 Syed Shahzad
Investment Banking
Having a Master’s degree in IT and over 10 years of professional experience, going back to university was a major decision for me. Being an Enterprise Architect for an Investment Bank, I wanted to move my career further into corporate finance and strategy. I preferred this Diploma at Oxford because of the structure of the course - modular, week long in-campus teaching that no one else offered, well-regarded lecturers, part of Oxford Alumni, subjects and exemptions towards EMBA, and most of all the experience of learning from one of the most distinguished universities of the world.
The one-week session for each module was very practical, energetic and informational. It served as a healthy break from our busy daily mundane routine. What I hadn't realised until I began this course was the opportunity for networking with the fellow students. The class profile was overwhelming, frequent meet-up with top-notch decision-making executives (CEOs/CFOs), elaborate discussions on financial strategies of their organisations, theoretical application of the course in the real corporate environment, and now being in touch with them as friends is just priceless. The people I was surrounded by and the time I got to spend during and after the class sessions has made as much of an impact as the actual course did.
I've observed immense changes in my knowledge in the duration of this course– the development of my skills in Strategy and Finance and my confidence now, as a strategic-thinker, are astonishing. As a pro-active learner, I find there are certainly several options for me within the institute for progression. My future plans are to gradually culminate my Diploma into the EMBA.
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 Lynzi Harrison
Financial Services
I am head of business partnering and reporting for Shared Services at Skandia UK. My role is diverse and covers many aspects of finance, from sales reporting to risk management of finance to all the statutory and regulatory reporting for the UK group. I came on the Diploma to stretch myself and improve my capability at the strategic level. I believe it essential, particularly in today’s climate, to be able to understand the bigger picture and analyse proposals which will help Skandia meet the ever changing needs of the market.
I found the course rigorous and intellectually challenging. The quality of the teaching faculty is exceptional and it is a privilege to be part of the Oxford world. For me, an unexpected and invaluable benefit was the opportunity to debate issues and form relationships with colleagues from so many different geographical and professional backgrounds.
I liked the fact that the course is introduced with the business strategy module. It set the scene for the rest of the course and provides the wider context and foundation for the application of the financial aspects. Some of the material was a refresh from prior training and other material was entirely new which I found stretching and enjoyable.
The course has widened my knowledge and challenged some of my original ideas and assumptions. It has helped to lift me out of my specialist area and show how I can help others see how the financial strategy supports the overall business strategy and aims of the organisation.
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 Rahul Shukla
Consulting
I am currently responsible for defining strategies for effective manpower utilisation at Tata Consultancy Services. Previously, I was Financial Controller, responsible for preparing financial proposals for new deals and new investment opportunities to grow the business.
In the last four years of my career, I have been working closely with the financial stream of my organisation’s business. I felt strongly that this was my preferred area of expertise but needed to do more studying. Learning on the job was not enough to satisfy my hunger to learn and grow in my chosen field of strategy and finance. I want to move from a managerial to a leadership position and this motivated me to seek formal education in strategy and finance and arm myself with conceptual knowledge.
I am very happy that I chose the right course and the right school where the teaching methods are very good and provide deep insight. In addition, it was a great learning experience working with a class that was diversified culturally and across the subject matter. I am sure that the relationships that I made on the course will be very helpful in the future.
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 Fola Oyeyinka
Investment Banking
I work as an investment banker responsible for transactions across mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital raisings for clients in Europe and Africa.
In deciding to study for the Financial Strategy programme at Oxford, my concerns were two-fold. Firstly, I wanted a programme that was very challenging yet flexible enough to complement the demands of a hectic career schedule. Secondly, I was keen to broaden my understanding of key management issues beyond those of corporate finance.
Through a series of carefully selected and highly complementary modules, SBS has succeeded in designing a high-impact, value-for-money management programme. The course has provided a positive step change in my understanding and thinking of corporate strategy and management control systems, whilst reinforcing my existing knowledge of corporate finance.
The quality of the class and of the faculty is top-notch; I always look forward to coming back to Oxford and overall, this has been a very rewarding academic and career decision.
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