James Zhao MSc

The course

Why did you choose to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS)?

The University of Edinburgh Business School came highly recommended by friends and colleagues, renowned not only for its storied history, but also for its exceptional education and robust alumni network.

Although I had not yet had the opportunity to visit Edinburgh, when I decided to further my studies in data analytics for business applications, choosing the Business School felt like a natural decision.

What was it about the degree programme that particularly attracted you?

The MSc Data and Decision Analytics (online) programme is very unique. It stood out among all the programmes I researched.

The programme includes the latest techniques in data and decision analytics, whether you’re a new graduate or have years of working experience like me. It also features live online teaching with all sessions recorded, allowing me the flexibility to balance my studies with my career and family responsibilities. Lastly, and significantly, the programme attracts a global cohort of students, many of whom share similar career aspirations and life circumstances, and there was so much to share and discuss among the students.

Your career

Can you tell us about your career before and after graduating?

I am a Director of Tax and Business Advisory Services at Grant Thornton, Shanghai.

I’ve been working in the tax and financial professional field for more than 13 years, from a first-year associate to where I am now.

My career path to date has both a traditional side and an unorthodox side. The traditional side is that I provide tax and business services to my clients where I have almost 12 years of experience for income tax, VAT, transfer pricing, tax accounting and M&A tax. What is unorthodox is that in the past three years I have been initiating automation and data analytics in tax at the firm, making tax service delivery easier for professionals and better for clients.

My career goal is to use data and decision analytics to help tax and business consultants provide better services, and to help tax and business consulting firms make better business decisions.

My plan after graduation is to enhance my career in the tax and accounting professional services field to create more value to professionals and clients.

My degree gives me the skills to uncover patterns in a short timeframe and make impactful changes in my work.

How did your degree prepare you for your career?

The degree enables me to acquire transferable skills for my career. Techniques of data and decision analytics not only benefit me in my current job role, but also open up more possibilities for me to apply my skills and knowledge in a much broader context.

Masters of Change

What notable changes has your degree enabled you to make in your professional or personal life?

The intensity of the courses, like applied machine learning and statistics, trained me to be a quick learner at work. Uncovering the pattern of things in a short timeframe is the key. Moreover, the data techniques learned from the course, especially storytelling for data and training of machine learning models, are directly transferrable to my data work at the firm.

What are the changes you have been able to make in your chosen field, of which you are most proud?

I founded a team specialising in tax digitalisation for the firm I work for, with self-owned computer programming skills, the first of its kind in the local market. I led the team to develop five tax automation products (mostly using Python, VBA and SQL) that were capable of processing a great amount of data in various types. The value created for my firm and my clients was substantial - the service quality was significantly improved, at least 8,300 hours were saved within the first three months of the launch.

How did your studies at the Business School help you to make those changes?

On top of the specific techniques I learned, one of the most valuable lessons I learned at the Business School is to have a brave mindset.

Like many, I used to get hung up on perceived difficulties, thinking things like ‘It must be super hard to delve into math concepts’. or ‘Am I good enough to balance the study and the work’? My studies at the School helped me get rid of those negative thoughts and think bravely instead – ‘There must be a way to sort it out’, ‘Why not give it a try’? and ‘Let’s just do it’.

What key things that you learnt at the Business School do you still rely on today?

I have gained so many valuable things at the School that I continuously draw on in my career.

The analytical skills I have honed are not only transferable but directly applicable to my work. I also developed strong management skills that help me excel in juggling multiple tasks effectively. Additionally, learning to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds has been fundamental in my professional interactions and collaborations.

Course highlights and advice

What are your best memories on the programme?

Among my best memories of the programme is my visit to the beautiful campus of the University of Edinburgh in June 2024. After a year of online learning, this visit with a few of my classmates was particularly memorable due to the Business School's exceptional hospitality.

One highlight was meeting the Programme Director and course lecturers, which brought us closer to the academic community. Another was a session on presentation and storytelling skills that provided us with transformative insights into effective communication. An evening gathering with alumni opened up opportunities to network and gain insights into our potential post-graduation paths and the student development team hosted several other events to support us.

What one piece of advice would you give to current students and recent graduates?

Embrace courage in your thinking. Choosing the University of Edinburgh Business School is a decision you'll never regret.