SBM Industry Spotlight Series: Careers in Finance, Accounting and Fintech

When: Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: Online

Curious about where a career in finance, accounting, or fintech can take you? Join us for the next SBM Industry Spotlight event! 

Whether you’re interested in banking and credit, accounting and professional services, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, or the evolving fintech landscape, this session will offer a real-world look at the skills, experiences, and pathways that lead to success in today’s financial industry.

When: Wednesday 28 January 2026 - 4pm - 5pm - Online

Hosted by:

Ishani Chandrasekara - Professor of Accounting Education / Programme and Progression Lead for BSc Accountancy (Flying Start) 

 Ishani is the first child (in fact first female) to go to university in her family and she received a full scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to study BCom Management with Commerce degree at the University of Bangalore. She then worked as an audit trainee for PricewaterhouseCoopers (Sri Lanka) for a year before moving to the UK for postgraduate and doctoral studies. She joined University of Leicester School of Management as a teaching associate where she obtained her PhD. Ishani has taught on distance learning programmes in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Bangkok and Australia. She has acted as an adviser for several NGOs in Sri Lanka including Worldwide Women’s Organisation, Women’s Development Centre, and the Centre for Social Concerns.
Ishani now provides strategic direction and leadership to Queen Mary’s successful paid industry placements in accountancy and finance, overseeing the overall performance of the provision. She is a sought-after speaker at international and national conferences, events, and in the press.
Her approach to professional education involves close collaboration with industry employers to co-design and develop new programmes. This supports workforce diversification, workforce planning, addressing skills deficits, and widening participation.
Ishani works with UK-based Big 4 firms and other organisations, nurturing key partnerships, including with PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is Queen Mary’s Times Higher Education and QS Awards Finalist and serves as an External Examiner, providing Quality Assurance for accounting professional bodies and national organisations. She has also led projects for government bodies, including the UK Quality Assurance Agency.
Committed to expanding Queen Mary’s professional education, Ishani upholds the highest standards of quality and ensures an outstanding student experience. Her strategic initiatives aim to position Queen Mary’s fast-track four-year accountancy programme as a catalyst for academic and professional advancement, widening participation, driving innovation, and fostering meaningful partnerships with industry stakeholders.

Roles:
Programme Director BSc Accountancy (Flying Start)
Accounting Profession Associations liaison (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA)
Member of the Department of Accounting and Financial Management

Speakers:

Georgian Petreanu - Assistant Vice President of Corporate and Leverage Credit (Consumer and Retail) at Citi Bank

 

Georgian is a finance professional based in London with experience across institutional credit management, financial sponsors coverage, and global markets research. He currently works at Citi Bank as an Assistant Vice President in Institutional Credit Management, where he underwrites and manages credit exposure for UK mid-cap clients across a range of sectors, taking ownership of the full credit and documentation process and maintaining ongoing client oversight. Prior to Citi, Georgian held analyst roles at ING, including in Financial Sponsors Coverage and Global Research. In these positions, he supported private equity client relationships, contributed to portfolio and credit materials, and worked closely with economists, strategists, and trading teams across asset classes. His early career exposure combined credit analysis, research, and cross-product collaboration within an international banking environment.
Georgian holds a BSc in Economics and Finance from Queen Mary University of London, where he developed a strong academic foundation in economics and financial markets. He has since complemented his degree with continued professional education in wholesale credit and complex credit structures through Citi and external training providers.

 

Rodas Wendemu – Senior M&A Associate at PwC

Rodas Wendemu is a Senior Associate in PwC’s M&A practice, focusing on advising corporates and private equity funds on special situations transactions. His work involves supporting clients through complex, transaction-led scenarios, combining financial analysis with commercial judgement.
Prior to joining PwC, Rodas gained experience across fintech and venture capital. He was also part of the Queen Mary Social Venture Fund, taking on the role of lead originator - assessing early-stage ventures and supporting investment decisions with a social impact focus.
Rodas holds an MSc in Finance & Investments and a BSc in Business Management from Queen Mary, University of London. He is currently pursuing the ACA qualification with ICAEW and expects to qualify in 2026.

 

Marie Andela - Director of Finance within Global Real Estate Investment Management 

Marie Andela, FCCA is an award winning Finance Director within Investment Management. She oversees a portfolio of pan European real estate investments in excess of €2bn AUM and works closely with Fund Managers on the investment strategy, execution and asset management of her portfolio. She has over a decade of experience within financial services in global institutions including State Street and one major bank RBS. Marie has won BWAM 40 under 40 award for her impact in the asset management industry. Marie is passionate about the advancement of ethnic minority professionals in corporate settings. She drives this agenda through her platform Empowered by Experience and authored the book Promotion Achieved.

 

Alexey Vshivkov  - Senior Finance Manager at Revolut

Alexey is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant with over 15 years of expertise across financial control, accounting advisory, and external audit. Currently a Senior Finance Manager at Revolut, he serves as a subject matter expert in financial instruments, leading the design and implementation of financial controls for the newly established UK Bank’s Treasury and Credit functions.
Before joining Revolut, Alexey spent over a decade at EY, where he specialised in auditing public companies and US SEC registrants. He has a proven track record of managing large-scale international teams and advising the boards of global investment banks. A recognised mentor, he has developed specialised training for staff and partners and frequently liaised with the US and UK regulators to ensure compliance and operational excellence.