Stefano Ciccarelli: combining programming and finance

Student Stefano Ciccarelli began his studies at Luiss with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Management, and later enrolled in a Master's Degree in Corporate Finance. Selected for the QTEM Masters Network program, he had the opportunity to study at EDHEC Business School and is currently spending a semester at Warwick Business School.

Stefano, along with another Luiss student, Pier Vincenzo Cucinella, won the Warwick Investment Challenge, the university's competition focused on financial markets. “The challenge was really interesting because it felt like we were immersed in a real-life situation. We were given data, and we had to decide what to do,” the student says.

The competition allowed students to gather information, devise strategies, study trends, and analyze industry performance. “Our algorithm, which is available online and always ready for use, allowed us to change the portfolio composition in just 10 minutes and generate a more accurate result than the other teams.”

Stefano says he chose Luiss primarily for its competitive environment, which motivates students to give their best by learning from those around them—fellow students and faculty. The best memory is “the time I spent at the Luiss Loft, my favorite place. There, I learned a lot by taking courses in prototyping and programming.”

He advises students not to be intimidated by challenges: “Get used to complexity and failure. This is, in fact, a formative and fundamental step toward achieving your goals. Be proactive, not reactive.”

Currently, Stefano has created his own website, financecs.com. Drawing on his experience from the Legalità e Merito project, where he taught high school students, he has developed the idea of “creating a platform—potentially free—to share and develop personal skills.”