Investment Society: President

I am standing for President of the UCL Investment Society to build on this year's excellent work and take us further. As an active member, I have seen our society's value, but we can achieve more. I want to continue this legacy while injecting fresh energy and real-world experience to elevate our impact.

My motivation combines academic rigour with hands-on trading. Through the CFA Institute Investment Foundation Certificate, I built strong foundations in industry standards and ethics. This formal knowledge, paired with my self-directed futures trading, where I navigated SHFE Zinc volatility to generate a 19% return in my first month, gives me unique insight. I understand both the theory and the discipline, risk awareness and resilience required to execute under pressure. This is the actionable perspective I want to share with members.

I will also leverage my PHBS research experience and Morgan Stanley network to curate high-value networking events and alumni panels designed to forge meaningful industry connections and open genuine career pathways while building on the current team's strong foundations. 

I am standing to build a culture of actionable intelligence, where we dissect deals rather than just discuss them, and practice finance rather than just aspire to it. I would be honoured to continue the legacy this committee has built over the years and am committed to making the UCL Investment Society a definitive competitive advantage for every member

I am Sophia Liu, the current Alumni Relations VP, and I am running to be the next President. In first year, I was clueless about recruiting. What changed for me was access: to the right people, guidance, and opportunities. This is exactly what I want to institutionalise for you. This year, I built a network of 150+ active alumni professionals willing to mentor and connect, hosted the Finance Conference panel, and launched a monthly webinar series featuring MD-level professionals.

My vision for 2026/27:
- Specialized Divisions: I will restructure events organisation into parallel tracks (Buy-side VS Sell-side) so you can move beyond general interest, pick your path, and train for recruiting.

- FinTech Pivot: being 'good at finance' nowadays requires being 'great with data'. We will partner with CS societies and host Finance & AI hackathons and workshops, so you walk into interviews confident and differentiated.

- Targeted Networking: We will introduce small-group, sector-focused roundtables (e.g. 'Dive in S&T', 'Women in AM') alongside general fireside chats/ panels. You will gain not just LinkedIn connections, but relationships with people who know your name.

Unlike a first-time candidate, I have the experience to know what works, the network to make it happen, and the caffeine tolerance to see it through. My ambition is to turn UCLIS into the society that recruiting teams actually fear losing access to. Let’s move past just talking about finance and actually place people in it!