Natixis Investment Managers celebrates the finale of “The Students Challenge”

The fifth edition of the competition was defined by a wide range of participant backgrounds, strong international engagement, and a particularly challenging market environment.
 

BOSTON, March 14, 2025 – Natixis Investment Managers (Natixis IM) concluded the fifth edition of its competition, The Students Challenge, on Thursday, May 22, 2025, with a final round held in Paris. The event brought together three finalists teams composed of six students, selected from nearly 350 registered candidates across 70 teams representing universities and business schools worldwide. This edition underscored the unique positioning of the Challenge within the educational and financial landscape, offering students a unique, immersive experience in asset management.
 

Diversity of profiles and international dimension

Launched in 2019 by a collective of committed employees, The Students Challenge has established itself over the years as a recognized program for knowledge transfer, inclusive participation, and professional development. Initially focused on students from France, the competition now attracts a wide range of international profiles from various educational backgrounds: business schools, engineering schools, and university programs. For example, this year’s competition welcomed international teams from New York University, Boston University and University of Massachusetts (United States); Rabat Business School (Morocco); EBS Universität (Germany); and Università Bocconi (Italy). They competed alongside students from leading French institutions such as HEC Paris, ESSEC, Centrale Supélec, SKEMA, Paris Dauphine, EM Lyon, Bordeaux University, Paris 2 University, Sciences Po Paris, IESEG, IAE Paris-Est, NEOMA, and KEDGE – illustrating the program’s broad academic reach and global appeal.
 

Experiential portfolio management in a particularly volatile and demanding market environment

After an initial selection of 12 teams to participate in the Challenge, students managed a virtual multi-asset portfolio of $100 million over a three-month period, from February to April 2025. This edition of the Challenge took place in a particularly unstable and demanding market environment, characterized by rising interest rates, tensions in bond markets, and high volatility. Each team had access to tools from the FactSet platform and ESG data from Morningstar | Sustainalytics – partners of the competition – as well as mentorship from two managers from representing affiliated management companies within the Natixis IM group. This year, the finalist teams were supported by specialists from Ossiam, Ostrum Asset Management, and Ecofi. In addition to applying technical skills in asset management and ESG analysis, the experience also fostered the development of essential interpersonal competencies for future portfolio managers, such as teamwork and collective decision-making in a complex environment. In line with the profession's requirements, evaluation criteria included not only financial performance but also the soundness of the investment thesis presented, its coherence with the macro-financial context, and the rigor applied in risk monitoring.

Another noteworthy innovation of this edition was a half-day workshop dedicated to the 18 finalists. It included testimonials from employees of Natixis IM and its affiliates, an interview preparation session led by human resources and an external agency, a LinkedIn optimization module with a specialized agency, and a professional photo session to enhance each finalist’s professional profile.
 

“TCP Investment Managers” wins the 2025 edition

At the end of the grand finale, the team "TCP Investment Managers," sponsored by Émilie Huot and M'hamed Fenniri, both fund managers at Ostrum AM, won the 2025 edition. The three finalist teams – TCP Investment Managers, EM Capital, and The Riskies – all achieved positive performance over the three-month investment¹ period, with respective returns of +2.95%, +3.64%, and +2.97%, while strictly adhering to all management constraints, including a volatility of less than 10%, integrating ESG criteria, and respecting at a minimum the principles of the United Nations Global Compact for the selection of securities. As in previous years, the winning team is offered an employment opportunity on a fixed-term contract in one of Natixis IM's affiliated management companies.

Badr-eddine Tahir, a winner of this 5th edition, reflected on his victory: "I am very proud to win this competition which is the result of three months of intense work and exceptional collaboration. During The Students Challenge by Natixis Investment Managers, my team, TCP Investment Managers, implemented a global macro strategy aimed at combining performance and strong integration of ESG criteria. This competition, rich in learning, would not have been possible without the support of our mentors at Ostrum AM and the commitment of the organizers. Our victory marks the beginning of a new adventure in responsible finance for my team and me."

The feedback from Anne-Sophie Santos, a winner of the 2022 edition and now a portfolio manager at VEGA Investment Solutions, an affiliate of Natixis IM, illustrates the concrete impact of the Challenge: "The competition's very realistic approach allowed us to understand real management conditions, especially in a tense bond context at the time with rising interest rates across Europe." Following this competition, she joined Natixis IM on a fixed-term contract as an assistant portfolio manager, before being offered a permanent contract as a portfolio manager a year later. This year, Santos participated in the selection of finalist teams as a jury member, highlighting "an exceptional level of preparation and remarkable maturity among the candidates."

Christophe Lanne, Global Chief Human Resources Officer and Global Chief Operating & Transformation Officer of Natixis IM stated: "A concrete illustration of the entrepreneurial spirit and talent-oriented culture we cultivate at Natixis IM, The Students Challenge reflects our vision of the profession: demanding, collaborative, and open to the world. This initiative goes beyond simply passing on our know-how; it also enriches us with the ideas and new perspectives brought by these young talents."

Registrations for the sixth edition of the program will open in autumn 2025.