Excel Dashboards in HR and Finance: Visualizing Data for Smarter Decision-Making

 Snehasish CHINARA

In this article, Alisa-Arifa AGALI ABDOU TOURÉ (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor of Business Administration – Exchange student from Germany, 2024-2025) describes the benefits of using Excel dashboards in human resources (HR) and financial management.

Also, how Excel dashboards help to accurately evaluate, clearly display and efficiently analyze important key figures such as fluctuation, absences, turnover or cash flow.

What is an Excel dashboard (for example in the HR or finance department)?

Excel dashboard in HR management or finance department is a visual analysis tool that provides a clear overview of important key figures in a company. These include, for example: key personnel figures, employee absences, fluctuation and more. It helps the HR department in the company to quickly evaluate data and ensure that everything is accurate, helping them to make the right decisions. With the help of tables or diagrams and the right formatting, important information can be captured, and anomalies are quickly visible. Dashboards save time, increase transparency and support data-based personnel management.

Advantage

How can Excel dashboards be an advantage in finance?

Excel dashboards offer a number of advantages in finance, for example, the ability to filter and update data at any time, providing a clear and transparent overview of the various financial developments. The use of Excel dashboards in a company promotes transparency in areas such as income, expenses, budgets and forecasts, which is very important for the controlling and HR departments. Another important reason why Excel dashboards are beneficial in a company is that dashboards can play a major role in important decisions, as they clearly show important key figures such as cash flow, profit margins or ROI. Dashboards also save a company an enormous amount of time when processing data.

Key components and application areas of financial dashboards in Excel

A financial dashboard shows all relevant key figures to present the financial situation of a company as simply and comprehensibly as possible. Among other things, a financial dashboard shows the development of turnover over various periods of time and also provides a detailed cost analysis, breaking down into fixed and variable costs. Other important components that a financial dashboard shows are the profit and loss statement, cash flow overviews and key financial figures such as ROI or liquidity ratios. Excel dashboards are used in numerous areas such as controlling, financial planning, capital budgeting and reporting. They support employees in the respective departments in their analyses and strategic decisions through the acquired data they find there.

Efficient data processing and analysis with Excel tools and functions

Excel provides a variety of tools and functions that simplify the processing of data and provide a clear overview. The useful tools and functions include, for example, tables and charts, which enable flexible and dynamic data analysis in companies, slicers and timeline filters facilitate control. Formulas and functions such as “IF” or “INDEX” can be used to perform calculations and automatically adapt to changes. Another important point regarding the efficient use of Excel dashboards is the help of Power Query and Power Pivot, which allows large amounts of data to be easily and efficiently evaluated, adjusted, imported or modalized.

To summarize

It is a great advantage for companies to introduce Excel dashboards into their departments, especially in departments such as HR and financial management. They help to work more efficiently and simplify processes, create a clear and transparent overview of data processing and visualize important key figures such as employee turnover, absenteeism, sales or cash flow.

Thanks to the elements and functions such as filters, charts, pivot tables, Power Query and Power Pivot offered by Excel Dashboards, the large and unclear amount of data can be filtered, analyzed and updated in a targeted manner so that the data is as up to date as possible.

Excel dashboards also promote strategic planning and save valuable time when creating reports. They support data-based management, are flexible and cost-effective for the company and save time.

Why should I be interested in this post?

As an ESSEC student, this article may be of interest because it shows how Excel dashboards in HR and finance can contribute to data-based decision-making and the important role they play in a company. Tools such as Excel dashboards are an important component in today’s world and a skill that is in great demand both in studies and in the professional world, as Excel dashboards help to analyze processes efficiently and present important key figures in an understandable way.

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   ▶ Alisa-Arifa AGALI ABDOU TOURÉ My Experience at DHL- Bremen in the HR department

About the author

The article was written in August 2025 by Alisa-Arifa AGALI ABDOU TOURÉ (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor of Business Administration – Exchange student from Germany, 2024-2025).

My Experience at DHL- Bremen in the HR department

 Snehasish CHINARA

In this article, Alisa-Arifa AGALI ABDOU TOURÉ (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor of Business Administration – Exchange student from Germany, 2024-2025) shares her professional experience as an intern at DHL.

About the company

DHL was founded in San Francisco in 1969 by Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn. The company’s global headquarters are located in Bonn, Germany. In 1998, Deutsche Post AG began the takeover and fully integrated DHL into the Group in 2002, which today operates under the name DHL Group.

HR DHL
Logo of DHL
Source: the company.

My internship

During my time in the HR department at DHL Bremen, I was able to gain valuable insights, for example, I was able to see and understand the HR processes. The department is responsible for several aspects such as recruiting & onboarding, employee support, payroll accounting and supporting personnel development. In a company as large as DHL, the HR team ensures smooth communication between management and employees within the company.

My Mission

My internship involved a range of responsibilities, including employer branding & engagement, administrative support for employees, and the recruiting process.

  • Employer Branding & Engagement: Participation in employee events, surveys and employee retention initiatives
  • Administrative support for employees: planning, maintaining sick notes and absences, master data management
  • Recruiting process: This includes determining requirements, creating job advertisements and organizing structured onboarding for the successful integration of new employees.

What have I learned

During my time at DHL in Bremen, I was able to get to know important processes that I had already learned theoretically during my studies, but was able to apply practically in my job in the HR department. I was able to get to know processes such as how recruiting, onboarding and personnel administration are developed. I learned how important it is to plan vacation and absence management as accurately as possible and how important it is for the company that everything happens as smoothly as possible. I was also able to expand my knowledge in the areas of personnel budget planning, fluctuation rates and remuneration models. The close cooperation with different departments and employees was particularly valuable for me. I was able to learn a lot of new things and apply and expand my existing skills and knowledge.

Required skills

The position requires communication and organizational skills. To be able to plan and organize employee events as accurately as possible, this requires precise analysis, coordination of surveys to meet the expectations and wishes of the employees. It also requires knowledge in the administration of personnel planning, such as vacation planning, sick leave and absence control. Another important skill for this position is working together as a team to determine requirements, create job descriptions and organize a structured onboarding process. Teamwork and empathy are also very important.

Business concepts related to my internship

Personnel budget planning

An important financial concept in HR activities is personnel budget planning, HR key figures, salary structures and remuneration models. Personnel budget planning is an important component of strategic HR work. Personnel budget planning shows exactly what budget is available to the company in relation to personnel costs. Costs such as salaries, social security contributions, recruiting costs and others are planned and allocated for the year. It is important to plan this as accurately as possible in order to avoid staff shortages and act as efficiently as possible. The HR department works very closely with the Controlling department, the planning of the budget is an important point for an efficient and sustainable personnel strategy.

HR key figures

HR KPIs include the analysis of key figures such as turnover rate. The turnover rate describes the number of employees who voluntarily or involuntarily leave the company in a year. It is also an important aspect, as it reflects the stability and satisfaction of employees. In addition, the turnover rate must always be kept in mind, as a high fluctuation rate can indicate structural problems in the company. If you have this well under control, you can avoid additional costs in the company.

Salary structures and remuneration models

Remuneration must be planned as accurately and appropriately as possible. Salary structures and remuneration models lead to fair remuneration management in the company. The salary structures and remuneration models determine how the employees’ salaries are composed, including aspects such as the employee’s position and function, experience and qualifications. The Salary structures and remuneration model also incorporates active plus points such as awards and bonuses. This serves to increase the motivation of existing employees and to attract new employees for various positions.

Why should I be interested in this post?

As an ESSEC Business School student, the position at DHL can be very interesting, as the company shows you how theoretical knowledge from the areas of HR, controlling and organization is applied in practice in the company. In the company, you gain valuable insights into various areas such as recruiting, personnel budget planning and employer branding, giving you valuable insights into strategic HR work in an international group.

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Useful resources

careers.dhl.com/global/en/job/

About the author

The article was written in August 2025 by Alisa-Arifa AGALI ABDOU TOURÉ (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor of Business Administration – Exchange student from Germany, 2024-2025).

My internship at the law firm Maître Abouba Aly Maiga et Associés

 Snehasish CHINARA

In this article, Alisa-Arifa AGALI ABDOU TOURÉ (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor of Business Administration – Exchange student from Germany, 2024-2025) shares her professional experience as an intern at the law firm Maître Abouba Aly Maiga et Associés in Mali.

About the company

The law firm was founded in 1990 by Mr. Maître Abouba Aly Maiga. Since then, the firm has provided services in a wide range of legal fields. The areas of law offered by Maître Abouba Aly Maiga and Associes are commercial law, business law, national and international criminal law, administrative law, matrimonial law, labor law and international law. One of the reasons for the firm’s success is that it offers its clients services in various areas of law.

Logo of the law firm Abouba Aly Maiga et Associés.
Logo of Maître Abouba Aly Maiga et Associés
Source: the company.

The firm represents not only civilians but also, for example, ministers, soldiers and large companies and deals with international relations and litigation. Maître Abouba Aly Maiga began his career in Bamako, Mali. In addition to the firm, he is the first Vice President and President Africa of the International Bar Association and Vice President of the A.E.A. (European Bar Association), he is also a former member of the Council of the Order.

My internship

My 6 months of my internship abroad at the law firm was an extremely valuable experience for me and gave me a deep insight into a law firm. During my time there, I was able to take part in many exciting and enriching tasks that not only helped me professionally, but also personally. In particular, the work in the field of corporate law and international law as well as the participation in court proceedings and hearings have shaped me a lot and broadened my view of legal practice.

My missions

During my internship at the law firm, I had a variety of tasks that gave me a deep insight into the day-to-day work of a law firm and showed me what the process in a law firm is like. My tasks included, for example, taking part in client meetings and helping lawyers to develop individual legal solutions. Another important insight was to see how professional client communication works.

Another task I was allowed to take on during my internship at the law firm was to read case files and follow legal processes, especially in the areas of corporate and international law. I regularly attended court hearings, where I was able to experience the lawyers’ argumentation strategies first-hand. Furthermore, I was able to learn the practical handling of complex cases. In addition, I prepared the team meetings and created presentations, took minutes and thus contributed to the internal communication of the law firm.

Required skills and knowledge

Certain skills and knowledge were particularly important for my internship at the Law firm Maître Abouba Aly Maiga. These included basic knowledge of international and corporate law, and a good understanding of legal structures and procedures. Another important point is strong communication skills and intercultural competence to work successfully with colleagues and clients from different backgrounds.

Language skills, especially in French, were also very helpful in order to be able to actively participate in discussions and court hearings. In addition, strategic thinking, initiative, confidentiality in dealing with sensitive information and confident use of digital tools were also important skills.

What I learned

During my internship, I was able to gain valuable insights, such as the internal processes of an international law firm, and I was able to apply my theoretical knowledge from my studies in practice. Especially the work in the area of international and corporate law helped me to better understand the processes. I was also able to improve my French language skills through daily exchanges with colleagues and clients. Overall, I learned to act more confidently in a new environment and to adapt flexibly to different professional and cultural situations.

Financial concepts related to my internship

I present below three financial concepts related to my internship: invoicing and cost management, SWOT analysis for strategic planning, and client retention through advertising and pricing.

Invoicing and Cost Management

During my internship, I was made aware of the importance of structured invoicing for a law firm’s cash flow. Accurate documentation of services rendered, and timely invoicing are crucial to ensure regular income for the law firm. Efficient cost management was a key issue at the law firm, as the firm constantly strives to control and document its expenditure, for example on personnel, technology and office infrastructure. A good cost structure has a direct impact on the profit margin and competitiveness in the market.

Strategic Planning using SWOT Analysis

Another important point is the SWOT analysis. Through the SWOT analysis, I quickly understood how financial opportunities and risks are identified and integrated into strategic planning. Aspects such as investing in technology or recognizing threats from cheaper online law firms play an important role.

Client Retention through Advertising and Pricing

Targeted advertising campaigns and appropriate prices are effective ways of retaining customers in the long term and ensuring financial stability. It was particularly important to adapt the price structure to the target groups’ willingness to pay in order to ensure financial stability.

Why should I be interested in this post?

As an exchange student ESSEC Business School student, I am interested in the position at Maître Abouba Aly Maiga et Associés because it offers a combination of international business law and strategic thinking. The internship at the law firm offers a very deep insight into the areas of legal work and business aspects such as SWOT analyses or cost management. It is particularly interesting to work on real cases, attend court hearings and carry out financial and legal analyses relevant to the firm and make decisions. The internship is ideal for students who are interested in business law or who want to work at the interface of law and business.

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Useful resources

Cabinet Abouba Aly Maiga et Associés

About the author

The article was written in August 2025 by Alisa-Arifa AGALI ABDOU TOURÉ (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor of Business Administration – Exchange student from Germany, 2024-2025).

My professional experience as Head of Data Modelling

Rohit SALUNKE

In this article, Rohit SALUNKE (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole Program – Master in Management, 2018-2021) shares his professional experience as Head of Data Modelling, leading advanced analytics, AI, and reporting solutions for a global investment organisation.

About the company

Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 2004, it has become a multi-billion-euro investment house with expertise across private debt, real assets, private equity, and capital markets strategies. The company manages assets for institutional and private investors worldwide, relying on a long-term investment philosophy and strong entrepreneurial culture.

Tikehau Capital is listed on Euronext Paris and operates in over a dozen countries. Its diversified investment strategies and robust risk management have contributed to consistent growth and resilience across market cycles.

Logo of Tikehau Capital.
Logo of Tikehau Capital
Source: Tikehau Capital.

About the role

As Head of Data Modelling, I was responsible for the strategic design, architecture, and delivery of the organisation’s enterprise-wide analytics infrastructure. My role bridged technology, quantitative modelling, and business strategy, ensuring that investment, risk, and operational teams had access to powerful, automated, and reliable data-driven tools. I oversaw the entire lifecycle of data and analytics projects—from ideation and design to deployment and continuous improvement—while directly coordinating with C-level executives and department heads to align technology solutions with organisational goals.

My Experience

My core responsibility was managing the architecture of our Databricks and PowerBI/Python reporting ecosystem, making it the central platform for the organisation’s portfolio analytics and operational reporting. I led the data strategy for our IT-Quant Cell, which served as a specialised unit delivering high-value analytics to investment and risk teams across multiple asset classes.

One of my most impactful projects was the full-stack development of an AI assistant for answering investor due diligence questionnaires (DDQs). This system combined Databricks Genie with open-webui, enabling internal teams to query complex datasets interactively. Additionally, I built NLP-based solutions to parse and extract information from unstructured documents—such as contracts, company filings, and financial statements—streamlining internal research and reporting workflows.

On the quantitative modelling front, I developed a bond valuation engine capable of pricing both individual securities and portfolios, as well as default probability models for issuers and securities. These tools allowed risk managers to proactively identify watchlist names, foresee covenant breaches, and anticipate coupon defaults. I also delivered full-stack stress testing and credit spread models for private debt and distressed debt portfolios, enabling portfolio managers to assess market scenarios and security-level risks with precision.

For cash flow management, I designed a forecasting engine tailored to private debt portfolios, integrating it with operational and client service functions to automate forecast reporting for investors. I also led the development of large-scale automated reporting solutions capable of generating PDF, PPTX, Word, and Excel outputs, meeting the regulatory and investor requirements of multiple jurisdictions.

Collaboration and Leadership

My role demanded close coordination with the CTO, COO, CFO, department heads, and technical leads to define priorities, allocate resources, and ensure delivery. I managed multi-departmental projects spanning Risk, Investment, Operations, Sales, and Finance, as well as asset class–specific initiatives in Private Debt and Equity, Fixed Income, CLOs, and Real Estate. This cross-functional exposure ensured our solutions were both technically sound and operationally relevant.

Beyond technical delivery, I implemented interactive dashboards for risk monitoring, fundraising, investor onboarding, and portfolio analytics—empowering top management, risk managers, and portfolio managers with actionable insights. I also provided mentorship to analysts and senior executives, guiding them through the adoption of new tools, processes, and workflows.

Required skills and knowledge

This role required deep expertise in data architecture (Databricks, SQL), advanced analytics (Python, NLP, quantitative finance), and visualisation (PowerBI). The ability to translate complex business needs into scalable, maintainable, and user-friendly systems was critical. Equally important were leadership and stakeholder management skills, enabling me to bring together technical and non-technical teams to achieve common objectives.

What I learned

In this position, I learned how to combine cutting-edge technology with robust quantitative frameworks to address the evolving demands of a global investment business. I developed a stronger appreciation for the balance between innovation and operational stability—ensuring that every model, dashboard, or AI system could be trusted by those making high-stakes decisions. Most importantly, I saw firsthand how data strategy, when aligned with business objectives, can transform portfolio monitoring, risk management, and investor communication.

Financial concepts related to my role

Credit spread modelling

Credit spread modelling is the process of estimating the additional yield or premium investors require to compensate for the credit risk of a bond or loan compared to a risk-free benchmark, typically government securities. This spread reflects the market’s perception of the issuer’s default risk, liquidity risk, and other factors affecting creditworthiness. In my role, I built sophisticated credit spread models that integrated multiple layers of data, including macroeconomic variables (such as interest rates, GDP growth, and inflation), issuer-specific fundamentals (like leverage ratios, profitability, and cash flow stability), and real-time market indicators (credit default swap spreads, bond prices, and trading volumes). These models enabled risk managers and portfolio managers to estimate fair value spreads, detect deviations from expected spreads, and identify mispriced securities. The ability to quantify and forecast credit spreads was critical for pricing, risk management, and strategic asset allocation across private debt and distressed debt portfolios.

Stress testing

Stress testing involves evaluating how a portfolio or individual securities would perform under severe but plausible adverse market conditions. It is a key risk management tool that helps identify vulnerabilities and potential losses in extreme scenarios, such as economic recessions, interest rate shocks, or credit market disruptions. I developed full-stack stress testing models that allowed users to apply shocks and scenario analyses both at the individual security level and the aggregated portfolio level. These models incorporated changes in key variables including interest rates, credit spreads, default rates, and macroeconomic indicators. By simulating various stress scenarios, investment and risk teams could assess the resilience of portfolios, anticipate potential covenant breaches or defaults, and plan mitigation strategies. This was especially important for private debt and special opportunities portfolios, where cash flows and valuations can be highly sensitive to changing market environments.

Default probability modelling

Default probability modelling quantifies the likelihood that an issuer or specific security will fail to meet its financial obligations within a defined time horizon. Accurate default prediction is fundamental to credit risk management, pricing, and portfolio construction. I designed models leveraging a combination of financial statement ratios (such as debt coverage, liquidity, and profitability metrics), market-based indicators (equity volatility, credit spreads), and qualitative industry or sector factors to generate forward-looking default probabilities. These models powered watchlists and early-warning systems, enabling portfolio managers to identify issuers at risk of covenant breaches, coupon defaults, or bankruptcy. By anticipating potential defaults, the investment teams could proactively adjust exposures, engage with issuers, or hedge positions, thereby reducing portfolio losses and improving overall risk-adjusted returns.

Why should I be interested in this post?

This post offers valuable insights for students and professionals keen on the intersection of quantitative finance, data architecture, and AI-driven solutions within the asset management industry. It illustrates how leadership in data modelling and technology can directly impact critical investment functions such as portfolio strategy, risk assessment, and investor communications. Understanding how sophisticated models and automated analytics tools are developed and deployed equips aspiring quants, data scientists, and financial engineers with a clearer picture of real-world applications beyond theory—highlighting the importance of cross-functional collaboration, scalable system design, and continuous innovation in today’s complex financial markets.

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Useful resources

Academic articles

Duffie, D., & Singleton, K. J. (2012). Credit Risk: Pricing, Measurement, and Management (illustrated edition). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Business resources

Tikehau Capital

Tikehau Capital Solutions

Claessens S., Pazarbasioglu C., Laeven L., Dobler M., Valencia F., Nedelescu O., and Seal K. (2011) Crisis Management and Resolution: Early Lessons from the Financial Crisis, IMF

Preqin Alternative data platform

BlackRock eFront – Portfolio Management Solution

About the author

The article was written in August 2025 by Rohit SALUNKE (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole Program – Master in Management, 2018-2021).

My professional experience as Business & Data Analyst at Tikehau Capital

Rohit SALUNKE

In this article, Rohit SALUNKE (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole Program – Master in Management, 2018-2021) shares his professional experience as Business & Data Analyst at Tikehau Capital.

About the company

Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 2004, it has become a multi-billion-euro investment house with expertise across private debt, real assets, private equity, and capital markets strategies. The company manages assets for institutional and private investors worldwide, relying on a long-term investment philosophy and strong entrepreneurial culture.

Tikehau Capital is a public company listed on Euronext Paris and operates in over a dozen countries. Its diversified investment strategies and robust risk management have contributed to consistent growth and resilience across market cycles.

Logo of Tikehau Capital.
Logo of Tikehau Capital
Source: Tikehau Capital.

I worked in the Information & Technology (IT) department of Tikehau Capital, and collaborated extensively across various teams within the organisation. My projects focused on building tools and processes that directly supported investment decision-making and portfolio monitoring.

My Experience

As a Business & Data Analyst in the IT department, my role was to design, develop, and deploy technology solutions for the company. I collaborated with several stakeholders such as Investment team, Risk, Operations, Sales and Marketing, Client Services and Top Management. Within the Investment teams I touched on topics across the TKO strategies, Private Debt, Private Equity, Tactical Strategies, Real Assets and Capital Market Strategies. This included working closely with investment professionals to understand their analytical needs and then translating those into scalable, automated systems for data processing, quantitative analysis and reporting.

My missions

As the technical lead and subject matter expert for a major digitisation project in an agile environment, I drove revenue and productivity enhancements through automation, data analysis, and improvements in data quality and reporting. My role involved analysing TKO’s portfolio of private investments, building automated reporting engines, developing quantitative analytics modules for portfolio monitoring, and creating ETL pipelines to consolidate data from multiple internal and external sources. I collaborated extensively across functions—including Sales, Product, Marketing, Finance, Client Services, Fund Operations, Risk, Investment, Private Debt, Private Equity, and Real Estate—to ensure the successful delivery of technology solutions aligned with business needs.

Key projects included: developing quarterly investor reporting automation tools for several business units (Python, Databricks, Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Excel); leading the private markets data migration to Databricks and introducing company-wide KPI harmonisation, boosting efficiency by 12x; implementing dashboards for use by both cross-functional teams and top management (Databricks, PowerBI); and automating report delivery to clients (Power Automate). I also led analysts through project lifecycles, providing coaching to both junior and senior team members on in-house and external tools.

From an analytics perspective, I delivered asset performance analyses across funds and asset classes, supported fundraising and investor onboarding analytics, conducted risk assessments on asset performance under economic stress, and developed in-house benchmarking for Private Debt funds in collaboration with external partners. On the investor relations side, I handled institutional investor performance reporting requests. For data quality, I monitored internal platforms, managed escalation processes, and mitigated risks, issues, and dependencies to maintain the integrity and reliability of critical datasets.

Required skills and knowledge

In my role at Tikehau Capital, I developed a combination of technical, analytical, and cross-functional skills that enabled me to deliver technology solutions supporting investment decision-making across multiple asset classes. One of the key technical skills I applied was advanced programming in Python and SQL, which I used to design ETL pipelines, automate reporting processes, and integrate data from multiple sources into Databricks. I also gained deep expertise in dashboard creation and visualisation using PowerBI, allowing me to present complex portfolio performance metrics in a clear and actionable format for both senior management and investment teams.

I strengthened my understanding of private markets data structures, particularly within private debt, private equity, and real estate. This included learning how to manage and standardise KPIs across the organisation to ensure consistency in reporting and analysis. My work required strong knowledge of data governance and quality control, as I was responsible for monitoring internal platforms, managing data integrity issues, and implementing processes to improve accuracy and reliability.

On the soft skills side, I honed my ability to gather business requirements from diverse stakeholders and translate them into technical specifications. This meant working closely with colleagues from Sales, Product, Marketing, Finance, Client Services, Fund Operations, Risk, and Investment teams in an agile environment. I also developed leadership skills by guiding analysts through the project lifecycle and providing coaching to both junior and senior professionals on the use of in-house and external tools. Finally, I gained significant experience in investor relations support by preparing data for performance reporting, responding to institutional investor requests, and ensuring clear, professional communication of complex investment information.

What I learned

One of the most valuable lessons I learned at Tikehau Capital was how technology teams can act as strategic partners to investment teams across multiple asset classes, including Private Debt, Private Equity, Capital Market Strategies (CMS), Tactical Strategies, and Real Assets. Working in the IT department while collaborating closely with investment specialists taught me how to align technical solutions with diverse investment strategies and operational requirements. For example, during the digitisation project, I learned how to translate complex business requirements from each asset class into scalable automation, analytics, and reporting tools that directly improved portfolio monitoring, decision-making, and investor communication.

I gained a deeper understanding of asset class–specific analytics: in Private Debt and Private Equity, I worked on performance tracking, KPI harmonisation, and risk analytics; in CMS and Tactical Strategies, I learned how derivative positions and macro-driven strategies required different data models and stress-testing frameworks; and in Real Assets, I helped design systems that tracked physical asset performance alongside market and operational metrics. This cross-asset exposure enhanced my ability to adapt technical workflows to varied investment approaches.

From a technical perspective, I refined my proficiency in Python, SQL, Databricks, and PowerBI, using them to build ETL pipelines, automation workflows, and dashboards that served both analysts and senior management. I also honed my problem-solving skills by identifying bottlenecks in reporting processes and implementing solutions that improved efficiency by more than 10x in some areas. Additionally, I learned the importance of outcome evaluation—ensuring that every dataset, whether for an internal management dashboard or an institutional investor report, was accurate, consistent, and presented in a clear, actionable format tailored to the needs of each asset class.

Financial concepts related to my internship

I present below three financial concepts related to my internship and how they were applied in my work at Tikehau Capital: Portfolio monitoring, Credit risk metrics, and Cash flow forecasting.

Portfolio monitoring

Portfolio monitoring is the ongoing process of tracking an investment portfolio’s performance, risk profile, and compliance status to ensure it aligns with its strategic objectives. This involves assessing metrics such as returns, volatility, drawdowns, asset allocation shifts, and adherence to investment guidelines. Effective portfolio monitoring enables timely decision-making, allowing managers to rebalance, hedge, or adjust positions in response to market movements or changes in portfolio objectives. During my time in the IT department working closely with investment specialists across private debt, private equity, CMS strategies, tactical asset allocation, and real assets, I learned how technology can streamline this process. The reporting engines I built automated large parts of the workflow—integrating data from multiple sources, applying valuation models, and generating performance dashboards—allowing investment teams to access accurate, real-time insights without the delays and potential errors of manual data handling. This experience deepened my understanding of how portfolio monitoring supports not only performance measurement but also risk management, regulatory compliance, and informed strategic decision-making.

Credit risk metrics

Credit risk metrics are quantitative and qualitative measures used to evaluate the likelihood that a borrower will default on their obligations and to estimate the potential loss to the portfolio in such an event. These metrics include probability of default (PD), loss given default (LGD), exposure at default (EAD), credit spreads, and internal credit ratings, all of which help investment teams assess both individual counterparty risk and overall portfolio vulnerability. Accurate credit risk assessment is essential for pricing loans, structuring debt instruments, and determining capital allocation. While working closely with investment specialists across private debt, private equity, CMS strategies, tactical strategies, and real assets, I developed tools that integrated multiple credit risk data feeds into interactive dashboards. These systems consolidated financial statement data, market indicators, and external credit ratings into a unified view, enabling faster and more reliable risk assessments. By automating data aggregation and providing visual, real-time insights, these tools not only improved assessment accuracy but also allowed portfolio managers to respond more proactively to emerging credit concerns.

Cash flow forecasting

Cash flow forecasting is the process of estimating the timing and magnitude of future inflows and outflows for an investment or portfolio. It is essential for assessing expected returns, ensuring sufficient liquidity to meet obligations, and supporting capital allocation decisions. Accurate forecasting allows investment teams to anticipate funding needs, optimise debt schedules, and stress test portfolios under different market conditions. This is particularly important in asset classes such as private debt, private equity, CMS strategies, tactical strategies, and real assets, where cash flows can be irregular and heavily dependent on deal structures, economic cycles, and market events. To support this, I built ETL pipelines that extracted deal-level data from multiple internal and external sources, transformed it into a consistent structure, and integrated it with dynamic forecasting models. These pipelines enabled investment teams to perform real-time scenario analyses, adjusting for variables such as interest rate changes, market shocks, and asset performance trends. By automating data preparation and linking it directly to forecasting tools, the process became faster, more transparent, and more adaptable to shifting market conditions.

Why should I be interested in this post?

For ESSEC students interested in finance and technology, this experience shows how a role in IT within an investment firm can offer direct exposure to financial markets, portfolio analytics, and data-driven decision-making—skills highly valuable in both finance and quantitative career paths.

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Useful resources

Academic articles

Altman, E. I., & Saunders, A. (1997). Credit risk measurement: Developments over the last 20 years, Journal of Banking & Finance, 21(11–12):1721–1742.

DeFond, Mark L. & Hung, Mingyi. (2003). An empirical analysis of analysts’ cash flow forecasts, Journal of Accounting and Economics, 35(1):73–100.

Business resources

Tikehau Capital

Tikehau Capital Solutions

Preqin Preqin – Alternative data platform

BlackRock eFront – Portfolio Management Solution

About the author

The article was written in August 2025 by Rohit SALUNKE (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole Program – Master in Management, 2018-2021).