Petra Diener, Dipl.-Kffr.
Current job:
COO at a portfolio company of a private equity firm in life insurance consolidation
Studies in Mannheim:
Business Administration and Economics
Highest degree:
Diplom
Career
After completing my studies at the University of Mannheim, I worked at KPMG Germany for ten months. Then I changed to JPMorgan and moved to London. I worked as a structurer in fixed income for more than six years. In 2012, I decided to work for Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. Two years later, I moved to Hong Kong, where I continued working for the same bank. I was a global business manager in financial markets sales. In 2017, I left the bank and went traveling for some time before settling in Israel. A former colleague from JPMorgan and I then put together a team specializing in M&A transactions in the life insurance sector. Today, we work for a large private equity firm.
Tips for starting your career
What matters most is that you are genuinely interested in what you study. Studying Business Administration for reasons of money is pointless and, to my mind, does not lead you to sustained success. It is important that you seize opportunities when they occur and even jump in at the deep end sometimes.
Relevance of the studied program
I completed a Diplom degree in both Business Administration and Economics, focusing on banking, finance, and insurance. The technical basics I learned at Mannheim were excellent and helped me in my job. During an analyst training in New York, I met graduates from elite universities and, as a Mannheim graduate, I had no need to keep a low profile—quite the contrary.
Last updated: February 2023
Credit: Petra Diener