How a Master of Finance helped me launch a banking career in Hong Kong

When COVID-19 hit, James (Shupei) Zhan was finishing a bachelor’s degree in finance and information systems in the US where he planned to apply for a master’s.

As travel restrictions tightened, he began to reconsider. Born in Hubei, China, he had family in Guangdong, a coastal province just across the border from Hong Kong. The city’s position as a global finance hub, combined with the chance to be closer to home, led James to change his plans.

“I thought about my future job and my family,” he says. “Hong Kong is a nice place, and it’s convenient for me to go back home.”

James was drawn to the Master of Finance at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Business School for its international outlook and its ability to connect Chinese and global perspectives on finance.

“The program gave me a very comprehensive understanding of the finance world. It equipped me with the necessary skills for a very dynamic financial world,” he says.

Graduating in 2023, James now works in retail banking at a global financial services firm with high net-worth clients. He spoke with BusinessBecause about how the degree became the launchpad for his career.

Building the skills to succeed in finance

For James (pictured right), the Master of Finance was as much about stretching himself technically as it was about gaining practical skills he could use in the workplace.

He recalls the math-focused courses in financial management, risk management, and quantitative analysis as among the most challenging in the program, but also the most valuable. With the support of his professors, he says these classes gave him the technical grounding he now relies on in banking.

“The courses sharpened my analytical skills and prepared me for real-world challenges,” he says. “I learned formulas and financial analysis techniques that I now use in my work, like calculating present value, bond pricing, and dividends.”

Professor Meng, program director of the HKU Master of Finance, says this balance of technical and applied training is deliberate.

“The program combines techniques from statistics, mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer programming with knowledge in finance, accounting, economics, and law. This interdisciplinary approach provides students with a comprehensive and quantitative curriculum that emphasizes financial analysis and risk management," she explains.

Students can choose from three streams—Corporate Finance, Financial Engineering, or Risk Management—and can opt for single or double concentrations depending on their career goals.

Alongside this technical training, James became confident working with large datasets in Excel and learned structured approaches to risk—knowing which risks to avoid, which to mitigate, and which to manage over time.

Soft skills development was equally important, he says. Presentation workshops helped James refine his communication style, while an MBTI personality assessment clarified his professional strengths.

“My MBTI showed I’m an outgoing person,” he says. “The director of Student Enrichment suggested banking, consulting, or sales and luckily, I’m now in banking.”

Putting knowledge into practice

James also gained valuable real-world experience during an internship with a CPA firm, BDO Limited. Working long hours alongside a local team, he had to adjust quickly to both the workload and language.

He describes it as one of the most valuable parts of his degree, giving him the chance to build resilience and confidence in a professional setting. When COVID restrictions made face-to-face meetings and document sharing difficult, James proposed a solution: working with the client’s IT department to set up secure virtual access to their internal auditing system.

“I came up with the idea of working with the client’s IT department to get authorization for their internal auditing system,” he says. “That way we could log in virtually to review the audit without any manual manipulation, and the whole process went smoothly.”

Professor Meng (pictured right) explains that HKU strives to prepare their students for success in the world of finance.

Alongside internships with industry leaders, students can connect to the financial market in the HKU Bloomberg Laboratory—a facility equipped with Bloomberg Terminals that provide real-time financial data and trading tools—and take part in professional seminars and company visits that expose them to the day-to-day realities of finance.

Learning from a network of mentors and peers

Beyond the technical curriculum, James says the Master of Finance placed just as much emphasis on professional relationships and industry connections.

Through the mentorship scheme, each student was paired with an experienced professional. James’s mentor, who held both CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and FRM (Financial Risk Manager) certifications, worked in investment banking and gave him advice that still shapes how he works today.

“He told me that as a businessperson, it’s not only about academic knowledge, but you also have to know how to tell a story. This has been powerful knowledge for my career. Now, when I face my customers, I use simple words and stories to make things clear, not just definitions and theory,” James says.

HKU’s careers team also opened doors through career fairs, recruitment talks, and one-on-one advisory sessions where students could discuss their career plans and explore opportunities across Hong Kong, mainland China, and abroad.

For James, the community he built was just as valuable. Many of his classmates have since gone into finance roles across the region, and he says shared experiences outside the classroom helped form lasting friendships.

One highlight was representing HKU in a marine conservation project at To Tei Wan Beach, where students joined local volunteers to clear the shoreline.

“We went to clean up the bay and help residents improve their environment,” he says. “The program taught us to take social responsibility seriously and to promote ESG for the future.”

James (middle)

Launching a banking career after business school

After graduating from HKU, James stepped into a role in retail banking, advising high-net-worth clients on investments ranging from bonds and stocks to insurance products. His focus is on helping clients structure their portfolios and make informed financial decisions.

He says the experience at HKU gave him the confidence to step into a client-facing role so soon after graduation. Today, he draws on his training to analyze portfolios, weigh up levels of risk, and present strategies in ways that customers can act upon.

Professor Meng adds that this outcome reflects the program’s wider career focus. Graduates go on to pursue careers ranging from investment banking and risk management to asset management, consulting, and FinTech.

Looking back, James encourages future students to make the most of the opportunities on offer.

“Don’t be shy—communicate with people, ask questions, and know why you’re interested in finance,” he says. “Build skills beyond finance, like languages, computer skills, or hobbies. They help you grow your social network.”