“My name is Federico Maria Cenna Donella, I am originally from Verona. I joined the Master’s degree programme in Finance at ESE Florence in September 2020, and it has been an amazing experience so far!
I come from a different background: I studied business with focus on the renewable energy sector in Germany and worked in a law firm as well. I decided to undertake a postgraduate training in business and finance in order to prepare for a more specialised career.
The biggest difference between studying in Italy or Germany, and studying at ESE is the British educational system, which I find extremely satisfactory. The grading system is tougher, but the exams are fair, and most importantly: we don’t just study theory, but we also learn how to apply it in real life. In previous experiences I just learned the theory by heart to perform well on exams, but then you forget most of it. ESE actually wants you to understand the topics and make sure you are able to apply that knowledge to actual business situations. They really focus on you as a person, on your personal development.
ESE Florence absolutely exceeds my needs and expectations. I appreciate the personalised attention and the tailormade options they provide. You are not a number, but an individual.
The professors are all really good, well prepared and have specialised professional backgrounds. They provide lots of case studies and real business examples in all their classes, which helps you a lot in preparing for your own business career.
My dream is to work in private equity or mergers and acquisitions. Actually, I am preparing for an internship placement in M&A later this year with the ESE Florence Internship Department right now. I feel that ESE is really here to help me further in my career.”