Finance education can open a wealth of opportunity

Name: Victoria Macarthur-Stanham

Job title: Head of Development at M. H. Carnegie & Co.

Victoria Macarthur-Stanham, Head of Development at M. H. Carnegie & Co.
Victoria Macarthur-Stanham, Head of Development at M. H. Carnegie & Co.

What do you do ?

I work for alternative assets manager, M. H. Carnegie & Co, which was founded by well-known venture capitalist and philanthropist Mark Carnegie. I sit across the fundraising and distribution capabilities of the business, but also dip my toe in the marketing and communications and strategy pools on a regular basis.

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We invest across a variety of sectors and asset classes, partnering with businesses who are seeking transformational capital to help accelerate their vision for the company.

How long have you been doing this job and what first sparked your interest in this area?

I’ve been working in this particular job for almost a year. Prior to this I was working for a domestic financial services business in a business development and strategy role.

I was part of a small team that rebranded this business and scaled it over a five-year period, growing the funds under management from $15 billion to $20 billion over the course of that time.

I then project managed the sale of that business to an international buyer. After the transaction closed, I missed the satisfaction and fast pace that came with building and growing a company, those early stages of the business life cycle.

What do you like most about the job?

The people. I’ve always been a huge believer in the power of human capital. It’s the essence of a good business.

How transferable are your skills?

Development roles stretch you in the very best way because you have exposure to both the investment and fundraising sides of the business. My skills are certainly transferable. The ability to both read and build a financial model along with the development of a deep network are the building blocks of a business. I can use these blocks in any career path.

I had a very short-lived stint in human resources after completing my undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science (Psychology), before going on to complete my Masters of Finance at UTS.

What advice do you have for people wanting to get into this career?

Adopt and maintain an unquenchable thirst for learning. Ask questions, even if they seem obvious. Roll up your sleeves and be willing to tackle any task that is asked of you.

Never consider yourself as being above something. Being a ‘doer’ will afford you with the opportunity to work across a breadth of interesting projects.

Finally, cherish your network. Cultivate and nurture it. Your relationships are everything in business. People are the engine room and most valuable asset of any company.

What should they study and what experience do they need to get into this field?

Finance is always a good start. Financial literacy is a transferrable skill set, company to company and internationally. You’ll never regret doing a Finance degree, even if it’s a slog at the time.

What personal skills do they need?

Relationships and team management. It’s through people, and people only, that the work will get done. Play to people’s strengths and understand their weaknesses so that you can build teams with complementary skill sets.

Value differences in opinion as they give you a broader understanding of your ‘why’ and what you’re trying to solve for.

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Source: Thanks smh.com