MAFC Alumni Testimonials

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Reilly Weston

Analyst - Traded Market and Credit Risk, Suncorp Treasury

"The Macquarie Masters program was an excellent tool in my career progression. The course work was practical and relevant to both my personal and work interests. With lecturers direct from the industry with years of experience, it made the subject material more applicable to the current marketplace. Unlike other post graduate courses that only hire practitioners to lecture and not provide support to students, the MAFP facilitates student forums with lecturers and also the ability to discuss coursework out of the classroom.

With increasing demand on postgraduate studies by employers, the MAFP meets these needs by providing a wide subject selection in a variety of areas, applicable to any finance organisation."

David Anderson

"One year after completing my MAppFin I started searching for a new role, and was very surprised and impressed by how well the qualification was regarded in the funds management industry. It was very well known by management from all the companies I applied to. In fact, my new manager for the role I've just moved into is also a graduate! I really believe the course gave me the skills and confidence I needed to take on a new challenge, and it's a good feeling knowing all the effort has paid off."

Gareth Apsey

Portfolio Manager, Vianova Asset Management

"I don't think anyone could deny that the lecturers at Macquarie University are first class. I've always enjoyed learning new things, and I found that in the intimate environment of the Melbourne campus, I had direct contact with enthusiastic lecturers who had worked in the industry. This allowed for questions during the day to push beyond the course material and helped me link the different subjects we were studying, so that the course became the study of Finance rather than individual subjects.

One of the best aspects of the course, I felt, was the applied nature of the subjects – we were learning things that we could take straight into the workplace. While the core subjects gave us the building blocks we needed for a solid foundation, the elective subjects allowed us to extend our knowledge in more specialised areas. I work in the funds management industry and the course has been invaluable to my progress at work. Not only did it help me better understand some of the functions I was performing but as further skills have been required of me, I often find myself turning to the Masters textbooks and notes to help me understand something new. No matter the complexity of a security, it can always be broken down into the simple building blocks we were taught here.

Using these basic building blocks I've been able to incorporate swaptions, which I hadn't traded before, into our portfolios when other securities became inappropriate. And the same building blocks have helped me contribute to the hedging process for an overseas trust we established. My ability to work with these securities and learn about new products is because of the solid grounding provided by the Macquarie Masters program."

Aldebaran Melgarejo

Senior Manager, Financial Advisory Services, Deloitte

"After 6 years of professional experience in the private and public sector, I was looking for a masters program which assists me to develop stronger financial skills and to extend my international vision.

I found that the Master of Applied Finance provided a blend of theoretical and practical abilities that few programs in the world offered. It also gave me the option to choose among 31 electives being possible to develop deeper knowledge in the financial area that I preferred.

On other hand, living in Australia gave me a valuable understanding of Australasia Region, fundamental to expand a global vision considering that my professional achievements had been focused on United States, Latin America and Europe. Sydney particularly has a high quality of life and a multicultural atmosphere which only one of the most important cities in the world could have."

Dominic Kazlauskas

Associate Director, Corporate Finance, Bell Potter Securities

"Having practised law in my previous career I undertook the MAFP to further develop my understanding of both finance in general and more specifically corporate finance. Initially the course was very challenging however as it progressed in its practical nature and its application to the real world, it became an extremely rewarding experience. This was particularly evident when studying the elective subjects which provide the opportunity to specialise in a chosen area."

Dr Frank Decker

Managing Consultant, PA Consulting Group

"I was primarily working for CFOs on cost reduction and M&A assignments when I decided to commence the MAFP. Management consulting was also experiencing a surge in shareholder-value based approaches. The course has kept my knowledge up to date and given me increased confidence in assessing and challenging financial information and conclusions drawn from it. I found the program a very thorough and in-depth study, which I prefer over a broadly designed MBA course. Course content reflects industry reality rather than interpretations of it. I found the faculty flexible when I had to change course schedules due to international travel. Overall, a very worthwhile experience."

Enrico Buscalossi

Formerly Vice President and Senior Credit Officer, Moody's Investor Service

"A practical and very credible applied finance graduate program for both younger and more senior finance professionals like myself. I was impressed by the breadth and depth of the course's portfolio of elective courses which allow you to tailor your studies to specific areas of finance or personal interests. In my case this helped me explore areas of finance I had never been involved in and broaden my overall understanding of the industry. Overall, an extremely positive experience coupled with a great year in beautiful Sydney where I also learned how to surf!"

Greg Hayes

Group Managing Director and CEO, Tenix Pty Limited

"Back in 1994, I was a Chartered Accountant with a strong finance background and with ambitions to become a public company CFO. I was looking for an academic course which would provide me with all the technical finance tools I would need in the emerging trend of the CFO as the financial risk manager for the corporation. I chose the MAppFin from Macquarie University to deliver this for me. Not only did the course provide this technical background, it introduced me to real world ideas in finance from experienced professionals as teachers and fellow students. There is no doubt that my involvement in the course and the qualification that followed has been a contributor to my career successes."

Jieying Huang

"As a young student in this Master of Applied Finance program, I met many professors who are successful in the area they are involved and who are happy to share knowledge and experience with students. I also have a lot of classmates who, as experienced professionals, would like to gain better understanding and better insight of financial market. I do appreciate the opportunity to learn from them and by doing this, I have found a way to flourish and a brilliant starting point of my career."

Jock McKeon

Regional Tsunami Aid Tracking Analyst, United Nations Development Programme (Bangkok)

"I really am constantly surprised and impressed with the Centre. Enrolment is always painless; changing anything happens efficiently with ease; and the staff are always friendly. I have friends who study at other Institutions and I hear of their woes, yet I have never had any reason to complain about the service I've received at MAFC. I thought that moving to Bangkok and studying in Singapore would potentially cause grief, but again ... the team have made it as easy as possible for me, and I am grateful for that."

Kashif Artani

"Today CFA Institute released the result for CFA 2006 exams and I have successfully passed Level 2 of the CFA program. Here I want to thank you, and other lecturers of MAFC, for providing solid grounding in finance and investment theory."

Nils F. Haavardsson

PhD student in Applied Mathematics (Real Options) - University of Oslo

"I was working as an actuary in a Norwegian insurance company before I decided on applying for the MAFP at Macquarie University. The way the insurance business is developing in Norway, I felt that many of the most exciting opportunities in insurance will combine traditional actuarial skills and financial skills. The actuarial education in Norway hadn't taken this sufficiently into account at the time I took my education. So I decided to follow the Masters Program at Macquarie.

I was very happy with the course; it provided a practical introduction to the main disciplines of modern finance and allowed students to customise their focus. The lecturers were mostly very good, aiming at the practitioner's perspective. Given the mathematical emphasis in my actuarial education in Norway, I was happy to learn about finance from a more applied and less rigorous perspective.

When I returned to Oslo, I obtained a job doing risk management for one of the biggest life insurance companies in Norway. I don't think I would have gotten this job without the Masters of Applied Finance."

Stanley Shao

Senior Portfolio Analyst, Harvest Funds Management Company (a joint venture of Deutsch Bank in China)

"Before taking the MAppFin in Macquarie University, I was an equity analyst of an Investment Bank in China. Since China Economy and Capital market are both developing quickly and melting into the global market, it will be smart to study global financial theory and knowledge in a western country. Fortunately I became a student of the MAppFin in Macquarie University and finished the program within one year. After passing CFA exam and returning to China, I was hired as the Senior Portfolio Analyst by a fund management company under Deutsch Bank.

If you want to improve yourself significantly in your career, it would be your profitable investment to select MAppFin in Macquarie University.

Furthermore, the sun and beach of Sydney is really so beautiful and wonderful that you can not miss them!"

Stephen Duchesne

Formerly Managing Director and Head of Australasian Debt Markets, Merrill Lynch

"Finance today is so eclectic that it is impossible to maximise your usefulness to an employer without formally studying it. It is not uncommon to find yourself working in a highly specialised area in which you excel as an expert, but without a broader education, specific to finance, it is incrementally harder to progress in your career, or even to recognise new business opportunities. In an increasingly competitive market, a growing number of industry professionals recognise this and are actively up-skilling through continuing education.

The MAFP hits the sweet spot between pure academic finance and the practice of finance in the marketplace. I found it to be the perfect complement to my technically based undergraduate degree as it gave me tangible skills that could be used at work in managing businesses, or on projects outside my specific area of expertise, as well as the right amount of theory to understand how it all fits together. It also gave me insights that have made a real difference to both my professional life and personal financial situation, as well as the means to continue to self-educate into the future. You 'don't know what you don't know' when you start, but w hen you finish you are a more complete, effective, and employable finance professional."

Craig Jones

Senior Vice President, Structured Derivative Products, SG Banking & Trust Singapore

"These courses are not about memorisation and blind application of formulae but how to conduct risk analysis in the context of the real and often messy world. The way the content is presented in class is excellent. MAF lecturers have at least 10 years experience as practitioners. In my opinion this is what uniquely qualifies Macquarie to use the word ‘Applied' in their Master of Applied Finance program. The MAF program allowed me to achieve, within 6 months of graduation, my goal of joining the Structured Derivatives Team within my current organisation."

Krishnan Rangaswamy

Senior Manager Traded Market Risk Analysis, ANZ Banking Group Ltd

"The course has a strong practical focus in addition to solid finance theory. I recommend the Financial Risk Management specialisation for anyone intending to pursue a career in risk management, risk consulting or a trading desk role."

Bernardo Vizcaino

Marketing Manager, Eurekahedge

"The courses were comprehensive, demanding and meticulous. In the Financial Risk Management stream I enjoyed the ideal balance between academic thoroughness and industry relevance. Every single course was challenging – with Derivatives Valuation and Modelling Financial Risk truly pushing the envelope. FRM was pivotal in establishing my current role and has opened more than one career opportunity. I use knowledge gained in the course every day."

Yvette Ip

Associate Director, Research Management, Macquarie Securities Limited

"Back in 1999, I was working in Operations for Equity Structured Products in Morgan Stanley Asia, Hong Kong office. I was so excited about the structured products that I have come across and so eager to understand and appreciate them better. Since then I have been looking for a Master program which married conceptual theories and practical insights. I chose the MAppFin from Macquarie University. The program not only provided me knowledge, but also connected me with an extensive network of peers & friends in the industry."

Tian Jiong

Corporate Finance Department, Sino-Ocean Land Limited

"The Master of Applied Finance course has been really helpful for my career development over the past year. Before studying the course, I only understood some basic financial and accounting theories via previous bachelor studies and working experience. But by finishing the study of Applied Finance, I mastered some crucial applied theories of financial instruments, corporate finance and investment. Although the case study is not the same as your own business, it really initiates your new way of thinking and helps you to consider a realistic approach from a different world."

Tomas Vasquez

Associate Analyst, Small/Mid Caps, ABN AMRO Australia

"Macquarie's Master of Applied Finance Program has certainly helped my career progression.

I decided to change my career from Engineer to Finance, and I was looking for a postgraduate qualification which could assist me to find a job in the finance sector. With lectures based on industry experience, the course materials were practical and directly relevant to the real market place. In addition, it was a great networking opportunity for me to meet Australian students who were already working in Australian finance sector."

Mario Maia

Vice President, Basic Industries, Equities Research, Merrill Lynch Australia

"I chose Macquarie's Master of Applied Finance because of its great reputation and flexibility, and also I could finish the Masters in one year. They have a wide range of electives available, and subjects they offered were relevant to the real Market. The lecturers were very approachable and brought practical experiences to each lecture.

I am Chartered Finance Analyst and the theory I have learned in my Master's program helped with my preparation for CFA exams."

Raphael Mathevosyan

Treasury Deal Integrity Management, Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking

"One of the key reasons I decided to go through the Master of Applied Finance programme at Macquarie University was the acquisition of up-to-date real finance knowledge and consequent career development. That triggered my decision to leave for Australia from a European country, Georgia. This academic programme helped me achieve all the objectives set before me and today, as a recent graduate, I am in the position of an Assistant Manager, Treasury Deal Integrity Management with one of the most innovative investment banks in the world, Société Générale. Studying, living and working in Sydney was probably the greatest experience that I have ever come across in my life.

I specialized in Instruments and Valuation in the programme. What I found most valuable is that studies were conducted by great professors who are both academics and professionals having extensive work experience in the corresponding industries. Everyday I come across something new at work, but the profound pool of knowledge I have acquired from Macquarie University provides me with excellent tools to understand the challenges of the real finance world. My next objective is sitting for CFA exams and I am absolutely confident in the success. I am very thankful to the director, professors, and all the staff for establishing this academic programme."

Sam Ferraro

Director, Quantitative Research, Goldman Sachs JBWere

"Having a specialisation in Finance has certainly advanced my career and I would highly recommend the course to people who wish to enter the field of Finance or increase their understanding after an undergraduate degree.

Word-of-mouth was a very influential factor in choosing Macquarie. I had heard a lot of good things from students enrolled in the Master of Applied Finance. The class sizes in Melbourne are quiet small which creates a more informal learning environment and a close-knit cohort. I have stayed in touch with my fellow students professionally and socially. Another real draw-card was the fact that most of the lecturers had been practitioners. They have a very practically-based perspective on the markets as well as an academic view. I found the subjects to be very practical and relevant to industry.

Although I had an undergraduate degree in Economics and Commerce, I didn't have the industry knowledge or the jargon to advance in the world of Finance. Learning is an ongoing process. Even eight years after graduating I still read academic journals and find out the latest trends and thinking."