MBA students from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School recently participated in a series of challenges meant to test knowledge gained through studies at the school’s Finance Lab.
Participants were placed in scenarios similar to those they would see in future careers in asset management, investment banking or private equity.
In the Bridgepoint Private Equity Challenge, students participated in seminars that explored real-life scenarios requiring them to prepare investment proposals. Presentations by investment managers at Bridgepoint illustrated to the students the mechanics of leverage financing. Instructors assigned students the project of leveraging the theoretical buyout of four companies.
A team of Saïd MBA students won Bridgepoint’s competition, as well as the Hermes GPE Private Markets Challenge. In this portion, students were assigned the task of valuing and preparing a bid for a stake in an existing private equity portfolio. “Participating in the Hermes Private Markets Challenge allowed me to further develop my understanding of the financial concepts I’ve learned during my MBA and through the Oxford Finance Lab,” Saïd MBA Sean Walsh said. One of the three winning students of the Hermes challenge will receive an eight-week internship at one of the company’s locations in London, Singapore or New York.
Three undergrad students won the third section of the challenge, which was sponsored by Centerview and focused on students’ knowledge of mergers and acquisitions. MFE and undergrads were tasked with developing an advisory case study on a publicly listed company of their own choosing. Cathal O’Reilly, partner at Centerview, said of the competition, “We were greatly impressed by the innovative thought, careful preparation and insightful analysis from all of the participants in this exercise. Each of the finalists presented extremely well to our reviewing committee…We congratulate all of the students who took part.”