The latest episode of FS Inside Track introduces a journey shaped by curiosity, discipline, and the quiet confidence that comes from following a path that unfolds gradually. Speaking with Chiara Lattanzio, PhD student in Financial Economics at UCL and soon to begin her role as an Economist at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), you’re reminded that careers in finance don’t always follow traditional routes. Sometimes they emerge from research, reflection, and openness to the unexpected.

Starting a PhD in a Pandemic

Chiara moved to London in September 2020, choosing to begin her PhD in person despite the option to study remotely.

“I wanted to start a new chapter of my life.”

She joined UCL’s brand‑new Financial Economics PhD programme - becoming part of its first graduating cohort. The programme offered academic depth, exposure to London’s wider university network, and proximity to Canary Wharf’s financial ecosystem. It was an environment where theory and practice sat side by side.

Learning by Teaching

From her second year onward, Chiara served as a teaching assistant for UCL’s Master in Finance and the new Master in Finance & Data Science.

“The teaching assistant is a bridge between the professor and the students.”

Having only recently completed her own master’s degree, she understood the pressures her students faced. Teaching strengthened her communication skills and helped her connect her research to real-world questions - especially when students wanted to debate regulation, banking incentives, and financial stability.

An Unexpected Destination: The BIS

In her final year, Chiara entered the academic job market - a demanding and unpredictable process. She didn’t expect to land at the BIS, but second‑stage interviews changed everything.

Her new role in Basel will focus on understanding the banking system, monetary policy transmission, and writing policy reports for regulators and central bankers. It’s rigorous, influential work - and a natural extension of the research she has spent years developing.

Progress Isn’t Linear

Chiara’s reflections on her PhD are refreshingly honest.

“You don’t control the pace at which you progress. Just accept it.”

She describes days of breakthrough and days of circling the same problem endlessly. Her advice is simple:

• step away when you’re stuck

• talk to people

• don’t isolate yourself

• let ideas breathe

She credits her supervisor, Frederic Malherbe, for striking the right balance between independence and support - helping her grow without ever feeling alone.

Looking Ahead

After more than a decade inside universities, Chiara is ready for change.

“I’m excited about meeting new people, people with different perspectives.”

Fresh perspectives, she says, can unlock new ideas - even in research she has lived with for years. Basel, with its international community and central banking heritage, feels like the right place for this next chapter.

Advice for Those Coming After Her

Chiara’s message to PhD students approaching the job market is grounded in openness rather than prediction.

“I would have never imagined landing at the BIS… be ready for anything.”

Her guidance is simple: Don’t over‑engineer your future. Opportunities often come from directions you didn’t anticipate. Stay receptive, explore widely, and trust that the right environment will reveal itself.

Why Chiara’s Story Matters

Chiara’s journey captures what FS Inside Track is all about: real stories of how people find their way into financial services, often through routes that don’t look linear or traditional.

Her experience highlights the value of patience, the importance of community, and the reality that progress comes in jumps, not straight lines. It’s a reminder that finance is not one path - it is many. And sometimes the most meaningful path is the one you didn’t plan for.