Expert CIMA Tutor | 10+ Years of Corporate Finance and 5+ Years of Private Tutoring Experience | 1,000+ Hours Taught Online & In-Person

Find out more about Shiraz

• 1) When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  My interest in Finance started during my undergrad days. I was fascinated by how financial systems shape decisions on every level - individual, corporate, and global. What began as academic curiosity eventually led to a full-fledged career in banking, where I've spent nearly a decade working across corporate finance, credit risk, and investment banking.
  
  Tutoring, on the other hand, started informally - helping friends, cousins and juniors prep for exams or navigate career transitions. Over time, I realised I enjoyed breaking down complex concepts and watching people have those 'aha' moments. That's when I began offering more structured support as a private tutor. For me, it's incredibly rewarding to help someone feel capable and confident in a subject that once felt out of reach.

• 2) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I teach a range of finance and business-related subjects including Corporate Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Studies, and preparation for certifications like ACCA and the CFA (Levels I and II). My students range from A-level and undergrad learners to MBA candidates and professionals looking to sharpen their technical edge.
  
  I particularly enjoy diving into topics like financial modelling, valuation, portfolio management, and risk assessment. I feel these aren't just theories, they are powerful tools, and I love showing students how to apply them using real-world data, case studies, and tools like Excel, Bloomberg, and Monte Carlo simulations.
  
  What I enjoy most is helping students see the 'why' behind financial decisions - not just how to run the numbers, but how to think like a strategist. If there's a topic I enjoy slightly less, it might be the more abstract or outdated elements of accounting theory that don't always reflect how businesses operate today. Even then, I try to connect them back to real practice, so the concepts stick and feel useful.

• 3) Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  My biggest role model is my father. Though not a teacher by profession, his quiet discipline, attention to detail, and calm under pressure taught me invaluable life lessons, especially the importance of consistency and integrity. These principles shape the way I work and tutor today.
  
  Academically, I was fortunate to learn from an MBA finance professor who made even the driest concepts engaging. He had a gift for connecting textbook theory with real market events, a teaching style I've tried to emulate in every session.

• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  A good tutor is patient, observant, and adaptable. You need to know when to push and when to pause. Every student has their own pace and learning style, what works for one might confuse another.
  
  I also believe a good tutor brings structure without making things rigid. It's about giving the student a strong foundation while allowing space for curiosity and independent thought. Above all, you need to care - not just about the subject, but about the student's growth and confidence.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  Back in university, we had a group assignment on financial statement analysis. Everyone dreaded it. It was numbers-heavy, with multiple moving parts. I ended up leading the project and breaking the work into bite-sized sections, assigning each based on people's strengths. We didn't just finish on time, we ended up with the highest score in the class.
  
  That experience stuck with me. It taught me that complex problems become manageable when you approach them methodically and that most people just need a little clarity to feel confident.

• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still face in your subject?

  Early on, the challenge was always the language of finance, terms like "leveraged buyout" or "risk-weighted assets" sound intimidating until you learn to break them down. Another challenge was making peace with ambiguity. Not every financial model will give you a clean, black-and-white answer. Learning to be okay with uncertainty and using judgment alongside numbers was a big shift for me.
  
  Now, as a tutor, the challenge is often helping students overcome fear. Many come in thinking finance is too hard or "not for them." I see it as my job to prove otherwise.

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  Teaching is one of those things that never feels like a chore - it's energising. There's something incredibly satisfying about watching someone's confidence grow as they go from "I don't get this" to "I've got this."
  
  Beyond that, I'm passionate about making complex things feel simple. Whether it's breaking down discounted cash flows or untangling a messy concept in investment analysis, I enjoy the challenge of turning confusion into clarity.
  
  I'm also fascinated by human behaviour: how people think, what drives their decisions, and why they approach problems the way they do. That curiosity feeds into both finance and teaching, where understanding the why often unlocks the how.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P)?

  What makes me a Superprof is my ability to meet students where they are and take them where they want to be. I bring both technical depth from years in the finance industry and a calm, student-centred approach to tutoring.
  
  I try to create a space where students feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, and growing without pressure. For me, being a tutor isn't about having all the answers, it's about building trust, working things through together, and making sure they leave each session feeling just a little more confident than when they started.