Benan Gurbuz

“My advice for the incoming class? Don’t sleep – do everything!”

When Benan Gurbuz came to London Business School (LBS) she was well on her way to realising an ambition she’s held since childhood – to live and work in the UK’s capital. 

Gurbuz’s undergraduate degree was a dual honours in business administration from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey and Binghamton University in New York State, US. But her heart has always been in London. She prefers European culture and has an emotional tie to the city: “My aunt has lived in the capital for 25 years and I’ve been visiting every year. For me, London is the perfect mix of calm and excitement. You can find anything here.”

Now a graduate of LBS’s Master in Financial Analysis (MFA) programme, Gurbuz is well and truly at home in London, with a job in analytics and sales at Bloomberg. “London is a big financial centre and interacting with various market players on a daily basis is very exciting,” she says. 
LBS was a great experience, she says – and not just because of the high-calibre faculty. “What added value was the discussions with my classmates from diverse backgrounds. Everyone had a different perspective and experience – and I will have that network for a lifetime.”

She particularly enjoyed the Advanced Corporate Finance elective, which was case-study-based. “We took it alongside MiFs and MBAs who have more work experience and I learned a great deal from that,” she says. Gurbuz was also very impressed by Career Centre, whose advisors connected her to top recruiters.

She has one small regret: she was so focused on getting a job after LBS that she didn’t join as many of the student clubs and events as she would have liked to. “My advice for the incoming class? Don’t sleep – do everything!” she laughs.

Immediately after graduating from the MFA she completed internships at Morgan Stanley and Akoni, a fintech start-up, before taking up her new role. She says Bloomberg offers “great opportunities that can be shaped according to one’s interests and skills” and she’s looking forward to a great career. 

“I have a lot of learning to do. I want to be able to see the big picture,” she says. “At Bloomberg, there’s continuous training through which you can specialise in an asset class of your interest, be involved in the product side of the business or move to more client-facing roles.”

“I always give 100%. I believe that if you do your best you will be rewarded. My ethic is to learn more, be proactive and open to any opportunities that come my way.” 

She describes finance as “a tough world”, regardless of gender. “You have to really put in the time and effort to perform as well as you can. But in London there are so many different events for women in banking and finance. You get to meet people in senior roles who are generous about sharing what they know and invested in helping you. It makes me feel confident for the future.”