Economics and Finance Society: Director of Finance

Alpha isn't found in textbooks.

I'm Neilson, a first-year Economics student. Growing up in West Borneo, exposure to finance wasn't something that came to me. I had to go find it. Nearly a year as an FP&A Analyst building reports. An Investment Strategy internship at Accor Group working across M&A and project investment. President of a 300+ member Rotary club coordinating speaker panels across very different stakeholders.

Okay, but enough of my CV. Every one of those experiences taught me something a lecture never could, and so did EFS, through the guidance and network it gave me when I needed it most. Finance events were what changed my trajectory, which is why I'm running for this role and not any other.

Think of EFS as everyone's tube to Canary Wharf. As Director of Finance, I'm here to make sure it actually runs. Not all assets are created equal, and neither are events, so I'll build on what EFS already does well. More hands-on valuation workshops and sharper interview prep that give members real, transferable skills before they meet a recruiter. A resource hub that's actually easy to navigate. And more networking events that put you in the room with people who actually work in finance, because that kind of access is what separates members who feel ready from those who don't. Whatever your level, every event will be built to give you a genuine edge.

Alpha isn't found in textbooks. It's built through the right environment, and that's what I'm here to build.

Vote Neilson.

I am running for EFS Director of Finance because after attending so many of the society’s events this year, I’ve seen how essential strong financial planning and strategic resource allocation are to delivering the high-quality programming that members value. My involvement across a variety of EFS events has given me insight into what drives engagement—and where smarter budgeting, clearer cost structures and better sponsor alignment can elevate the society’s impact. Through my leadership experience managing multi-event fundraising programmes that raised over €25,000, as well as overseeing procurement, reconciliations and budget planning, I have developed a disciplined and transparent approach to financial operations. My finance internship at BNP Paribas further strengthened my analytical skills, exposing me to risk assessment, compliance processes and financial modelling, all of which I can apply directly to society planning. As Director of Finance, I aim to build more robust financial systems, enhance sponsor relationships, and ensure that every event is supported by data-driven budgeting that maximises value for members. My focus will be on increasing financial sustainability, improving reporting practices, and enabling EFS to deliver more ambitious, professionally relevant and accessible initiatives for all students

Hi everyone, I’m Grace, a first‑year Management Science student. I’d love to help with the technical side of EFS because I know how valuable it is to have clear explanations, well‑structured workshops, and good speakers rather than just more theory.

Outside of class, I’m an analyst at Bloomsbury Capital, where I work on stock pitches and follow markets more closely, which has pushed me to deepen my understanding of valuation, earnings, and macro news. I’ve also been building my foundations through courses like Yale’s Financial Markets and the J.P. Morgan virtual investment banking experience, and previously wrote beginner‑friendly finance and investing articles at my school paper. On top of that, I founded investment‑adjacent and STEM‑focused clubs, where I created presentations, taught peers, and organised events, so I’m very comfortable turning dense material into slides and sessions that people can actually follow. I’ve had experience reaching out to professionals and non‑profits through roles like Compass 4 Careers and Social‑preneurship Club, which involved cold emailing, following up, and coordinating events, which would be very similar to inviting speakers and managing them on the day.

I’d be really excited to work with the team and help make EFS’ finance events and content as high‑quality and accessible as possible. Thank you for considering my application.”

I am standing for Director of Finance because I believe in the mission of the UCL Economics and Finance Society and believe I can contribute meaningfully to how its financial resources are managed and deployed.

Over the past few years I have gained practical experience managing budgets and financial operations in large student organizations. As Head of Finance of the JKS Student Council, I worked in a six person team overseeing more than $120,000 in event revenues, including over $90,000 in profit, while managing budgeting, forecasting, and sponsor funding. I also helped negotiate sponsorship agreements that secured more than $80,000 for charitable initiatives. Later elected Secretary General,  I led a 60 person team and oversaw more than $50,000 in non profit event surplus. Alongside this, my internships in public equity and private equity strengthened my ability to work with financial data in a structured and disciplined way.

If elected, I will focus on a few clear priorities:

• Securing dedicated sponsorships from financial institutions to directly fund flagship speaker events, research initiatives, and competitions.

• Creating a small internal funding pool to support the society’s strongest research teams with tools, data access, or competition entry fees.

• Partnering financially with other UCL societies to co host larger events and bring higher calibre speakers to campus.

• Building longer term sponsorship relationships so major events and initiatives have stable funding.

Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to be running for Director of Finance at EFS.

My goal is to keep building EFS into the go-to finance society at UCL. I want members to get the best insights, guidance, and opportunities to grow their careers in finance and ultimately secure their dream roles.

I previously founded the finance society at my school, so I’m comfortable taking ownership, staying organised, and following through on plans. And as a Finance Executive in EFS, I’ve really enjoyed working with the team and learning how things run internally. I’d love to continue contributing in a bigger role and help EFS build on the strong work already being done.

As Director of Finance, I’d focus on keeping things structured and reliable behind the scenes so EFS can keep delivering consistently throughout the year. In practice, that means introducing:

• Structured interview preparation and technical practice: termly prep cycles that combine practical refreshers, technical question packs, and mock interviews, alongside  conversion sessions where we practice turning concepts into clear, interview-ready answers.
• A stronger EFS content platform beyond a newsletter: a central hub where members can access workshop slides, technical cheat sheets, and a growing library of interview questions, so the value of EFS is available year-round, not only when you attend events.

Thank you for your time and consideration and I'd love the chance to lead as Director of Finance at EFS!

Finance can sometimes feel intimidating from the outside. There are so many roles, institutions, and technical skills that it’s hard to know where to start. What I’ve found most valuable during my studies is when finance becomes practical and tangible, when you actually understand how markets work, how deals are structured, or what professionals do day-to-day.

That’s why I would love to run for Director of Finance. My goal would be to make finance more accessible to students by combining learning with real-world exposure. If elected, I would focus on three main initiatives.

• First, organising practical workshops on skills students often want to learn but don’t always encounter in class, such as financial modelling, valuation basics, or understanding financial statements.
• Second, hosting career panels and speaker events with professionals from different areas of finance (investment banking, asset management, private equity, or trading) so students can better understand the range of paths available.
• Third, organising firm visits and networking opportunities so members can experience the industry directly and start building connections.

My goal is to help make the society a place where students can explore finance in a practical, engaging way and gain a clearer sense of how the industry works.

Hi, I’m Michael. As the Global Markets Executive of the EFS Finance team this year, I led in hosting many events with leading banks, including Moelis, JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank. 
Having interned at multiple boutique investment banks and private equity funds, I'm confident that my experience both within the society and in the industry will bring valuable insight into the behind-the-scenes running of the society.

As Director of Finance, I'm confident that I'll make EFS even greater next year. I'll introduce:

• The largest finance conference in EFS history: Having already been involved in organising this year’s conference, I know what works and what needs to be done. A large scale finance conference brings the best speakers in one room making it easier for you to network and discover finance.
• ⁠Restructured Sub-divisions & Teams: Two main sub-divisions: Global Markets (divided into equities, FICC, and Quant) & Investment Banking (divided into M&A and Capital Markets)
• ⁠Increase positions in the finance division by 50%: More opportunities for members to be involved in the committee for the most active division, making our goals realistic and achievable.
• Direct, exclusive EFS recruitment: Hosting internal competitions where winners will receive the opportunity to intern with our external partners and gain work experience.

If you believe in our ability to make that a reality, vote Michael Xu as your next EFS Director of Finance!