Hi Devansh! You graduated from the LUSEM master’s programme in Accounting and Finance in 2023, can you tell us more about what you have been up to since your graduation?
Hello! Shortly after graduating, I packed my bags and moved to Stockholm, where I joined Visa. I spent my first two years as a trainee in Visa’s Leadership Programme, which gave me the chance to work across different parts of the business, and today I work as a Strategy & Commercial Operations Manager.
My role now sits somewhere between strategy, finance and problem-solving. I work on both the longer-term direction of the business and more immediate priorities, including understanding how we are performing financially and where we should focus next. It has been exciting to realise how much of what I learned at LUSEM, from working with numbers to communicating what those numbers actually mean, has followed me into my career.
What motivated you to pursue a master’s degree in accounting and finance at LUSEM?
After completing my bachelor’s in Economics and Business, I knew I wanted to specialise further in finance. What drew me to LUSEM was that the Accounting and Finance programme offered a good balance between good theoretical foundations and skills that would actually be useful in the working world.
Looking back, that balance was probably what I valued most. We obviously learned the technical side of finance and accounting, but we were also constantly challenged to explain our thinking, work with others and communicate complicated ideas in a simple and effective way.
What drew me to LUSEM was that the Accounting and Finance programme offered a good balance between good theoretical foundations and skills that would actually be useful in the working world.
The international environment was another big part of the experience for me. You study alongside people with very different backgrounds and perspectives, which makes discussions more interesting and teaches you a lot beyond the course material itself. And then there is everything outside the classroom. Being involved in student associations and extracurricular projects gave me experiences that were surprisingly close to projects and situations I later encountered at in my professional life.
Today, you work as a Manager in Strategy and Commercial Operations at Visa in Stockholm, what does your everyday routine look like? What is your favourite part of the job?
The honest answer is that there isn't really a typical day, which is probably one of the things I enjoy most about the role. What I work on depends quite a lot on the project and what the business needs at that moment.
One recent project, for example, involved analysing the financial performance of different Visa products and understanding the impact they were having for our clients, many of whom are banks. That meant working with people across Product, Engineering, Sales, Risk and Consulting, as well as with teams at Nordic banks. You quickly realise that even something that starts as a financial question can involve many different parts of a business.
Working at a payments and technology company has also brought me much closer to the technology side of finance than I expected. It has been particularly interesting to see how banks and other companies are thinking about areas such as AI and how they can use new technology in practice. For me, the best part is probably the variety. I have always been a numbers person, but I also enjoy taking a messy business problem, breaking it down and figuring out what actually matters. My role lets me combine those two things while constantly learning from people who know far more than I do about their respective areas.
It has been particularly interesting to see how banks and other companies are thinking about areas such as AI and how they can use new technology in practice.
Lastly, I really enjoy how international the work is. Having an international background myself, I find it genuinely rewarding to work with people across different countries and learn how the same problem can look completely different depending on the market. It is a nice reminder of just how big the world truly is.
What have you found to be the most useful part of the master’s programme in Accounting and Finance in your current career? Any specific courses or projects that were particularly influential?
One course in particular that has stayed with me is Financial Accounting and Communication. What made it memorable was that it wasn't only about understanding accounting, it was about learning how to communicate it.
We were taught to take something complicated, filter out the noise and help an audience understand what actually matters. I probably didn't realise at the time how useful that would become, but I use that way of thinking constantly today, whether I am analysing financial performance or preparing something for senior management.
One course in particular that has stayed with me is Financial Accounting and Communication. What made it memorable was that it wasn't only about understanding accounting, it was about learning how to communicate it.
More broadly, my professors and teaching assistants also pushed us to work independently and become comfortable with quantitative and statistical methods. That combination of being able to do the analysis and then explain the story behind it has been incredibly valuable in my career.
Looking back on your own career journey, what are your top tips for students graduating from the master’s programme in Accounting and Finance as they navigate their job search?
The job search can be tough; it certainly was for me. My biggest advice would be to use your time at university to also collect experiences. Join a student association, do a case competition, volunteer for a consulting project or take on something you haven't done before. Those experiences give you practical examples to talk about in interviews, but more importantly, they help you figure out what you actually enjoy.
My biggest advice would be to use your time at university to also collect experiences. Join a student association, do a case competition, volunteer for a consulting project or take on something you haven't done before.
I would also try not to put too much pressure on finding the "perfect" first job. Your first role is the beginning of your career, not the final destination. Be curious, speak to people, apply even when you are not completely sure, and treat the process as a chance to learn what is out there.
What is your favorite memory from your LUSEM student days?
I was only at LUSEM for one year, but somehow it feels like we managed to fit several years' worth of memories into it.
Some of my favourite moments were actually the very ordinary ones: late evenings with the student associations, spending far too many hours in the library working on group assignments, grabbing food or coffee with friends between classes, and just experiencing Lund as a student.
At the time, those late nights and long study sessions just felt normal. Looking back now, they are some of the moments I remember most fondly. It was a short year, but one I will always be very grateful for.
There is something quite special about being in a city where student life is such a big part of everyday life. At the time, those late nights and long study sessions just felt normal. Looking back now, they are some of the moments I remember most fondly. It was a short year, but one I will always be very grateful for.
