Julio César Restrepo Ruiz

 

I am an Associate in PwC’s Valuation & Analytics (V&A) department. The functions within our department are quite broad, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on several of them. Primarily, we perform corporate valuations, impairment tests, fair value reviews, and portfolio valuations for private equity and venture capital clients. Additionally, V&A supports companies in designing employee remuneration schemes, such as stock options and performance shares. We also help businesses build financial models for various purposes and of all levels of complexity, including budgets and valuation models.

Roughly half of my day is spent building, updating, and reviewing Excel models. The other half involves gathering input data for our models — such as market trends and client-specific information — and preparing the reports and presentations that form the final deliverables. All projects are conducted in teams of varying sizes, and we frequently collaborate with other departments at PwC, such as tax, assurance, and M&A.

 

 

What caught my interest about valuations is the way accounting data is used to support decision-making and estimate future scenarios for a company. Essentially, you use historical data to look ahead. However, valuation isn’t just about crunching numbers — it also challenges you to consider a wide range of factors, such as geopolitical risk, market risk, the competitive landscape, customer behavior, and many other variables. I would say that working in valuation allows me to apply nearly everything I learned during my education — from financial analysis and IFRS to macroeconomics and strategic thinking.

 

 

 

I chose the MSc program in Accouting, Valuation & Financial Management (MAVFM), because it offers a unique profile and a valuable skill set. Unlike traditional accounting programs that focus mainly on accounting, auditing, and control, or pure finance programs that emphasize financial modeling, financial statement analysis, and financial markets, MAVFM allows you to develop strengths in both areas. You’re not limited to one perspective — you gain a comprehensive understanding of both accounting and finance. Also, before enrolling at SSE, I worked in audit for a couple of years, so I felt that the advantages I mentioned above would be an excellent complement to my prior experience and vice versa.

 

 

 

During my time at SSE, I had the opportunity to meet several alumni who were incredibly helpful in showing me the many different career paths available and the doors that open after graduating from SSE. I also participated in the mentorship program, where my mentor helped me reflect on my life and career, and supported me in taking my next step with confidence. My classmates were also a great source of support. I had very little knowledge of the finance industry or the types of roles one could pursue after graduation, but many of my fellow students had grown up in that environment, and they were of great help for someone like me, who didn’t have a strong connection to the industry.