investment banking than M&A. “In M&A, we support our clients with strategic advice about buying or selling companies, and we coordinate the acquisition process. In Acquisition Finance, we structure debt financing and, as a bank, provide the loan for the acquisition. So I’m still working in a deal-driven environment – which in my view is the most enjoyable part of this work – but from a different perspective. By gaining a broader view and new knowledge, I will be able to advise our M&A clients even better in the future.” 

Accelerated development of knowledge and skills 

Sebastiaan: “The programme is ideal for quickly building a network, and for getting a better understanding of all the services within CMA. Because you get to see various departments, you’re able to connect the dots much faster and it’s easier to find the right people in the case of questions. Plus you come into contact with different types of customers. That helps you to better understand customer needs and see where ING can add value. The two rotations are a great chance to accelerate the development of new knowledge and skills.” 

Sebastiaan and Niki spread the word about these opportunities when they are recruiting new CMA talent, such as during career events at universities. “And the programme offers many other advantages: the training courses and workshops, the Summer Course where you meet your peers from all over the world and dig down deeper into the subject matter, the ‘Lunch & Learns’ and other informal events… Initiatives like these all support your personal and professional development,” says Sebastiaan. 

Energetic vibe 

Niki: “There’s a good reason that CMA has such a young and driven team of people. The vast majority of my colleagues are under 35 which creates an energetic vibe at work.” Sebastiaan: “That’s one of the reasons that I always come into work with a smile on my face. And also because everyone is ambitious. We work hard and are deadline-driven, going from one deal to the next. That can be stressful sometimes, but we also have a lot of fun.”

The ongoing shift towards more diverse teams 

Niki: “Such a fast-paced, dynamic working environment isn’t for everyone. But even though the sector is still seen as a man’s world, more and more women are choosing a career in investment banking. Within CMA, we value all kinds of diversity, and we also pay a lot of attention to it during the recruitment process.” Sebastiaan: “In my experience, a more diverse team really enhances the atmosphere and the standard of work.” 

A fantastic start 

Niki: “The ECG programme can help in the pursuit of even more diversity. It enables people to see different aspects of the work, and to receive training and guidance from a buddy and a mentor. On this programme, you’re constantly encouraged to work together and challenged to get the best out of yourself.” Sebastiaan: “It’s definitely a fantastic start to your career.”