Ziqi Zhao: From M&A to long-term capital allocation

Before the Cambridge Master of Finance (MFin)

I began my career in Investment Banking at Bank of America in London, where I focused on merger and acquisition (M&A) execution across cross-border and multi-stakeholder transactions. The role gave me a strong foundation in financial analysis, valuation and strategic decision-making under pressure. Prior to that, I gained experience in early-stage advisory and capital markets research roles in Beijing and Shanghai, which exposed me to how companies scale and position themselves for investment. Collectively, these experiences shaped my interest in understanding how capital allocation decisions drive long-term value.

Why the MFin and why Cambridge?

I chose Cambridge because I wanted to return to an academic environment that encourages reflection, dialogue and broad thinking beyond immediate deal work. The Master of Finance (MFin) stood out for its practitioner-led teaching, experienced cohort and strong links to the global finance community. I was also drawn to the collaborative culture and the ability to learn alongside peers who have faced similar professional responsibilities yet bring very different sector and geographic perspectives. The collegiate environment adds another dimension of intellectual and personal growth that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

What I am looking forward to

I am looking forward to learning from classmates who bring diverse investment, policy and financial markets experience and to being able to exchange perspectives in a way that is both intellectually rigorous and grounded in real-world practice. I am also excited to take part in College life such as conversations over dinner, interdisciplinary events and the broader Cambridge community, which I believe will make this year both professionally formative and personally meaningful.

What I am hoping to achieve this year and how it will contribute towards my post-MFin career

I hope to broaden my investment toolkit and develop a more structured framework for evaluating business quality, sector dynamics and long-term value creation. I plan to take advantage of project-based learning, electives and practitioner seminars to explore private capital and long-term investing in more depth. This will support my goal of transitioning into a role where I can combine strategic perspective with disciplined financial assessment and ultimately contribute to building or investing in high-quality businesses.

My thoughts and feelings on being awarded an MFin scholarship

I am grateful to receive the scholarship and I view it as both recognition and responsibility. It reinforces my commitment to fully participate in the programme and to contribute to the MFin community, academically, professionally and through mentorship. It is a privilege to be supported and I hope to pay that forward.