Student Profile: Pursuing her Passions

Qin Zhang '07
Co-leader, Private Equity Club
Yale SOM Photographer 2005-2007
Post-SOM Position: J.P. Morgan, Hong Kong

I pursue two very different passions — investment management and photography. Photographers have to be very creative and independent, which matches the spirit here at Yale SOM.

I like documenting things — that is why I love photography. My friends always liked the pictures that I took, but I didn't know I had such a good eye until I began taking classes here at Yale. SOM encourages us to take advantage of the wider University.

I am interested in investment management because it's a highly scalable business that serves the important purpose of capital allocation. In the long run, I aspire to set-up a socially responsible investment fund in China.

In the past two years, Yale SOM’s curriculum has helped me gain tremendous insight – from both academic and practical points of view - into this industry. For example, Professors Roger Ibbotson and William Goetzmann teach Investment Management. Professor Ibbotson has experience creating and selling his own financial company, Ibbotson Associates. And Professor Goetzmann is a top theorist and researcher. All of the courses I took were very different. But in the end, I really learned a lot and became very confident in my ability to do my own research.

I had the privilege of leading the Yale SOM Private Equity Club, which hosts the school’s largest student-run conference. I worked very closely with the other three club leaders from March to November. Putting together a top-notch conference for professionals was like running a business and it touched every topic from our core courses. You have to plan and think about cash flow, revenue, sponsorship, marketing, and operations. More than 200 captains of the private equity industry came and enjoyed it.

Interviewed on April 24, 2007.