Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance alum eyes return on investment after receiving funding from the Student Venture Fund
As an alum of the first Student Investment Fund (SIF) cohort, a student-led initiative at the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) that gives students real-world investing experience, Andy Wang (BCFM ’13) is familiar with the benefits of experiential education that extends beyond classroom walls. On his journey to a successful career in mainstream finance, Wang has prioritized his commitment to giving back to Waterloo, providing ongoing mentorship to successive cohorts of SIF teams since graduating nearly a decade ago.
Having graduated from SAF’s Computing and Financial Management (CFM) program, Wang was prepared for roles in investment banking, sales and trading. “Computing and Financial Management is a double major program in computer science and finance that prepares graduates to solve complex technological problems,” says James Thompson, co-director of the CFM program. “Graduates can apply the skills they learn in the classroom to roles in technology, finance, or financial technology” (FinTech). After years of experience in capital markets and leading the finance functions at startups, Wang developed the idea for Finta, an accounting platform for startups that provides real-time insights and handles their bookkeeping and taxes.