An Interview with… Suny Saccomanno

Why have you decided to share your story with Girl Economics? 

When you go on my LinkedIn page, I might seem like this very successful woman who graduated with a top degree from a top university and then landed a job immediately after graduating. But, I also want to highlight the journey I have gone through because I have pushed through lots of setbacks and I’m still learning as I go. I’d be happy if even one or two girls can identify with my journey because, looking back when I was 17, if I’d have heard myself telling my story, I would think there is no way that I would be able to get here.

Hi Suny, tell us a little bit about why you decided to study economics!

I am a first generation immigrant and I came to the UK at the age of 13 without speaking any English. I learned the language and then I had the opportunity to do business at GCSE level which I was really passionate about, and that led me to pick economics for A Level. The macroeconomic international side of the subject really appealed to me, things like learning about trade and globalisation. I got very good grades in the subject and I thought that I would enjoy taking it further as a university degree.

You did your degree in Economics and French. Do you find languages to be particularly important to you?

I speak four languages: Italian, French, Spanish, English (five if you count beginners Portuguese!). I think being somewhat forced to learn English at 13 in order to get by has really helped me to pick up other languages. Having done languages alongside economics at A Level, I did want to continue them into university which led me to selecting a course in economics and French. I think the two subjects complement each other in a way that allows me to really dig deeper into each of the individual areas; I did my year abroad in France in my third year and that gave me the opportunity to learn more about the French Economy and about parts of economics that are perhaps more central to the French than the English economics curriculum.

I also find that a language, especially with a subject like business or economics, can give you a real advantage in allowing you to take on jobs in different parts of the world and working with different groups of people.

I do wish that I was better at languages, as I think do many people in this country! What tips would you have for language learning?

I think you really need to immerse yourself in the language. If you just stick to the classroom then you’ll be unable to reach fluency because you’re not able to practise the language in context. I have always found every opportunity I could to speak the language whether that is downloading apps that can partner you with a language buddy in another country or listening to podcasts and watching films. At the start you might not understand everything but I have always found that understanding the people and the culture behind a language to be so much more interesting than just repeating grammar. And I think it is when you find this real interest in the language that learning it becomes far easier.

Tell us about your job at the moment

I recently graduated from university and I’m current working in export administration. I’m applying what I’ve learned in classes about trade and multinational corporations to practically dealing with different companies abroad. I do find it fascinating that I’m actively applying the theories that I learned in my degree and I can tell you that things are much more complex in real life! The asset which allowed me to get this job is my fluency in Italian, French, and Spanish because language skills are essential for dealing with international clients. On a day to day basis, I work on advising clients on suitable products, producing export documentation, and essentially being the middle person between goods arriving at a port and the client receiving those goods. The job has become especially import after Brexit because the amount of documentation required has increased significantly.

What advice would you have for young people beginning to think about their future careers?

You have to find something that ignites your passion. You don’t need to have your purpose defined at 18 but think about the things you enjoy. For me, I really enjoyed economics. I didn’t take the more traditional mathematical route into economics, in fact I didn’t study maths at A Level! But I think that economics is so much more than numbers and I am especially passionate about development economics so that is something I tailored my university modules to studying in more depth.

At the beginning of my degree I was quite intimidated by these big lecture halls of men who were very good at maths, very good at finance, and I felt as though I want good enough and that I didn’t belong on the course. But I think that more women should believe that they are capable of going into economics, even if you are not the most mathematical person.

Why do you think there is a gap in the number of young women going into economics?

I think that a lot of the time it is because of the societal stereotypes of economics being an emotionless and mathematical subject which might intimidate a lot of young women who are less likely to seem themselves as analytical and good with numbers. I actually did my dissertation on feminist economics - there are so many incredible female economists out there and yet very few people are aware of more than one or two of them!

PART 2 will be sent out tomorrow!

In this next part of our interview, we will be taking a closer look at feminist economics, what this means, and how you can learn more about it.

Market News

Have you ever heard of Triller?

The US Senate voted last Tuesday to pass a bill that would ban TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells their shares in TikTok within a year. With a potential gap in the market for video sharing platforms, former Barclays CEO, Bob Diamond, is gearing up to lead a social media startup that aims to rival TikTok. This startup, Triller, recently agreed to be acquired by AGBA, a financial services company listed on US stock exchanges (the reason ByteDance would have to divest from TikTok is because of US policymakers’ worries about Chinese State intervention in the running of the app). Despite Triller's relatively low revenue and cash reserves (Triller is valued at over $3bn despite generating only $36m in revenue and holding less than $1m in cash reserves last year), the acquisition has caused AGBA's stock value to skyrocket by a remarkable 400%.

Triller, based in Los Angeles, boasts endorsements from big-name artists like Snoop Dogg and The Weeknd. However, it has faced criticism for allegedly exaggerating its user base and failing to compensate music labels for their content. This has resulted in lawsuits from major music companies like Universal and Sony. While this might pose challenges, the vacuum that would be left in the social media market if TikTok is banned might lead to consumers overlooking these issues in order to continue consuming content.

The deal involves AGBA acquiring Triller for an estimated $163 million and Diamond, who has chaired AGBA since September, will continue in the job for the new combined company.

🔔Opportunities🔔

EY Female Futures / Financial Futures Program for Y11/12

Goldman Sachs Women’s Banking Academy

Free Coding Courses!

Thanks for reading another issue of Girl Economics! See you in the next issue 🙂 

Erin McGurk