"
Carlotta Breman, Samuel Nejman and Victor Flore
Job Title: Trainees
Location: Amsterdam
Nationalities: Italian, Belgian and Dutch respectively
Years at STX: 1+ years
1. What motivated you to apply for the STX traineeship and how has your view of the company and environmental commodities evolved?
Carlotta: With my engineering background and my specialization in economics and finance, I developed a strong interest in working in financial markets. When I learnt that STX’s financial practices were genuinely enabling decarbonization and meaningful climate action, I felt I had found my ideal career path—contributing to the finance sector for a greater good. However, I was unsure about which role would best suit my skills and interests. The traineeship at STX offered the perfect opportunity to gain practical experience and uncover my potential.
Samuel: I applied to the STX Traineeship because I was eager to enter the commodity industry. STX allowed me to combine my interest in commodities and renewables – I wanted to find something that mixes commodities and renewables. The Traineeship offered exactly what I was looking for: commodities, renewables and hands-on experience in these evolving markets.
Over the past 18 months, my perception of the company and the environmental commodities industry has expanded. I’ve seen the company grow in products, volumes, regions, offices and even complete a nice and important M&A.
Victor: With a finance degree from Rotterdam, most of my peers naturally pursued careers in M&A or private equity. I also completed two internships in M&A, but something always felt missing. Outside of work, I had a personal interest in trading and I realized that combining this passion for trading with my professional career might be exactly what I was looking for.
I discovered STX and immediately felt it was the perfect fit—a blend of finance, trading and making a meaningful impact. When browsing their website, I was struck by the variety of roles and desks but unsure which suited me best. A week later, the traineeship opened, offering the ideal opportunity to explore the environmental commodities market and find my place before committing to a specific role.
2. During your traineeship, you’ve rotated through various teams across front and middle office roles. How do you think the teams at STX collaborate to embody the spirit of winning together?
Carlotta: Rotating through different departments gives you firsthand experience of how interconnected STX teams are. Every piece of the puzzle is crucial for achieving the desired outcome and successes always come from numerous vital contributions from diverse teams, reflecting one of STX’s core values: we love winning together.
Samuel: I have seen many different teams collaborating to make deals happen. This goes from front-office and back-office teams working together, to multiple front-office teams tailoring solutions to meet counterparty needs.
Victor: During the different rotations, I noticed that everyone is always willing to help each other, even beyond their usual roles. I’ve seen sales traders step in to handle some back-office work during busy periods and operations teams proactively reach out directly to clients when needed. To me, this truly reflects the spirit of winning together.
3. The environmental commodities sector is evolving rapidly. How do you see yourself contributing to this transformation and how do you hope to leave your mark on the industry?
Carlotta: The rapid evolution of the environmental commodities sector drives STX’s business and shapes our future strategies. This ongoing transformation requires us to remain entrepreneurial, innovative, maintain a fresh perspective and be ready to embrace new challenges. My aim is to contribute to these market transformations by amplifying their momentum and maximizing their impact on climate change. A key first step is raising awareness about the socio-economic and environmental implications of this evolution. By building trust in these innovative financial instruments, my hope is to strengthen their role in achieving global climate goals.
Samuel: My goal is to be able to find the best solutions for our counterparties, tailoring them to their needs regarding environmental commodities. Also, since alternative solutions might be possible and commodities are not often consumed where they are produced – another goal would be to be able to connect efficiently the right supply with the right demand.
Victor: STX is always seeking the next opportunity in the environmental commodities market. Even though the company has been active in this space for over 25 years, the market continues to evolve rapidly, driven by new technologies and regulations. This makes it essential to stay ahead of the curve by constantly exploring new opportunities. I hope to contribute by identifying innovative green opportunities that not only benefit STX but also have a positive impact on the world as a whole.
4. Now that you are finishing your traineeship, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to future trainees starting their journey at STX?
Carlotta: Don’t hold back from sharing your ideas or exploring new opportunities; that’s the key to maintaining the innovative and entrepreneurial mindset that drives STX. Take full advantage of this traineeship to challenge yourself, test your abilities and uncover your interests.
Samuel: Do not overthink, do your best, try new things, do things you like and also do things you do not like, push yourself out of your comfort zone, ask questions, understand the ‘why,’ challenge yourself and go the extra mile.
Victor: Be bold and don’t hesitate to bring forward new ideas or business opportunities, even if you’ve just started. Even as a junior, your input is taken seriously, so don’t be afraid to speak your mind.
5. As you step into your next role at STX, how did your traineeship shape and prepare you for this opportunity and what excites you most about contributing to your new team?
Carlotta: During my traineeship, I had the opportunity to explore various roles, thanks to which I developed specific skills and gained a deeper understanding of the environmental commodity markets from multiple perspectives. This helped me discover how I prefer to apply what I’ve learned. This experience clarified my preferred role where I can grow the most. I am eager to contribute to my new team by applying my experience and leveraging the connections I’ve built over the past 18 months.
Samuel: My traineeship shaped and prepared me for my next role at STX. What excites me the most about contributing to my new team is to pass on the knowledge of the different roles and products that I learnt during my other rotations and to bring the best practices from each team into my new one. Moreover, during my rotations I have seen different markets in different phases, which was also a great experience that prepared me for my next role.
Victor: During my traineeship, I’ve gained a full understanding of how trades work, from back-office processes to client interactions. I’ve received sales training and collaborated with various traders, learning different approaches to negotiation and client engagement.
Additionally, my time at the trading desk has given me valuable insights into assessing complex and risky trades from a trader’s perspective—skills I will apply when negotiating and structuring deals in my new role.
Having seen the full trade cycle, I’m confident this experience will serve me well at STX.
6. If you could describe your 18-month traineeship at STX in one sentence, what would it be?
Carlotta: A fast-paced, ambitious and exiting journey full of learnings, challenges, opportunities and accomplishments.
Samuel: Steep learning curve on different products and roles, professional and personal development and overcoming challenges.
Victor: My traineeship journey has been an invaluable experience of rotating through diverse desks, gaining hands-on insights into trading, sales and operations and developing the skills and confidence needed to excel in the dynamic world of environmental commodities.