Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

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The Master of Finance (MFin) at the Rotman School of Management develops leaders who are also key team players at work. Elizabeth Ren, CPA, CA, MFin ’17 is a great example. Recently, we interviewed Celina Li, Hedge Fund Accountant at SS & C Technologies and Elizabeth’s colleague, who emphasized the benefits of working alongside an MFin student.

Interview with Celina Li, Hedge Fund Accountant

Hello Celina! Thank you for chatting with us. We are excited to hear your thoughts on what it’s like to work with a Master of Finance student. Could you tell us a little bit about your work with Elizabeth?

Thank you for reaching out, I am happy to tell you about my work with Elizabeth.

We currently work under the same director, but for different funds. Essentially, we have the same position, but we work with different clients. However, we work in a team environment, so we have opportunities to collaborate with each other on such things as financial reporting. We also engage in discussions during our monthly team meetings.

Do you find that your discussions at work are different with Elizabeth?

The technical knowledge she shares with us during meetings and when working on team projects helps solve issues that benefit the whole team, not just her clients. For example, she is currently in charge of setting up a new fund and, as a colleague, I get to learn from her experience and the creative solutions she brings to develop this fund. Ultimately, it is a learning opportunity for the whole team.

What would you say are important skills that she’s been able to learn and integrate in her work since she became an MFin student?

She’s been able to learn how to prioritize and manage her time to reach a high performance level at work as well as in school. In fact, she always comes to work early to avoid missing any deadlines while she is completing coursework.

Do you find that teamwork is different since Elizabeth joined the program?

Elizabeth is a very effective and collaborative team player. I think this comes from having to work on group projects during her MFin program. Recently she was tasked with training two new colleagues; she’s doing a stellar job at mentoring them and explaining the ins and outs of our work.

Has her experience in the MFin program impacted your own work in any way?

Definitely. As she creates the new fund for her client, I get to learn the strategies she implements to arrive at a solution. It is also inspiring to see her become a leader as she trains and mentors new colleagues.

This article was posted on February 8, 2017.


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