UVA’s M.S. in Business Analytics is Helping This Student Turn Accounting Precision into Global Insight

Fisseha Bezabih Fisseha (M.S. in Business Analytics ’26), known professionally and personally as “Fish,” has spent nearly two decades in accounting and finance. At this point, he’s just about seen it all.

Or so he thought.

He began his career in banking, moved into auditing, then into corporate accounting across operational and financial reporting roles. Today, he serves as a Finance Reporting Manager at Navy Federal Credit Union, a return, as he puts it, “almost coming full circle” to where he started in financial institutions.

But despite his extensive experience, he says that alone wasn’t enough, and he realized there was more to learn and new ways to approach problems. Fisseha wanted to move beyond reporting what was happening to get a better sense what could happen next and the implication for decision-making.

“Accounting focuses on precision and accuracy,” he says. “I wanted to see more—what are the possibilities, what are the future insights that you can get out of it.”

That desire led him to the M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA), jointly delivered by the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and Darden School of Business.

Why an MSBA and Why Now

Fisseha’s decision to enroll was prompted after attending a data analytics bootcamp through Navy Federal that was led by a UVA professor, Micheal Albert.

“The way he approached the material using case studies attracted me,” he says. “And since I joined the program, that’s exactly what I’ve experienced.”

The hybrid format also mattered. With a full-time leadership role and a family of three children, including a freshman in high school and twin middle school daughters, flexibility was essential.

“Juggling between family life and professional life is a challenge,” Fisseha says. “But I live off of adrenaline rushes. I look forward to deadlines. It motivates me.”

He also says that having a strong support system, both at home with his family and professionally from his workplace, has been critical to his success.

From Static Reports to Data-Driven Storytelling

Since Fisseha had already been working with large datasets in financial reporting, the transition to analytics was seamless. On a regular basis, he deals with quarterly reports, compliance filings, board presentations, and audits, all of which are deadline-driven.

What analytics adds, he explains, is foresight.

“In accounting, you report what happened. But as I bring what I’ve learned in the MSBA program to my work, the numbers also help tell me what to expect,” he says.

New territory, such as advances in technology like predictive analytics, machine learning, and AI, has also been extremely valuable to him.

That shift has changed how he thinks about leadership communication and makes decisions, using the stories behind the data to create a bigger impact at his organization.

In meetings with Navy Federal’s lending, savings, and membership teams, Fisseha now feels better equipped to engage meaningfully. “I can derive better insights,” he says, “and the program is helping me to be able to speak to that.”

Using Business Analytics to Strengthen Global Investment

While Fisseha is focused on strengthening his leadership within the financial industry in the short term, his long-term vision reaches much farther out in the world. “I want to learn how things are being done outside of the U.S.,” he explains.

This summer, he and his cohort will travel to Finland and Estonia to visit companies that are incorporating advanced analytics and AI into their daily operations.

For Fisseha, that global exposure connects to a deeper goal of his—investing in data infrastructure in Africa. He wants to help bridge the divide between data availability and decision-making clarity to build systems that attract investment and fuel entrepreneurship.

“There is an opportunity to close the gap between where the data is, how it’s consumed, and how it’s interpreted to make meaningful decisions and attract more business,” he says.

And it’s the MSBA program that is helping Fisseha open new doors and increase his mobility across operational roles, strategic initiatives, and data-driven leadership conversations to reach his short- and long-term goals.

For professionals considering a return to school, his advice is direct. “It all comes down to alignment. Understand what you want,” he says. “If you want to add a decision-making edge to what you do, this is the program to go for.”