Lukas Mansky
Lukas was originally born and raised in the US where he attended a German School, as well as an American Middle School before going to IE in 2013. At IE, he studied the dual degree in Business and Law for 5 years during which he completed a series of internships, mainly in Finance and Law. After graduating, he moved to London where he completed two further internships in investment banking and private equity before joining Bank of America as a full-time Analyst in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group, which he has been a part of for almost two years now. During his time at Bank of America, he has worked on a variety of transactions spanning M&A, equity and debt across the major Healthcare sub-verticals.
"The time as a university student is truly unique and packed with so many great experiences that one should make the most out of it in every way possible."
Q&A WITH LUKAS
Could you tell us about how you got your current role?
I applied through the online company portal and then was interviewed by a variety of teams, including the Healthcare team at Bank of America. After close to 10 interviews with the team, I was offered the job.
How did your experience at IEU prepare you for your professional career?
IE offers a unique blend of progressive course materials and techniques coupled with a truly international student body to learn from. The network and wealth of experiences I was exposed to have helped me grow personally and professionally and allowed me to become more adaptable and curious, two key attributes for any career.
Do you have any advice for IEU students and alumni who are looking to pursue a career in finance?
Learn about the industry as much as you can beforehand, whether that be through networking or browsing finance pages or forums, the more you know the better. Get a basic understanding of the corporate finance / accounting / valuation concepts (IE career center can help out with guides) and join the Finance and Investment Club or get involved in any way you can. Finally, remember to apply for positions early, try to get to know people in the industry and be perseverant when it comes to applications.
What skills do you consider are needed to succeed in finance?
Depends on the job but I think a good attitude, willingness to work hard, attention to detail and an analytical mindset go a long way.
Tell us about the IEU alumni community and the impact they have had in your life and/or career.
Many of my best friends are from my time at IE and are now working in London or Continental Europe. These are relationships I will always cherish and people I can confide in and talk to openly about many different aspects of life and my career.
Why do you think it’s important to engage with the IEU alumni community?
IEU alumni end up in so many different positions across the globe that there is always something to learn from engaging with the community. It’s a great way to meet likeminded individuals, build up your network and reminisce about the fun times in Segovia and Madrid.
What skills would you recommend job seekers develop in order to make them more competitive in today’s workforce?
Depends on the industry but I would say some overarching skills would be the ability to connect with people and being able to present one’s work and oneself. Given increasing trends of automation, I think the human element and emotional intelligence will play an ever more important role going forward.
What’s the best career advice you have ever been given?
Don’t think I can just pinpoint one piece of advice but I would say a few good ones are:
- Mindset is incredibly important, there are always different ways to approach and see the same situation and if you are able to build the right mindset and approach problems with a positive attitude, it helps immensely.
- It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute.
If someone was considering going to IEU, what would you tell them?
I would tell them to definitely consider it. There are few schools that combine such a diverse student body, great location and practical approach to education.
Why did you choose the dual degree BBA&LLB program at IE University?
At the time I was not sure whether I wanted to pursue law or business, so I thought if I have the chance to get a degree in both by just studying one year more that would be ideal. I was very interested in business, especially finance and the stock market but on the other hand intrigued by a career in law as well. I also thought that the two fields complement each other nicely as they are very interconnected.
What is one thing you wished you knew, when you were a student?
How quickly the time as a student (even five years) goes by. Although I don’t regret putting a lot of time into getting internships and building my career, I feel like it’s good to always remember that the time as a university student is truly unique and packed with so many great experiences that one should make the most out of it in every way possible.