Thais Batista

Professional background

Thais originally completed a degree in Business Administration in Brazil and has 13 years’ experience working in finance, for both large banks and hedge funds.

Sound long-term investment

When I started looking at postgraduate degree options my main aim was to leverage my pre-existing work experience. Ten years of working in the finance industry had given me solid foundations, but I wanted to set the platform for my next big career move. London Business School’s Masters in Finance programme ticked all the boxes – it was a targeted course letting me focus solely on finance, it offered an excellent part-time format and the strong reputation of the programme ensured it would be a sound long-term investment. I was promoted from Analyst to Portfolio Manager as soon as I completed the Masters in Finance so my decision was definitely the right one.

Deepening my financial knowledge

The Masters in Finance was the perfect opportunity to develop a broader scope of financial knowledge. Subjects like Financial Engineering and Time Series Analysis rounded out my general skills toolkit and I took a number of excellent courses that helped deepen my knowledge on analysing different asset classes. Electives provided me with a chance to delve into specific aspects of finance and really pushed me academically; I was learning alongside students from other programmes, including PhD participants, and taught by some of the School’s top faculty. I tailored the programme to concentrate on Quantitative Finance and Investments and, along the way, learnt a lot from superb faculty like Suleyman Basak and Narayan Naik.

Invaluable global contacts

My Masters in Finance cohort included a strong contingent from emerging markets. This provided me with a broad exposure to different cultures and allowed me to interact with a number of very smart people. Everyone on the Masters in Finance demonstrates considerable career potential – not all are leaders yet, but these are the people who will eventually be heading up top global organisations around the world. Working on assignments together proved a very progressive and mutually beneficial way of learning. Four years on from the programme I still use the class network, currently on an informal, social basis. Going forward, the contacts I have within the industry will be invaluable.

Propelling my career forward

When you invest time, money and energy in a programme like this, it makes sense to maximise the opportunities available. I took full advantage of the School’s flexible curriculum and adapted the programme to my individual needs – instead of taking the necessary six electives I was able to take eight and instead of completing one concentration, I took two. I have a generalist approach to investment strategy and now feel I have a sound base across the subjects and an insight into different areas for development. The Masters in Finance gave me the tools and vocabulary I needed to feel comfortable in every field of finance; in effect, I have a ‘pass code’ now, a panoramic view that will help propel me to more senior levels as I move forward in my career.