As in previous years, the ifs School of Finance Graduation and Presentation Ceremony 2010 once again was a fantastic occasion where students celebrated their success and achievements in the presence of their family and friends in the prestigious surroundings of London’s Guildhall.
Graduates gathered in the main hall to hear speeches from ifs School of Finance Principal, Gavin Shreeve, Chairman, Sir James Sassoon and the keynote speaker, Paul Thurston, Chief Executive, HSBC Bank, UK.
In their speeches all the speakers warmly praised the graduates’ achievements, and their dedication, application and determination in successfully completing their programme of study. The speeches also discussed the economic environment that would shape the new graduates experiences as they continued in their careers.
In his keynote address, Paul Thurston talked about the various changes in governance and corporate structures currently being debated to help create a safer banking industry.
He concluded by drawing attention to the ifs’ achievement in attaining Taught Degree-Awarding Powers and its vital role in helping to create a more professional banking industry, which is fit for purpose in the 21st century.
The students were then presented with their awards by Sir James Sassoon and Professor Alistair Ulph, Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, The University of Manchester after which special prizes were also awarded for excellence and outstanding achievement, with representatives from the graduates’ employers in attendance to hand over the honours.
Sheena Hunter was one of the students who received a Professional Diploma in Financial Services Management on the day. Sheena is now a branch manager for Darlington Building Society , Northallerton with particular responsibility for the North Yorkshire region and believes the course covered a lot of the areas critical to her role.
“I have enjoyed studying for the PDFSM and think this course has covered a lot of areas which have been beneficial in increasing my skills and knowledge while understanding how I can develop my role and further my career.”
Andrew Cooke, an associate in Leveraged Finance at HSBC in London was also at the event, having graduated with the BSc (Hons) in Financial Services Management with Associateship. Talking about how his qualification had helped him in his banking career, Andrew said:
“The qualification has a big focus on understanding the fundamentals of banking and areas such as core credit skills, which underpins everything a bank does, play a big role. The importance of such skills has been highlighted by the credit crunch and is key to understanding liquidity issues and managing risk. I had a prior degree in maths and management but this qualification helped me take the academic theory learned and put it into a working, everyday context that was relevant to banking. Added to this, the tutors on the course were incredibly supportive and really ensured the content was “alive” and tailored to the fast paced environment of banking.”