From Trainee to Private Banker: Ella on Finding Her Own Path

Meet Ella Nourrisson, a Private Banker at Evli, whose career journey has been shaped by two seemingly different worlds: competitive sports and wealth management.

What do competitive sports and private banking have in common? For Ella, quite a lot.

Both call for discipline, resilience and a clear sense of direction. There are good periods and difficult ones, and progress rarely feels perfectly smooth. What matters is staying consistent and continuing to work towards the goal.

Ella’s path at Evli began while still studying - through the Wealth Management Trainee Program.

Her role has gradually expanded towards more demanding client situations and a broader understanding of wealth management as a whole.

Now, four years later, she works as a Private Banker.

The journey has taught her that expertise develops gradually, through routines, persistence and a willingness to keep learning.

Curiosity brought her to wealth management

When Ella applied for Evli’s Trainee Program, she already knew that investing interested her. Wealth management appealed to her because it offered the chance to understand broad financial situations rather than focus on one specific area. That combination of investing and working closely with people, has continued to feel like the right fit for her.

“I wanted to work in a role where I can interact with people.” - Ella Nourrisson

Today, Ella’s role involves much more than understanding investments. A Private Banker needs to understand the client’s overall situation, goals and needs, then work out what kind of solution fits best. That is where Ella’s genuine interest in people and communication becomes especially valuable.

Every client brings a different background, situation and perspective. Ella enjoys those differences. For her, a strong client relationship starts with being interested in the person, not only in their finances. Good conversations can also go beyond money and investing, which helps build trust over time.

Wealth management is ultimately about helping people make decisions that matter in their lives, not only about numbers on a screen.

You do not need to know everything before you start

One of Ella’s biggest lessons from the past four years is that expertise takes time.

At first, there are systems, processes and technical knowledge to learn. With experience, the bigger picture becomes clearer: how to understand a client’s situation, ask better questions and find the right solution. Each new situation adds another layer to that understanding.

Her advice to anyone considering a career in finance is simple: be curious, ask questions and use the experience of the people around you. New tasks are opportunities to learn. School gives you theory, but much of the practical understanding develops only once you start doing the work.

“You shouldn’t think that you must be 100% ready when you apply. You’ll learn and develop along the way.” - Ella Nourrisson

Ella describes Evli as an open environment where colleagues can ask for help, share experiences and learn from one another. Weekly market reviews and product updates also keep learning part of everyday work. What Ella particularly appreciates is the openness within the team. Whenever a question comes up, she knows she can turn to her colleagues for help, share thoughts and learn from their experience.

What competitive sport taught her about work

Competitive running, first with Keski-Uudenmaan Yleisurheilijat and later with Espoon Tapiot, has played an important role in Ella’s life and shaped the way she approaches her work. It taught her to tolerate setbacks, because sport gives you plenty of practice in dealing with challenges. Some periods are better and some are worse, but over time the direction can still be upward. She has learned to keep working patiently even when progress is not immediately visible.

That mindset also shows in her routines. Competitive sport is repetitive, structured and goal-oriented. You train consistently, follow routines and work towards something over the long term. Ella recognizes the same qualities in herself at work.

Clear goals motivate Ella, and persistence helps her keep moving forward, even if things don’t always go as planned.

Sport has also given Ella a way to recharge outside work. Staying active helps her feel well and have more energy for her career. For her, flexibility is not the opposite of ambition. It is one of the things that makes sustained ambition possible.

Ella is grateful that Evli has supported her in combining work and competitive sport throughout her developing career. Flexibility has allowed her to organize her work with independence and responsibility while continuing an important part of her life outside the office.

What comes next?

Ella is still at an early stage of her career and wants to keep developing as a Private Banker, deepen her expertise and take on more responsibility. The more experience she gains, the more she can offer clients.

For Ella, that is the most important goal in her work: creating real added value for the client. That is what makes the work rewarding.

For students and young professionals considering Private Banking or a career in wealth management, Ella highlights two things: a genuine interest in investing and a genuine interest in people. Finance and markets matter, but wealth management is also a social, client-focused profession. During her own studies, Ella became interested in economics and investing, and she began her career at Evli as a trainee before growing step by step into her current role.

Looking back at her first day as a trainee, her advice to herself is straightforward:

“It is okay to be nervous. Be yourself, be brave and keep an open mind.” - Ella Nourrisson

Four years after starting at Evli, Ella is still learning and setting new goals. Her competitive sport background has taught her that development is built through patience, routines and the ability to handle challenges. In her career, those qualities serve one purpose above all: helping her understand clients better and ultimately, create even more value for them.