Meet Anny Ma: current HBA2 student, woman in finance, mentor to many, and Co-President of Western Capital Markets.
I first met Anny in November 2023, when I attended Western Capital Market’s Women in Finance Conference. Clad in an attempted business casual outfit with nerves tightly wound, I recall meekly complimenting an upper year’s outfit—who turned out to be Anny—and later, going up to her to briefly chat about the event. For me, being a newcomer to the finance community, each conversation I had with the women hosting the event provided me courage to face my impostor syndrome and start pursuing the career path I wanted. For Anny, previously Vice President of the Events portfolio (now the Community portfolio) and actual woman in finance, this event was one of passion and one where her role in the community shifted for the first tangible time. Upon meeting so many students who reminded Anny of her younger self, she flipped from being a mentee herself to becoming a mentor to many.
But let's backtrack a bit first.
For many high schoolers brimming with ambition to pursue a career in business, the difficult question arises: which university and program to choose? When it came time to decide, Anny faced the same dilemma like many others.
For context, she was born in Toronto and spent her childhood and adolescence in the surrounding areas—until the choice to attend Western University led her away. In the back of her mind, there was always a lingering “travel itch.” Anny knew that she eventually wanted to explore opportunities beyond Canada, and Ivey Business School’s international reputation aligned perfectly with that vision. Ultimately, the program’s global reach, combined with an unexpected but meaningful connection with two peers also planning to attend Western, tipped the scales and solidified her decision to study in London, Ontario.
In first year, Anny was drawn to what many may dub the Big Three of main campus’ business clubs: Western Investment Club (WIC), Pre-Business Student Network (PBSN), and Western Capital Markets (WCM). Each organization supplied her with what she needed: WIC provided an immersive challenge, PBSN created a student network full of breadth, and WCM extended an approachable community. The selection of extracurriculars was logical and strategic as Anny had entered university having evaluated her strengths and directed her efforts towards pursuing finance.
Though shortly into first year, it became strikingly clear how students in the finance community at Western were all able to outcompete each other. Yet, instead of being intimidated, Anny took a flexible approach and let her impressive peers motivate her to work harder—spoken like a true DECA alumni! And, although finance has indeed become increasingly more accelerated year after year, Anny stresses that university is truly a time to learn and experience new things—being in fourth year herself, she can attest that “four years fly by really, really quickly.”
Like many sophomores presently balancing an academic workload with the responsibilities of recruiting for a role in finance, Anny did just the same in second year. Having previously participated in the infamous RBC Women’s Advisory Program—a program that provides female students with mentorship, networking opportunities, and a chance to land an internship in the capital markets—she learned how to handle interactions both in a professional environment and with girls just as driven and ambitious as she is. And these ties are still going strong— “as a girl in finance you do face adversity, but being able to bond over it creates a connection where you don’t need to speak to them every day or every week to stay friends.” Taking this experience with her, Anny went into junior summer recruiting with a simple strategy: building genuine relationships. A conversational approach with her coffee chats was crucial; the idea was that “if we really connected, they probably would like to work with me.”
Yet, effective networking was only half the battle. To best explain why: recruiting—investment banking in particular—isn’t like studying for an exam because there is just no finish date set in stone. All the weeks of early technical and behavioral preparation are done for the mere possibility of getting an interview opportunity in the future. Hours of time are hedged on the hope of standing out among countless applicants, where even a single conversation could tip the scales. And as motivation slowly starts to flicker, it can become especially difficult to push forward and sacrifice another hour of personal time and/or sleep for something without guaranteed results. How to keep going? Plain and simple: “if you don't do it, you just won't be able to land something in banking.”
So, curious readers may be wondering: what was the ultimate outcome?
One day, Anny gets a call from Evercore, an elite boutique investment banking firm. In next to no time, she is finally able to “relax, sleep longer, go to the gym more, and see [her] friends again.” Life returned to its normal rhythm. The seemingly impossible goal was made possible, securing a future summer in New York City—perfectly timed for her entry into Ivey’s HBA program the coming fall.
Since joining Ivey, a theme of community has been weaved throughout her experiences. In HBA1, Anny was surprised by the strong emphasis placed on building community—a subtle pillar of the Ivey experience. With the diverse array of peers, the numerous projects assigned throughout the year allowed for group work done with students who came from unique backgrounds and expertise. Community appeared during Anny’s spare time too—rather than attending different club meetings, younger students were reaching out to meet with her. Contrary to the years prior, the “mission of [her] day has changed,” transforming into frequent engagements with students seeking guidance. And community certainly came to a peak when she campaigned for the role of Co-President of WCM, and subsequently landed the role, entering this journey specifically to represent the girls.
In November of 2024, I attended WCM’s newly minted Empower Summit—previously, the annual Women in Finance Conference—in downtown Toronto. Compared to earlier years, the event scaled up significantly, with an expanded focus on supporting underrepresented students—including female, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+, and students with accessibility needs—with the skills and connections needed to break into the industry. For me, a year had elapsed since I had first been introduced to the kindness the WCM community had to offer. Within that time, Anny went from an inspiring stranger to a dear mentor and friend of mine. This contrast made the experience all the more sentimental, showing how transformative a simple gesture of support could be.
For Anny, Empower was even more sentimental, but for different reasons. Not only did she witness the event scale up immensely, but was also able to bring a sense of belonging and connection to attendees. Reflecting on her growth over the years, Anny shared her perspective on overcoming impostor syndrome: “Everyone feels it, but instead of letting it hold you back, use it as fuel; that there’s more to learn, and let that drive you forward.”
Now, as Anny takes a page from her own advice and sets her sights on new experiences beyond finance, one thing remains clear—that the strength of any community lies in its diversity. It's in those differences that you’ll find the connections, opportunities, and growth that will define your own path.
And in the meantime, with a global management consulting firm in her future, Anny will finally get to scratch her “travel itch.”