Accelerated Success: Mario Treviño

Duke University’s Master’s in Financial Technology (FinTech) program is known for producing graduates who go on to become leaders in financial innovation. Among the current students preparing to follow that path is Mario Treviño, a student in the inaugural cohort of Duke FinTech’s accelerated program.

Mario is currently serving in the U.S. Army as an officer in the Air Defense Artillery, as well as a student in the Master of Engineering Management program at Duke University. Through his dual degrees, Mario is focused on developing strong technical, analytical, and leadership skills so he can contribute more meaningfully within the Army. This focus, combined with his strong interest in private equity, venture capital, and strategic finance, drew Mario to the Duke FinTech program. After seeing the program’s applied curriculum, top-tier faculty, and combination of financial rigor with real-world problem-solving, Mario decided to be part of the first cohort of the accelerated program.

Even though the program just started, Mario already is gaining the technical, analytical, and leadership skills he desires. He is applying Python, C++, and Excel-based tools to automate financial analysis and reporting, as well as building data pipelines for performance monitoring and investment modeling. Mario is also learning how to communicate technical insights to stakeholders from business and engineering backgrounds. These skills he is already applying to his role in the Army, allowing him to make data-informed decisions and be a more effective leader. Additionally, by doing the accelerated program, Mario can focus intensively on skill-building while managing a full academic load across his two degrees. As he is preparing for a future active-duty commitment, completing the program in a year allows him to efficiently gain skills in the tools he needs to make an impact in both the military and future private-sector roles.

After graduating from Duke and finishing his service, Mario hopes to land a role in private equity or venture capital, specifically looking how finance intersects with national security, infrastructure, and innovation. Additionally, using the skills in structured thinking he is learning through the program, Mario hopes to lead in spaces where strategy, technology, and capital intersect!

Mario will graduate from the Duke FinTech and Duke Engineering Management program in May 2026.