Master of Science in Commodity Trading: a unique journey into the commodity trading world with ING

The Master’s Degree in Commodity Trading is a programme created by the University of Geneva in response to a need identified by the commodity trading, commodity finance, and shipping community in Switzerland. ING, one of the key market players in the commodity trading business in Switzerland, has been supporting the growth of the trading community with its active partnership in the programme, proactively investing in the training of the next generations, contributing to the Swiss ecosystem in the commodity industry.

“We are proud to have been supporting the programme for 15 years already. Since 2010, we have offered approximately 60 students a sponsored traineeship, which is a requirement to start the master’s degree. Between 5 and 7 students per intake started their traineeship at ING, with many of them converting into full-time positions at our organization after completing their degree” – says Gregory Lambillon, CEO and Country Manager of ING in Switzerland.  

ING offers students a chance to make the absolute most of their time spent at the bank, with interesting career opportunities and a highly mobile, international, vibrant and diverse working environment.

The traineeship is organized in multiple department rotations, spread up to 18 months. The bank offers an extended duration as compared to the 12-month required minimum, providing a meaningful education and learning journey to students. They are exposed to different areas of the bank, including trade finance, transaction management, front office, financial and non-financial risk, trade operations, and client services. This unique set up gives an understanding of more than a single position providing the students with a more holistic understanding of the bank’s role in supporting commodity clients.

From day one, students learn about the clients’ businesses and the sectors they operate in. Within weeks, they contribute to analysis and recommendations that influence significant decision making. Meanwhile, they spend one day and a half per week in class, gaining further theoretical input required to develop in the field.

“Students not only gain extensive knowledge with transferrable skills from a leading bank, but also work with seasoned professionals who provide guidance, support, and insights into the business world. The integration is facilitated by the onboarding process which sees to make them feel welcomed and familiarizes them with the ING culture. They also collaborate with colleagues across the world in the different branches of the bank, from Singapore to New York” – says Sandrine Walrand, head of HR at ING in Switzerland.

Given the expertise they develop, ING’s objective is to retain talented students at the end of the program, what they are very enthusiastic about. Experience demonstrates that students have chosen and been given the opportunity to develop within the organization, and many alumni of the programme are currently highly valued employees, including team-leads, experts and relationship managers.

“We believe that the combination of rotations, international exposure, access to expertise and trainings is a win-win combination for both the students and the bank. Because at the end of the day, this programme is about transferring an intimate passion for the commodity industry that we have at ING, and about supporting the Swiss economy through the development of a future generation of talents” – concludes Gregory Lambillon, CEO and Country Manager of ING in Switzerland.