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Yakup Serbest

Finance & Quantitative Analysis

Yakup Serbest

Finance, data and disciplined decision-making.

I am a University of Toronto student combining Management & Finance with Quantitative Finance, interested in transforming financial information into clear, practical decisions.

Toronto, Canada

ProfileSecond year
Institution
University of Toronto Scarborough
Program
B.B.A. — Management & Finance and Quantitative Finance (Statistics Stream)
Double Specialist Co-op Program
Graduation
May 2030
Award
$100,000
Areas of Interest
Financial AnalysisAsset ManagementBankingQuantitative FinanceReal Estate Finance
  • U of T

    Scarborough

  • Double Specialist

    Co-op Program

  • Management & Finance

    Specialist

  • Quantitative Finance

    Statistics Stream

  • 12 yrs

    Competitive Swimming

  • 30+

    Medals Earned

01About

A finance specialization paired with a statistics stream — the business judgement and the quantitative method learned together rather than in sequence.

I am in my second year at the University of Toronto Scarborough, enrolled in a Double Specialist Co-op Program that combines Management & Finance with Quantitative Finance in the Statistics stream. That pairing is deliberate: financial accounting and economics explain how a business reports and behaves, while statistics and data analysis provide the tools to test what those reports actually imply.

My most relevant applied work so far was at Milky Way Educational & Cultural Association, where I assisted with financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting in Excel, supported internal audit activity, and helped reduce reporting turnaround time by 25%. In coursework I have carried the same approach into public company analysis — reading Aritzia's annual report, calculating ratios, and interpreting what they mean for the decisions in front of management.

Alongside that, sales and client-facing roles at Turkville and Sienna Painting taught me to explain a proposition clearly to someone who has no obligation to listen, and to keep accurate records while doing it. Twelve years of competitive swimming set the underlying habit: consistent work over a long horizon, measured against a clock that does not negotiate.

Currently focused on

  • 01Financial AnalysisStatement analysis, ratio work and interpretation.
  • 02Asset ManagementPortfolio thinking and long-horizon research.
  • 03BankingClient coverage, credit and transaction support.
  • 04Quantitative FinanceStatistics stream coursework and data analysis.
  • 05Real Estate FinanceValuation and commercial property analysis.
02Experience

Accounting and analytical work first, supported by client-facing and administrative roles across three countries.

  1. Milky Way Educational & Cultural Association

    Finance

    Accounting Assistant

    Jan 2025 – May 2025

    New Jersey, United States

    • Assisted with financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting in Excel, helping reduce reporting turnaround time by 25%.
    • Created and maintained financial reports and supported internal audit activities to keep data accurate and compliant.
    • Assisted with pricing assessments and business analysis for organizational events, working across departments to improve financial and administrative workflows.
    • Financial Reporting
    • Budgeting
    • Forecasting
    • Excel
    • Internal Audit Support
    • Pricing Analysis
  2. Turkville

    Sales and Brand Representative

    Aug 2026 – Present

    Toronto, Ontario

    • Analyzed Turkish businesses to identify prospective partners for the company’s social media and platform services.
    • Conducted face-to-face meetings with business owners to present and explain the partnership services offered.
    • B2B Sales
    • Prospecting
    • Market Analysis
    • Partnership Development
    • Client Meetings
  3. Sienna Painting

    Sales and Marketing Representative

    Jun 2026 – Jul 2026

    Toronto, Ontario

    • Canvassed 235 homes per week through direct outreach, generating qualified leads and sharpening cold-approach communication.
    • Converted prospective clients into booked estimates by clearly explaining service options and following up consistently.
    • Supported local marketing efforts and maintained accurate customer records across targeted neighbourhoods.
    • Lead Generation
    • Consultative Selling
    • Cold Outreach
    • Customer Records
    • Follow-Up
  4. United Partners Law Firm

    Legal Assistant

    Jun 2023 – Sep 2023

    Istanbul, Türkiye

    • Assisted with organizing legal documents, maintaining client records and preparing administrative materials.
    • Supported scheduling, filing and daily office operations in a fast-paced legal environment.
    • Communicated professionally with clients and staff while handling confidential information with accuracy and discretion.
    • Records Management
    • Document Organization
    • Confidentiality
    • Professional Communication

Earlier seasonal work

  • Warehouse Worker

    Warehouse operations

    Summer 2024

  • Restaurant Team Member

    Fast-paced food service

    Summer 2022

  • Store Assistant

    Retail, jewelry store

    Summer 2021

03Projects

Coursework treated as case work — a question, a method, and a recommendation that follows from the numbers.

01Finance Case Study

Aritzia Annual Report & Ratio Analysis

Aritzia Inc. — public company filing

Objective

What does Aritzia’s annual financial report reveal about its financial position, and which decisions should follow from it?

Method

  • Reviewed the annual financial report and underlying statements
  • Calculated multiple financial ratios across the statements
  • Interpreted the results to identify business implications

Outcome

Translated the ratio analysis into business implications and recommended decisions for consideration.

ToolsFinancial StatementsRatio AnalysisExcel

02Business Project

New Product Marketing Strategy

Original product concept — marketing course project

Objective

How should a newly created product be positioned and taken to its intended market?

Method

  • Developed an original product concept from scratch
  • Built the marketing approach around the intended market
  • Presented the concept and strategy in class

Outcome

Delivered a product and marketing strategy presentation connecting the concept to its intended market.

ToolsMarket PositioningStrategyPresentation

03Business Project

Waste Management Manager Interview

Waste Management — primary research

Objective

How do operational and managerial decisions work in practice inside a large operating business?

Method

  • Interviewed a manager at Waste Management directly
  • Gathered first-hand operational and managerial insight
  • Synthesized findings into a structured presentation

Outcome

Converted primary research into a structured class presentation on operations and management practice.

ToolsPrimary ResearchSynthesisPresentation

04Business Project

Erasmus+ Child Rights & Human Equality

International Erasmus+ programme, England

Objective

How can children’s rights and human equality be communicated to an international student audience?

Method

  • Participated in a one-week international programme with students from multiple countries
  • Prepared presentation material on children’s rights and human equality
  • Delivered presentations to an international audience

Outcome

Presented on children’s rights and human equality within a cross-cultural student cohort.

ToolsPublic SpeakingCross-Cultural Collaboration
04Education

A co-op double specialist built around finance, economics and statistics.

University of Toronto Scarborough

Expected June 2029

B.B.A. — Management & Finance and Quantitative Finance (Statistics Stream)

Double Specialist Co-op Program · Second year

  • Double Specialist Co-op Program combining Business Administration and Quantitative Finance.
  • Developing foundations in financial accounting, economics, statistics and data analysis.

Scholarship

$100,000

International Scholar Award

Relevant coursework

  • Finance & AccountingMGAB02MGFB10
  • EconomicsMGEB06
  • Statistics & QuantitativeMGEB12
05Leadership & Discipline

Twelve years of competitive training, a captaincy and sustained community work — evidence of consistency rather than a claim about it.

  • Competitive Swimming

    Competitive Swimmer

    30+medals

    Earned 30+ medals in regional and school competitions, sustaining twelve years of training and competition alongside academics.

    12 years · Toronto, Ontario

  • Pioneer Academy

    Captain, Soccer Team

    2 yrsas captain

    Led team coordination and communication through training and competition as the appointed captain.

    Sep 2023 – 2025 · New Jersey

  • SC Toronto

    Player, Ontario Soccer League

    Clublevel

    Currently competing at the club level, maintaining a consistent training schedule during term.

    Jun 2026 – Present · Toronto

  • Community Service

    Volunteer, Mentorship

    ~500hours

    Completed approximately 500 hours of mentorship and community involvement.

    Long-term commitment

06Skills
Finance & Accounting
  • Financial Reporting
  • Budgeting
  • Forecasting
  • Bookkeeping
Analysis & Reporting
  • Financial Analysis
  • Data Analysis
  • Investments
Business & Client-Facing
  • Strategic Planning
  • CRM
Tools & Technology
  • Excel
Languages
  • Turkish — Native
  • English — Fluent
  • German — Beginner
  • Spanish — Beginner
07Contact

Let’s discuss opportunities in finance, analytics and real estate.

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