Women’s revolution in finance
A conversation with Laura Grossi, Investment Banking Associate at FTI Capital Advisors
ENGLISH VERSION
For the nineteenth issue of EmpowHER, we had the pleasure of speaking with Laura Grossi, an Investment Banking Associate at FTI Capital Advisors in Dubai, whose story offers a strikingly honest reflection on ambition, international careers and the courage to forge a path beyond conventional expectations.
What emerged from our conversation was not the portrait of a perfectly linear career, but of a young professional who learned, step by step, to distinguish between external pressure and personal direction.
Laura’s academic and professional journey has taken her across several cities and realities: from Italy to Barcelona, Paris, London, and finally Dubai. She describes finance, at least initially, not as a childhood calling but as a field chosen also for its breadth and long-term usefulness. In her words, understanding numbers means gaining a skill that remains valuable far beyond finance itself, because it teaches you how to assess opportunities, interpret reality, and avoid depending entirely on others when making decisions.
One of the strongest themes of the conversation was precisely the pressure that often surrounds business school environments. Laura openly reflected on how, during university, she absorbed the idea that only a few paths, especially investment banking and consulting, were considered truly prestigious.
Looking back, however, she challenges that narrative. Her decision to move to Dubai rather than follow the more conventional route toward London was not only geographical, but symbolic: it was the choice to step away from a model that many accepted automatically, and to test herself in a market she perceived as faster-moving, less saturated, and more dynamic.
In speaking about the Middle East, Laura offers a perspective that goes beyond the superficial image of Dubai as simply a tax-free destination. What she emphasises instead is the importance of understanding the region with seriousness: its business environment,
geopolitics, and structural evolution. In her view, anyone who wants to work there must be able to explain not only why finance, but also why Dubai, with genuine awareness rather than convenience alone. This makes preparation essential, not just in technical terms, but also in terms of context, curiosity, and depth of interest.
That same seriousness emerges in the way she speaks about the profession itself.
Investment banking, in her account, is demanding and highly technical, but technical excellence alone is never enough. What truly differentiates people, especially in client-facing roles, is the ability to read the room, communicate effectively, and understand others. In an industry where many focus exclusively on hard skills, Laura sees empathy, social intelligence, and adaptability as genuine strengths. In this sense, her story suggests that what makes someone effective in finance is not only precision but also the ability to navigate people, cultures, and pressure with lucidity.
Another important aspect of her experience concerns international exposure. Whether discussing Dubai, Africa, or broader cross-cultural work environments, Laura underlines how much professional growth comes from discomfort. Working in environments that are still evolving, less standardised, and culturally different requires flexibility and forces you to think beyond fixed patterns. That, for her, is one of the real advantages of building a career outside the most traditional European routes.
The conversation also touched directly on gender.
Laura does not idealise the industry, and she speaks candidly about the comments and assumptions she has faced as a woman in investment banking: from being reduced to a quota to being underestimated because of her appearance. Yet the most powerful part of her reflection lies in her refusal to internalise those judgments. If anything, being underestimated became a motivation to prove that competence, consistency, and results speak louder over time than prejudice. Her account is a reminder that progress exists, but so do structural and cultural biases that women still have to navigate with awareness and resilience.
Equally central is her reflection on personal boundaries. Laura speaks with unusual honesty about overwork, toxic dynamics, and the importance of learning when to say no. In the early years of her career, she admits, there were many times when she should have protected herself more. Over time, however, she came to understand that effort has value only when it remains connected to growth, purpose, or personal conviction, and not when it becomes a habit of self-erasure.
This idea is closely tied to one of the clearest messages she leaves to younger women: work matters, but it should never consume identity.
A career is something you do, not the totality of who you are.
Finally, Laura also hints at a future that may evolve beyond corporate life. While she values everything her current experience is teaching her, she does not exclude an entrepreneurial path later on. This, too, fits the broader spirit of her story: the idea that no first choice has to be permanent, and that professional life should be allowed to change as people grow.
Her advice to students is therefore both practical and liberating: build strong foundations, prepare seriously, stay curious, trust your instincts, and do not let comparison dictate your pace.
Above all, remember that you are the asset: once that awareness is real, ambition becomes not a performance for others, but a choice made on your own terms.