Meet the MFin scholars taking on their next challenge

April Goulding  

Born and educated in the United Kingdom, April graduated from the London School of Economics with a degree in Economics and Politics. After completing her degree, April joined the Australian Investment Bank, Macquarie Group as a Credit Risk Analyst. Specialising within the Global Markets Trading team she primarily covered Private Equity FX, hedging currency and interest rate exposure for Private Equity funds; as well as covering Equity Derivatives Trading, REPO and Fund Finance.  

When researching business schools, the MFin programme stood out to April as it offered her the opportunity to build up the technical knowledge needed to progress her career in Credit Risk. She explains, “I relish the opportunity to explore my interests in finance within Cambridge’s unique academic setting. Valuing the diversity of experiences across the MFin cohort I very much look forward to experiencing Cambridge’s smaller group learning environment, exploring innovative ideas with other like-minded and ambitious peers”. 

She continues “My goal is to further develop my technical capabilities. The core modules covering Derivatives and the elective studying Private Equity will prove invaluable to enhancing my skillset within Credit Risk, enabling an accelerated career progression within my chosen field. The intensity of the course will inculcate a forward-thinking approach to both my work and the opportunities open to me post-MFin”.

April was awarded an MFin Programme Scholarship and says that she is grateful that the award will help to ease the financial burden of her academic tuition over the coming year. “I would like to convey my personal thanks to the MFin team and Cambridge Judge, as well as the Chizel Educational Trust, Women Careers Foundation, Humanitarian Trust and the Ajvir Singh Sandu Leadership Fund – all of whom have all generously awarded me financial Scholarships to assist in undertaking the MFin.” 

One month into her MFin journey, April is excited about the year ahead. “I am most looking forward to delving into every aspect of college life as well as the Cambridge Judge community. From finance to formals, societies to the student union and books to May Balls, I can’t wait to jump in and do as much as I can!”

Ana Gvalia  

In pursuit of international exposure and leadership opportunities, Ana Gvalia moved from Tbilisi, Georgia to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Northeastern University for her undergraduate degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship. After graduation, Ana moved back to Georgia to work for the only institutional investor in the country – London Stock Exchange listed Georgia Capital – where she gained experience in both buy-side and sell-side.

Most recently, Ana has worked on the largest transaction in the history of the country – the sale of a monopolistic infrastructure asset to a strategic investor.  

“Having worked for the best employer on the largest transaction in Georgia made me realise that to elevate my personal and professional experiences to the next level, I needed to immerse myself in the blend of a long heritage of excellence, innovative ideas, academic rigor and practically driven curriculum with like-minded, internationally conscious students and alumni network. Add to that, the enchanting town of Cambridge and there was no other answer but the MFin programme at the University of Cambridge.”

Ana is one of the 2 MFin Women in Finance scholars and proudly adds “I look forward to contributing to discussions from my emerging market and women in finance perspective, but at the same time hearing from other people’s perspectives. It is a huge responsibility to represent Cambridge women alumni – an honour that I intend to justify with my tenure at Cambridge and beyond”.

On what she is looking forward the most about her year in Cambridge she adds “Making lifelong friendships and core memories! All the other things will line up”.

Ana intends to continue her career at a private equity firm in London specialising on infrastructure and renewable energy assets.

Nigina Jumaeva  

Becoming the first woman from Uzbekistan to be admitted to the Cambridge MFin programme was a huge honour for Nigina. “I can say that without the support of so many people around me, and the University’s commitment to praising talent and achievements and cherishing diversity, equality, and inclusion, I would not be where I am today.” 

After completing her bachelors degree in Business Economics at Bangor University, Nigina joined the largest household appliances manufacturing company in Central Asia. Working as a Financing and Investor Relations Manager, and participating in the transformation programme of the holding, allowed her to develop a deeper understanding of international debt financing, change-management and the unique challenges faced by businesses in emerging markets.

She explains “I really enjoyed building long-lasting relationships with investors and using the different tools that financial markets offer, to catalyse the growth of the firm. But now I look forward to taking that skillset into the advisory and financial services industry which would allow me to create global impact, work with companies from a variety of industries and continuously grow both personally and professionally.”

Reaching out to alumni of the Cambridge MFin and hearing about their experiences, further reinforced Nigina’s decision to apply to the programme, “I was positively surprised by the level of responsiveness and the drive each alumni has while talking about his/her experience at Cambridge Judge Business School. These conversations confirmed that Cambridge Judge Business School is a place where genuine human connections and individuality are truly valued, and I have seen this firsthand during my first weeks at the Business School.” 

She continues, “As an individual pursuing consistent progress, I believe the Master of Finance programme to be pivotal to working my way up at this stage of my life. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study at Cambridge Judge Business School and am determined to make the most of it.” 

Dihan Udugampola

For Dihan Udugampola, who grew up in Sri Lanka, coming to Cambridge was a childhood dream.

After completing his bachelors degree in accounting at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, he joined Acuity Knowledge Partners (formerly Moody’s Analytics Knowledge Services), where he published research on emerging markets corporate bonds.

After 5 years working in investment research, Dihan was looking to switch careers and decided to pursue a master’s degree. He explains “I was researching the best masters programmes in finance for an experienced professional, and the Cambridge MFin was on the top of the list. With the legacy of University of Cambridge and the Cambridge Judge Business School, I had no second thoughts in applying for the programme.”

The expertise and knowledge of the Cambridge Judge Careers Service, and close proximity to London, were also key considerations for Dihan. He says, “Going through the class profile and the curriculum I felt that the MFin was well aligned to my goal of furthering myself in the field of finance. The careers team offers a lot of support for candidates like me who want to switch careers to a different field in finance. Moreover, London being one of the hubs for investment banking helps a great deal in securing employment after the programme.” 

Now that he is here in Cambridge, Dihan is looking forward to enjoying everything that the University has to offer. “I want to make the most of my year here in Cambridge, and engage in as many sports, clubs and societies as possible. Being a cricketer who has pursued the sport in school, and as an undergrad, I intend to join the College and University teams and continue my cricketing career.”

Dihanwas awarded an MFin Programme Scholarship and concludes “I was delighted to hear that I was awarded the MFin scholarship. Coming from Sri Lanka, a developing country, the scholarship was immensely helpful in financing the programme.”