In a fluctuating financial market, the difference between a job and a career often comes down to the depth of your expertise. For Master of Science in Finance (MSF) graduates from Gies College of Business, the degree is more than just a credential; it is a career accelerator built for long-term job resilience.
Meet four alumni who successfully transitioned from their undergraduate majors into specialized roles at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions. While some represent the rapid rise of early-career specialists at firms like Goldman Sachs and the World Bank Treasury, our fourth graduate offers a 20-year perspective on how the MSF delivers a permanent strategic advantage. By mastering the sophisticated tools of modern finance – from AI-driven reporting to complex risk management – these graduates continue to scale their careers at elite hedge funds and global finance leaders.
From Remote Indonesia to the World Bank Stage
Jay Jihad Huda Hanggawan (MSF ’19)
Derivatives & AI Solutions, The World Bank Treasury
Jay Hanggawan’s path from a remote island in Indonesia to the World Bank Treasury in Washington, DC, is proof of what happens when you lean into the power of specialized expertise. Even with six years of banking under his belt, Hanggawan recognized that the global marketplace was becoming increasingly technical.
“Finance is very competitive and having a bit of an edge makes a lot of difference,” said Hanggawan. “I was attracted to the Gies MSF program because it offered a number of tracks so that I knew I would be learning something new and not repeating my undergrad experience.”
During the Gies MSF program, Hanggawan moved past the basics of market theory to dive into the technical side of the AI era. He mastered Python and built a deep understanding of machine learning expertise – skills that have become his biggest differentiator in a crowded field. Today, he applies AI-driven automation within the Treasury, where his latest project developed solutions that streamline complex development finance reporting to investors.
But it wasn’t only about the code. Hanggawan credits Gies Business with helping him bridge the gap between technical data and the soft skills needed to thrive in a high-level corporate environment. This mix of analytical depth and strategic communication even fueled his interest in entrepreneurship, including a skincare venture called Flonatix. For Hanggawan, the Gies MSF program wasn't just about earning a degree; it was about building a toolkit for a multifaceted, global career.
From Mumbai to the Halls of Goldman Sachs
Kritika Taparia (MSF ’20)
Credit Risk Associate, Goldman Sachs
Kritika Taparia didn’t just want a job in finance; she wanted a career that would make a tangible, positive difference. After working at Barclays in Mumbai, she realized that to reach the next level, she needed to move from executing work to driving decisions by gaining deeper specialization and sharper analytical rigor. She chose Gies Business because she wanted an advanced degree program that would turn classroom theory into the structured analytical thinking required by the world's top-tier firms.
During her studies, Taparia focused on mastering high-stakes fundamentals: financial forecasting, portfolio management, and financial modeling. Gaining these skills has better equipped her to perform under pressure and scale across markets. Today, as a Credit Risk Associate at Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City, she navigates risk assessments that help safeguard the firm’s interests in a volatile global market.
“The MSF program taught me how to break down complex issues and build my problem-solving skills,” said Taparia. “My solutions are more holistic and will help in the strategic business decision-making of the firm.”
For Taparia, the Gies MSF became a bridge to the US market. It not only improved her technical know-how but also helped her develop the confidence to lead and communicate in a high-pressure business environment. By combining her international background with the specialized expertise she gained at Gies Business, Taparia has smartly positioned herself to contribute to one of the world’s premier financial firms.
From the D1 Gridiron to Wall Street Hedge Fund
Blake Jeresaty (MSF ’21)
Hedge Fund Analyst, Luxor Capital Group
Blake Jeresaty spent his undergraduate years as a standout Division I football player, but he always had his eye on a different kind of playing field: Wall Street. When the pandemic gave him an extra year of eligibility, he didn't want to focus solely on sports. He looked for D1 school with a master’s degree program where he could move past business basics and get into the weeds of finance and economics.
Jeresaty chose the Gies Business MSF because it offered a natural progression – not a repeat – of his undergraduate degree. He used the program to sharpen his technical skills, moving from the fundamentals to the high-level analysis required for the intensity of investment banking. The move worked. After starting as an analyst at William Blair in Chicago, Jeresaty transitioned into the elite world of New York hedge funds in 2024.
“Everything I learned has been extremely relevant to a career in investment banking,” said Jeresaty. “It differentiated my fundamental understanding of how markets and business work, which makes me a more valuable employee.”
Even though he traded the football field for Wall Street, Jeresaty’s competitive edge is exactly the same. He credits Gies Business with providing the technical polish that allowed him to pivot from being an elite athlete to a hedge fund specialist. For Jeresaty, the Gies MSF was a strategic next step that turned his ambition into reality.
From Finance Foundation to the C-Suite: A 20-Year Perspective
Fatima Hamad, (MSF ’04)
VP Finance, Aviz Networks
While many professionals pursue a master’s in finance to accelerate their early careers, Fatima Hamad’s trajectory demonstrates how the degree’s value compounds over time – particularly for leaders operating at the intersection of finance, technology, and enterprise strategy.
With more than 20 years of experience across global technology organizations, Hamad has witnessed – and helped shape – the transformation of tech finance from a traditional reporting function into a strategic discipline central to innovation, capital allocation, and competitive advantage.
“Everything I’ve done in finance, I learned from my time at the University of Illinois,” said Hamad, who later added an MIT MBA to her resume and now serves on several boards that fund startups. “Finance has become a ‘horizontal’ function; it is a leadership capability that touches every dimension of enterprise value creation.”
Early on, Hamad recognized that being "good with numbers" was just the baseline. Gies offered Hamad the analytical rigor and strategic foundation to evolve alongside the industry. The program sharpened her expertise in advanced financial modeling, risk assessment, and data-driven decision-making; it equipped her to not only to interpret performance but also guide enterprise strategy. That perspective has been the one constant during her rise through some of Silicon Valley’s most influential tech companies.
Today, as VP Finance at Avis Networks, an AI-driven networking solutions startup, Hamad manages complex financial structures where the stakes are high. She sees finance as the "connective tissue" of an organization, a role that demands the exact blend of technical rigor and strategic communication she honed at Gies Business. For Hamad, the MSF became a lifelong asset for navigating the highest levels of global business.