Quick info

• MFin Class of 2020
• Job title: Senior Analyst, OMERS
• Previous education: BA, Joint Honours in Economics and Finance, McGill University

Why did you decide to study the MFin program?

I joined the MFin because I wanted to understand what’s happening at the forefront of the field. 

It’s a very exciting time to be in the industry – there’s so much innovative research being done right now and the pace of change over the last few years has been enormous.

A lot of traditional ideas about investment and risk management are being replaced by new tools and theories, and the program seemed like a great way to get real insight into the latest and most important developments in finance.  

What was your main reason for choosing Rotman?

I really liked how the program’s curriculum was designed - it’s a very unique program because it covers an expansive array of topics, but goes far beyond foundational material. It focuses on what’s happening at the cutting edge of the field and how to translate that into actual industry application.

It also lets me pursue that knowledge and get a world class education, but to do it while I’m still working and without sacrificing my career momentum. 

How are you finding Rotman’s community?

The community is great and tight knit. The class sizes are small, so everyone gets to know each other well. I’ve met a lot of really smart and interesting people in the program. 

What has been the highlight of the Rotman experience? 

The MFin has an incredible faculty - all of the professors that I’ve had have been very passionate about their work and were happy to take the time to engage with students. When I’m figuring out a complicated problem at work, it’s great to be able to discuss with people who are the foremost experts in their field, and they’ll often expose me to new ways of thinking that I’d otherwise never have come across. 

Has Rotman and the MFin program met your expectations?

Definitely! Although it can be exhausting to work and attend school full time, I’ve learned so much and I’m glad I did it.

What would you say to someone considering choosing the MFin?

I think if you’re willing to put in the work, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from a world class faculty and to develop a real understanding of the field as a whole rather than just a specialized part of it. 

What are your future plans?

Right now I’m still early in my career and I’m focusing on deepening my knowledge of finance and research. In the long term, I want to leverage my experience to direct a team in an area such as portfolio construction, quantitative risk or asset allocation. The program has helped me develop a framework for making sense of a complex array of financial and economic variables that affect a portfolio across the market, which is crucial to success in the field.

This post was written while Varun was a student in the program.

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