Mariia Tiurina, RoME Graduating class 2019
Nationality: Russian
BA: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Current institution: MIT Sloan
After graduating RoME, I started a PhD program in Finance at MIT Sloan. My research interests lie at the intersection between household finance and labor economics. I study how individuals use financial markets to mitigate risks associated with their human capital, and how they make labor market decisions in response to financial shocks.
The training I received at RoME has been very helpful throughout my PhD. First, the level of coursework was challenging and advanced and it prepared me well for PhD level classes. Second, the option to RA for RoME faculty provided me with a solid set of skills and better understanding of the process of research. Finally, I loved the availability and supportiveness of the faculty during my years at RoME, especially during the PhD application process.
Daniel Mele, RoME Graduating class 2020
Nationality: Italian
BA: Luiss Guido Carli
Current institution: Bank of Italy
My first job after RoME, was in the ENEL Strategy team, a job I got after a summer internship facilitated by the contacts of my Master advisors. There, I was in charge of performing country-level macro-analysis using general equilibrium models and time-series analysis to model outcomes of interest (e.g. exchange rates, interest rates, inflation, GDP). Recently, I joined the regional research office of the Bank of Italy in Trieste after winning a national selection. My focus there is on research on local public finance.
One aspect of the RoME program that gave me an edge so far in my professional career is the focus on data science and computer programming in the courses. Moreover, the challenging pace of the program was an opportunity to learn how to work under time constraints, a condition I now face daily at work.
Roberto Saitto, RoME Graduating class 2020
Nationality: Italian
BA: Luiss Guido Carli
Current institution: Stanford University
After graduating from RoME, I started a Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University. My research deals with simplicity in mechanism design. Whereas economic models assume that agents behave according to theory predictions, this is often violated in real world. I am interested in identifying simple strategies that can be understood and played by real world agent. This helps bringing theoretical predictions closer to the empirical evidence.
Going through the RoME program helped me in several ways. First, I received great help and support from the RoME faculty during the PhD application process. They were available throughout and helped me putting together a successful application package and deciding which programs were the best fit for me. Second, the technical training was excellent and even allowed me to waive some of the first-year courses so that I could pick additional courses more tailored to my research interests. Last but not least, the work environment at RoME was fantastic: I worked with great classmates and established durable and valuable friendships.
Laura Ashirepbay, RoME Graduating class 2021
Nationality: Kazakhstani
BA: Nazarbayev University
Current institution: Compass Lexecon
Since graduating from RoME, I have been working at the Brussels office of Compass Lexecon, an economic consultancy advising on competition and antitrust matters. My work requires mixing the handling of large datasets and applying economic theory and econometric techniques. I employ these tools to assess and resolve the issues faced by firms in different industries when they confront themselves with national competition authorities that, for instance, may have concerns about potentially anticompetitive behavior by the firm.
The RoME master was helpful in setting me on this career path. I learned about the company through professors at RoME and their referrals helped me get an interview with the recruiters at Compass Lexecon. The material covered in the curriculum was essential for being successful at my current position. For example, presenting academic papers in the workshop seminars at RoME proves useful now that my job requires explaining complex economic analysis in simple terms understandable by non-economists.
Chuqiao Nan, RoME Graduating class 2021
Nationality: Chinese
BA: University of Hong Kong
Current institution: Northwestern Kellogg
After graduating from RoME, I started a Ph.D. in Managerial Economics & Strategy at Northwestern Kellogg with broad interests in applied microeconomics. For instance, I study the patenting activities by pharmaceutical firms and the related outcomes in the industry, and how innovation policies could shift them.
Faculty at RoME played an instrumental role in guiding me through the PhD application process, from program choices to application preparations. It would have been much harder without their support, especially considering that my application took place during the pandemic, a challenging time for everyone. I also got to know great classmates who have always been supportive and inspiring.
Moreover, my RoME experience largely benefits my PhD studies. First, the well-designed core courses and rigorous training prepared me for a much less stressful first year. Second, the opportunity to take field courses I am interested in introduced me to techniques that I get to apply in my current projects. Furthermore, my RA experience offered me the opportunity to face the challenges of research head-on and come up with solutions on my own, helping me understand the process better and develop a valuable toolkit at the same time.
Alessandro Girometti, RoME Graduating class 2022
Nationality: Italian
BA: Università di Roma – La Sapienza
Current institution: Oliver Wyman
After graduating from RoME I joined Oliver Wyman, a leading international management consulting firm. I work in the Milan office with a focus on the energy sector. Our clients are utilities or infrastructure funds and we help them drafting business plans, designing market entry strategies and organizational restructuring.
The RoME master helped me get in touch with Oliver Wyman through a recruitment event and I spent there my summer internship after the first year. The faculty offered me guidance during the whole application process and I benefited (and still am!) from the advice and support of the RoME Alumni working at the firm.
Furthermore, the management consulting job is a mixture of problem solving and software skills, and the training received during the RoME gave me a strong foundation in both of those. For example, the ability to isolate causal relationships among variables that I learned in the Econometrics sequence, helps me today when I have to assess the impact of different factors on the revenues or costs to craft business plans.