Financially Speaking: Alumnus Marco Fortuna
Alumnus Marco Fortuna, class of 2018, currently works at YourCFO, an Italian consulting firm, after having pursued a degree in Economics and Finance, with a minor in Business at John Cabot University. At JCU, Marco worked in the Athletics department where he helped with logistical, and business-related tasks. In the future, Marco hopes to build a career in the finance world.
What brought you to JCU?
I first heard about JCU through a friend. His sister had studied here and since he knew that I wanted to study in an international environment, he encouraged me to consider JCU.
Tell us about your current position at YourCFO.
Currently, I am working at YourCFO Consulting, an Italian consulting firm based on the concept of fractional executives. This term refers to a high-level professional who works on a temporary basis in an advisory and implementation capacity with a company. In most cases, fractional executives have gathered experiences in consulting or other companies as senior managers or chief executives. As a result, they offer valuable knowledge to firms that might find it too expensive to maintain a full-time manager.
YourCFO is a company that provides managerial, strategic, and operative finance-based services. I work with one of the company’s partners in a multinational corporation based in Italy. I am happy about this experience because it gives me the opportunity to be in a stimulating environment where I am constantly learning. I am currently working on pricing analysis and the defining and creating of a new Management Control System, which are essential parts of the pricing decision-making process.
You majored in Economics and Finance with a minor in Business while at JCU. In what way did your studies prepare you for your current position?
The professors and people I met during my time at JCU definitely prepared me for my working life. For this reason, I would like to thank all the professors who have passionately taught, supported, and tutored me during my academic path. At JCU, not only did I learn important concepts related to Finance and Business, but also soft-skills such as teamwork and managing stressful situations. After class, I often stopped to talk with professors, which was sometimes even more interesting than the class itself; in addition to useful tips for class, I would receive advice about life.
What’s your ultimate career goal?
Well, you are asking me to look too far in the future… but at a certain point in my life, I would like to work in the financial services industry. I like finance because it merges two of my favorite subjects, which are economics, macroeconomics particularly, and mathematics… I know it’s a bit unusual to like math, but I find it amazing how mathematicians are able to describe concrete natural phenomena through numbers and functions, which are human creations. As I said, the professors who taught me these subjects have inspired me, and I have made the decision to continue in this direction. During my academic path, I found financial derivatives to be a very interesting topic, and my goal is to further my study of their functioning and usage.
Do you have any advice for graduating students?
I believe that the toughest time is during the mid-term period, especially if you have many papers to write. However, it might have just been me because I am not a good writer… but I am working on it. So hang on! For those who are graduating, but also for the student body in general, try to take advantage of and participate in the activities that the University offers, and simply enjoy your time at JCU.