Miller Zhang, MSQM: BA '22
“As the energy business is facing unprecedented transitions, my firm is focused on electrifying our planet with sustainable and renewable energy. Given the ever-changing nature of the energy business, having relevant, accurate, and reliable data is critical for any decision-making. The business analytics knowledge and frameworks from MSQM are crucial to solving various business challenges."
Global FP&A Analytics Manager
ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB)

MSQM: Business Analytics

Class of 2022
Industry:
Technology in Energy

Prior Education:

McGill University
Accounting & Finance, 2012
Hometown:
Montreal, Quebec
Nationality:
Canada

Reflections

I am a Chinese Canadian who grew up in Montreal, in the French-speaking part of Canada. I currently work in Cary, North Carolina. During the orientation week, I was surprised to meet so many multicultural professionals who are working in different industries and are based in various parts of the world. Throughout the five terms, I saw the value-add of having diverse ideas, open-minded discussions, and, more importantly, an optimal decision-making process due to this multiculturalism. The diversity and inclusiveness are what characterizes the MSQM program’s team-based learning experience.

Before Fuqua

My mid-career transition into analytics began within the audit function three years ago, and I started Fuqua’s MSQM program at the same time. I always wanted to combine my skills in business controlling, audit, M&A, and data analysis skills into actionable insights—I found that the integrator was analytics.

After Fuqua

Fuqua has positioned me well strategically and technically to explore data science topics within my firm. I’d like to dive deeper into advanced analytics topics and help my organization deploy predictive/prescriptive models that could improve business decision-making in strategic planning, forecasting, and performance management.

My Advice to Prospective Students

The MSQM is a very fast-paced program and loaded with interesting topics, therefore you ought to have a plan with a list of priorities coming in. With your priorities in mind, it’s important to regularly practice your new skills, leverage all existing resources, and to periodically assess your progress. One of my priorities was to familiarize myself with real world uses of machine learning models, and it was up to me to speak with professors, dive deep into case studies and practicing modeling often. As the old saying goes, “you will benefit (from the MSQM program) as much as you are willing to give (to the program).”