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Ammar Al-Rikabi graduated in 2003, and now specialises in private equity and investment
Why did you choose to study Computer Science at UCL?
I was interested in Computer Science since secondary school, where I did the AS-level qualification and I thought I had just scratched the surface of the subject. Out of all the universities I applied, UCL was definitely my top choice as I found the department very welcoming and I was impressed with its high standing globally.
When did you graduate, and what have you been doing since?
I graduated with a BSc Computer Science in 2003 and my career developed into Investment Banking, first in a technology role and then, after completing my MBA in 2010, I moved into an investment role at a Private Equity firm. I'm still working there now. Interestingly, when I went to Business School, 35% of my class were from Science and engineering backgrounds. A few were also UCL graduates.
What did you particularly enjoy your time studying with us, and how do you feel the course benefited you, and helped you to progress your career?
I enjoyed the diversity of the class in terms of the directions you could take the course (I specialised in Neural Networks). In general the culture of the department was collaborative which was thanks to student classmates and professors. The foundations the course gave me in terms of rationally approaching and structuring solutions still benefits me to this day.
What are your future plans?
I enjoy my work a lot but I also keep an open mind to future opportunities. I’m starting to think about how I can take what I’ve learnt and build my own venture, and also imparting that knowledge to the next generation. I am actively engaged with my Business School on the latter.
What single piece of advice would you give to students thinking about studying Computer Science?
I graduated in the tech crash so getting that first job was more challenging than usual. However, I found my first job in a magazine I found in the CS student common room, and funnily enough the Bank I worked with later on in life was also an advertisement I found in the same common room that someone had dropped. So keep your eyes open!