Finance & Consulting Forum 2025: a Major Industry Event at emlyon
On October 8 and 9, 2025, emlyon business school hosted a new edition of the Finance & Consulting Forum, a flagship recruitment event connecting students and recruiters from the finance and consulting sectors.
Finance and Consulting Careers in the Spotlight
The Finance & Consulting Forum is a landmark annual event on the Lyon campus, featuring recruitment booths, career talks, and individual interviews. Organized by emlyon’s Career Center, the forum brought together more than 30 companies and attracted over 1,000 students from several of the school’s programs, including the Grande École Program, Bachelors, and Masters.
Investment banks, audit firms, funds, consulting firms, and major corporations were present to meet their future recruits. Leading companies such as BNP Paribas, Circle, Deloitte, Julhiet Sterwen, KPMG, mc2i, Onepoint, Square, Capgemini Invent, Forvis Mazars, PwC France, Sia Conseil, Société Générale, and Wavestone showcased their opportunities across a wide range of fields — including market finance, M&A, strategy consulting, audit, and risk management.
The alumni were also present, with more than fifty graduates attending the event on the recruiter side.
“We’ve met some very interesting candidates — people who have already completed excellent internships and who really match our firm’s DNA,” said Lucas Bressand, Strategy Consultant at Circle Strategy and graduate of the Master in Management (Grande Ecole program)
A Platform for Exchange on Current Industry Topics
The 2025 program featured a series of panel discussions and themed conferences, offering insights into current challenges and trends in finance and consulting, as well as presenting key career paths.
Sessions included:
- Introduction to the General Inspection – Société Générale
- Women in Consulting and Banking: Breaking Down Barriers and Misconceptions – Mazars & BNP Paribas
- Paris vs. the Regions: Do We Really Have a Choice in Finance and Consulting? – KPMG
- Recruitment Processes in Consulting – Onepoint & PwC
- Landing a Job in M&A: Recruitment Steps and Tips – Crédit Agricole CIB
These discussions provided an opportunity for companies to share their perspectives on industry developments — for instance, the growing role of AI in consulting.
“AI is the topic of tomorrow, but it’s still poorly mastered within most organizations. It’s not yet being used operationally. The challenge for consulting firms is to help companies navigate this new phase — to guide them through the transition to AI,” explained Chloé Aucant, Senior IT Consultant at KPMG.
A Hybrid Format Designed for Flexibility
Once again, the hybrid format — one in-person day followed by one virtual day — proved highly effective.
This structure combines the dynamism of face-to-face meetings with the flexibility of digital interactions, allowing both companies and students to maximize networking opportunities.
It also encourages the participation of international students and firms located outside the Lyon region, thereby reinforcing the event’s global dimension.
An Eco-Responsible Forum Aligned with emlyon’s Values
The event reaffirmed its role as a platform for networking and opportunity, while also embodying emlyon’s environmental commitments through a series of initiatives aimed at reducing its ecological footprint:
- Paper-free event: All communication materials, brochures, and supports were digitalized, replaced by QR codes and interactive tablets. Students were also encouraged to submit digital CVs via a dedicated platform.
- Reusable booths: Modular, rented structures replaced single-use installations.
- Sustainable and local giveaways: Only eco-friendly, useful, and locally produced items were permitted.
- Responsible catering: Partner caterers prioritized organic, local, and seasonal products, offering a primarily vegetarian menu and 100% reusable tableware.
- Low-carbon mobility: Companies and visitors were encouraged to come by train, carpooling, or public transportation, supported by early communication and an access plan promoting soft mobility options.
These commitments reflect emlyon’s ambition to combine academic excellence with environmental responsibility, raising awareness among both students and corporate partners.
With over 1,000 students and nearly 30 participating companies, the 2025 edition once again confirmed the forum’s pivotal role in guiding emlyon’s young talents toward their first professional experiences in finance and consulting.
Through this initiative, the Career Center continues to fulfill its mission: bringing students and employers together, and supporting career development by connecting them with top-tier recruiters in these ever-evolving sectors.
Discover emlyon’s programs in Finance and Consulting:
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