Max Uebele
My career journey has been pretty diverse, taking me through various organizations, roles and countries. This unique trajectory has deepened my global insights and helped shape my perspective on what I can achieve professionally. However, coming to Spain and joining IE University was what really sparked my desire to expand my skill set.
When you go abroad for the first time, you see the opportunities that become available when you broaden your scope. Plus, the teaching culture here, based on small classes, group work and close interaction with professors, resonated with my own approach. You benefit from being collaborative rather than just studying alone. That’s why IE University was the perfect place for me: I could realize my goals and engage in my clubs without hurting my academic performance.
"When you go abroad for the first time, you see the opportunities that become available when you broaden your scope."
Q&A with Max
Why did you choose to pursue a dual master’s degree combining finance and data analytics at IE University?
I first joined IE University as a Master in Finance student, because I wanted to reach the next level after my CFA Level 1 qualification. However, one of my first accounting classes opened my eyes to the wider possibilities. I found that I could use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code to scale an inventory table and automate it for my exam. This realization showed me that, if I wanted to advance my career, I needed more than just finance skills, but also digital skills, coding skills and a deeper understanding of how artificial intelligence will impact the sector.
Luckily, the Dual Degree Master in Finance + Master in Business Analytics & Data Science ticked all the right boxes. It provided me a way to future-proof my career while building the advanced AI and analytical skills employers are looking for.
How has your academic experience in the dual degree been so far?
For me, what truly stood out is the program’s unique teaching approach. Technical modules are very practical, and our professors made even complex concepts easy to understand. Take our machine learning class, for example: we started with some theory, then moved on to coding before mastering the relevant tools hands-on.
This technique is great because you learn what’s relevant for practitioners today. You get to grips with the tools, but to truly interpret your results, you need a foundational theoretical basis.
Was it hard to learn coding as a beginner?
I didn’t have any experience with coding before IE University. Luckily, the Master in Finance offers several introductory sessions on Python and MATLAB, programming languages essential for data analytics. By the time I pivoted to my dual degree, I was already familiar with basic coding concepts, such as loops, so it was easy to practice parts of the program at home.
After that point, professors demand a lot. There are more code-writing assignments, for instance, which help students understand the subject even more.
What activities are you involved in outside of class?
I appreciate the knowledge and skills gained during my Dual Degree Master in Finance + Master in Business Analytics & Data Science, but my IE Experience has been about so much more.
I’ve been heavily involved in the Tech Venture Bootcamp. The crypto-based currency exchange we developed earned us industry recognition and helped our team secure our position as finalists.
Plus, it might be hard to believe, but I spend more than half my time on club work. It’s always been my dream to play in a band, so I joined the IE Music Club as soon as I could. Ultimately, I became club president and helped us transform from a group of casual jammers into a professional group. We’ve performed at various venues off-campus multiple times.
In your opinion, how will AI transform the future of the finance and data industries?
AI is making coding so much easier, which will free up professionals more and more to focus on the business fundamentals underpinning valuation methods. Even with such advancements in tech, the aim will be to enhance human judgment. I think that, in the next ten years, people skills will be increasingly required across all tech-related jobs.
So, what’s next for your career after this dual degree?
The demand for professional roles blending finance and data analytics is growing rapidly, and I’m happy to be ahead of the curve. Personally, I’m preparing to become the investment banker of the future, doing the same things but better, faster and relying on alternative types of data.
What’s your biggest takeaway from your time in the program?
Studying at IE University has helped me become a better data analyst and a better leader. But I’m also a better pianist. That’s a great combination, at least for my happiness.