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Michael Zhao

Michael Zhao

Finance and Leadership | McGill MBA ’27 | CPA

Montreal, Quebec, CanadaVenture Capital & Private Equity
Company
Desautels Graduate Finance Club
Title
President
Seniority
C Suite
Department
C Suite
Location
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Industry
Venture Capital & Private Equity

About

I am currently pursuing my MBA at Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, with a dual focus on Finance and Global Strategy & Leadership. As part of my career advancement, I am keen to further my track record of finance expertise and strategic decision-making in primary investment and corporate finance, for which I have a profound passion. With over 14 years of pre-MBA working experience in private equity and venture capital, my roles include fund auditor, corporate accounting manager, senior FP&A manager, financial controller, and senior vice president in private credit fund services. I hold a Hong Kong CPA designation, am a Quebec CPA candidate, and have been preparing for my CFA Level 2 exam. I speak English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and French. I am actively open to work, internships, and opportunities to give back to the community. Let's connect!

Experience

President

Desautels Graduate Finance Club · Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Present

Desautels Graduate Finance Club ("DGFC") is a student-run entity, we are proudly open to all Desautels graduate students and alumni who are interested in advancing their knowledge and network within the finance industry. DGFC exists to help students and alumni build and nurture professional connections with industry experts, obtain access to career coaching and discussion, and explore various finance job opportunities.

Engagement Manager

Thinkr Consulting · Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Present

Thinkr is an independently run initiative composed of current McGill MBA and Masters students from various professional backgrounds and cultures, offering 100% free business consulting services to organizations that need help, but cannot afford it.

Financial Controller

AFG · Hong Kong SAR

1. Designed roadmap for Finance function spinoff from group platform; secured board approval; evaluated and managed external service providers 2. Improved treasury efficiency, negotiated favorable terms for general banking services, and fixed deposit interest rates

Senior Vice President - Fund Services

Micro Connect | 滴灌通 · Hong Kong SAR

1. Conceptualized and realized Co-Management Fund Initiative in collaboration with external fund managers; successfully launched co-managed funds and raised capital 2. Coordinated cross-division taskforce to launch company’s Exchange in Macao; managed multi-level project risks and beat target completion date by +1 month

Vice President - Fund Serices

Micro Connect | 滴灌通 · Hong Kong SAR

Oversaw initial closing, monthly accounting and valuation, and investor services of USD open-ended fund

Senior Finance Manager

Hony Capital · Beijing, China

1. Digitalized group-wide FP&A reporting framework; standardized monthly group financial reporting cycle by driving system upgrade 2. Evaluated refinancing options for collateralized corporate assets; structured and closed deals to minimize outflow of cash and deal cost

Manager

Hony Capital · Beijing, Hong Kong

Associate, Risk & Compliance

CR Capital Real Estate Partners Limited · Hong Kong SAR

1. Accelerated approval process by ~15 mins per application by implementing delegation of authority in office automation system 2. Monitored evolving regulatory landscape and updated finance and operation policies

Assistant Manager, Financial Services

KPMG · Hong Kong SAR

1. Empowered team servicing clientele of private equity and mutual fund managers, trustees, and retirement schemes 2. Built fund audit team for KPMG's first shared service center in China

Education

McGill University

Master of Business Administration - MBA, Finance

Hong Kong Baptist University

Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Accountancy and Law

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