DCU graduate named EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year 2021 for KSA
Raghad Mohammed Albelaly
Raghad Mohammed Albelaly is a DCU graduate of BSIF BBS International Finance having studied at the Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University (PNU). Graduating in 2020, Raghad faced a global pandemic, where job opportunities were rare and her career was uncertain. However, after landing a training opportunity with Misk Foundation, Raghad came across the EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year competition, which she was recently named for 2021.
Read Raghad's story, and career to date, leading to her fantastic achievement.
What are your recollections of when you were a student?
"The knowledge and the learning I have acquired, especially from the showcasing and events days where the students share their creative work and get inspired by each other’s progress or when a host speaker brings on exceptional knowledge and unique perspective towards the future."
What is your favourite memory of your time as a student?
"My favourite memory was the very first week of joining the program, the BEST week, the welcoming introduction, the fun activities, and the people I met who became my best friends. The genuine excitement and the passion to learn from that week on were unforgettable."
Where has your career journey taken you since graduating in May 2020?
"I graduated into a pandemic in Saudi Arabia, hence almost zero job opportunities, and most of the graduate programs (on the job training) were delayed to undefined time, which was very depressing for me. However, I managed to land a training opportunity with Misk Foundation, where I had the opportunity to work with a start-up company as a models intern doing mainly budgeting and forecasting. Once I completed the internship, I knew exactly what career path interested me and the path to pursue - Financial Analysis and Valuation, so I started applying for jobs in that specific field and I happened to stumble across the competition EY was hosting for female finance graduates in KSA. I signed up, I won and I will start my internship next week."
EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year 2021
Tell us about your experience of winning EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year 2021.
"This competition was very rewarding for me personally. I am very grateful I signed up for it, EY colleagues were amazing, the finalist’s ideas were very inspiring and most of all the opportunity that I was given to freely express my ideas and ask questions related to it was something I was looking for, the experience was insightful and so much fun."
How do you feel as you prepare to compete internationally having won the award for KSA?
"I’m super excited to meet the global finalists, connect with them and share knowledge. I’m also super proud to be able to represent my country in a global event."
What is your current role and what are your career highlights to date?
"I currently work as an Intern at Ernst and Young. My role involves transaction diligence, transaction and corporate finance. That includes performing financial analysis and valuation in general.
My career highlight has been winning the EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year KSA 2021, as well as succeeding in doing complete financial modeling and planning for the start-up that I worked at."
What are the key skills you learned whilst studying that have influenced your career?
"The main two skills that I learned from my university years and have had a great added value to me ever since were strong research skills, and critical thinking (economics modules specifically have influenced the way I think very strongly especially in terms of strategic, critical, and logical thinking)."
What advice would you give to current students and new Alumni of DCU?
"Explore your career options before you settle, see every opportunity as means to grow and learn and start that very early, acquire a competitive skill that puts you ahead of other graduates, and most of all know your value and keep learning."