"Their journey since TSE : Ivo Montecino, head of unit at ARCOM" by TSEconomist

What is your position today?
I work for the French communications regulator, Arcom. This independent agency is responsible for protecting freedom of communication, audiovisual creations, respect for individuals and the public, technical and economic regulation of the broadcasting sector, and the promotion of diversity and social cohesion. It stems from Arcom’s activity across the audio and television sectors, but today they also cover the role and influence of digital services. This includes online platforms, cloud hosting and domain name registry, for example.

At Arcom, the Online Platforms Directorate (Arcom’s youngest directorate) is responsible for implementing provisions related to online platform uses. Among these, the Digital Services Act (DSA) of the Arcom’s work is the Système unique de signalement (SUS), and for the mechanisms of moderation. Within this directorate, I have been working on the digital ecosystems department to implement the DSA 2023. The French Internet players, on one hand, to produce analyses of the technical and economic functioning of Internet players and, on the other, to implement the DSA. This work ultimately aims to change behaviours through regular meetings with them.

What was your path from Master’s graduation to this current position? What have been the key elements that helped to make your choice?
I am a graduate of the M2 PPD (2014), after completing an M1 in economics and statistics. Following my master’s degree, I decided to explore a few research centres which I worked on industrial organization and then data science in a firm in the audiovisual sector. These two experiences opened doors for me in both the public and private sector.

My first job was with the Chilean Competition Authority, where I worked on cartel detection. Then after a brief period in a competition consulting firm, I joined the French Ministry of Finance to work on public policy in the digital economy. Afterwards I worked in research, but then in the wider field of market studies, now with a focus on changing the behaviours of companies in the sector through tools such as accountability. I think since a career path is built with a certain amount of randomness and a lot of curiosity and steps, a story, though, I had the chance to work in the public sector, where I found the missions to have a lot of meaning and where the skills of an economist are particularly placed for use.

According to your professional experience, what are the most useful skills you obtained during your degree?
I’d rather not single out any one particular skill or course. I would say instead that there are two extremely useful skills mastered at TSE that are extremely useful for economists: critical thinking and writing. Among other skills, these two are essential to create solid bases of economic reasoning and analysis. As a regulator, we must formulate diagnoses and develop targeted and robust recommendations for action, so the allocation of those fundamental skills makes a big difference.

What advice would you like to give to the TSE students, or the school?
“Don’t hesitate to promote and take part in TSE alumni events, in particular to talk to the older generations who will have valuable advice for entering the job market.” It’s also a good opportunity to discuss each other’s experiences in order to truly understand the role of the economist in our society.

This article was originally published in the 39th issue of the TSEconomist.

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The TSEconomist is a student-run magazine published three times a year at the Toulouse School of Economics. It features articles written by students who are passionate about economics and want to share their thoughts on current topics. Each issue includes interviews with professionals, discussions on pressing economic events, and contributions from students sharing their internship or gap year experiences.

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