From experience to ownership: Amandine's journey at EMMI 

Amandine Maes - STEP Product Owner, The European Money Markets Institute

From a background in languages and literature to her current role as STEP Product Owner, Amandine Maes has built her career through curiosity, continuous learning and new responsibilities. She shares her professional journey and what she values most about working at EMMI. 

Amandine Maes did not originally set out to work in financial markets. After studying English and French literature and linguistics, she was looking for an opportunity to gain professional experience in an international environment, discover a new sector and continue learning beyond academia. 

She began as a Calculation Agent at GRSS, where she developed a strong understanding of financial benchmarks and operational processes in an environment that combined technical activities with international interactions. 

When the opportunity to join EMMI arose, it was the organisation's multicultural environment and collaborative atmosphere that particularly appealed to her. 

"What attracted me to EMMI was its international environment, but also its human approach and the close collaboration between colleagues," she explains. 

Growing into new responsibilities 

Since joining EMMI, Amandine's role has evolved considerably. Her core responsibilities centre on licensing management.Over time, she has taken on new responsibilities, developed additional skills and become increasingly involved in projects and stakeholder relations. 

Today, as STEP Product Owner, she contributes to the strategic development of the STEP label, helping ensure that it continues to respond to market needs. 

Her responsibilities range from defining the product roadmap and identifying opportunities for improvement to engaging with issuers, investors, dealers, market associations,public authorities and service providers. 

She is also involved in the governance and day-to-day management of STEP, supporting an initiative that promotes transparency, standardisation and integration in European short-term paper markets. 

This evolution reflects one of the aspects of her professional experience that she values most: the opportunity to keep learning while contributing to projects with a broader impact. 

Learning through collaboration 

For Amandine, working in an international environment is more than interacting with people from different countries. It is an opportunity to discover new perspectives, benefit from different areas of expertise and build professional relationships. 

She particularly appreciates the close collaboration with colleagues and the opportunity to learn from professionals with different backgrounds and areas of expertise. 

Despite its relatively small size, EMMI has a significant impact on European financial markets, bringing together a diverse network of stakeholders.  

Bringing people together 

Among Amandine's proudest achievements is her leading role in organising the last two STEP conferences, bringing together key stakeholders from across European financial markets.  

These events require considerable coordination, but they also offer something particularly rewarding: seeing issuers, investors, dealers, public authorities and market experts come together to exchange views and discuss the future of the market. 

The recent STEP20 Conference, celebrating the label's 20th anniversary, was a particularly meaningful occasion. 

For Amandine, it was an opportunity to see the results of a collective effort and connect with professionals from across the European market. 

"One of the key lessons I've learned is that an event like this is truly a collective effort," she reflects. 

Her journey illustrates how a career can evolve through new experiences, collaboration and a willingness to take on challenges. From her first steps in the financial sector to her current responsibilities, Amandine continues to build on the opportunities that brought her to EMMI in the first place: learning, connecting with people and contributing to meaningful projects.