LONDON: A team of three students from the London School of Economics have won a £15,000 cash prize after competing in the final round of Duff & Phelps’ annual YOUniversity Deal Challenge, held in London.
Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients, saw a pool of 23 university teams from across Europe prepare and pitch a financial transaction case study that involves a broad range of finance-focused skills, including aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), Transaction Opinions, Valuation Services and Disputes. The students had to present to a specialist panel of Duff & Phelps industry experts and academics. The panel included Sharon Davies, Mathias Schumacher and Henry Wells, Managing Directors from Duff & Phelps’ Valuation Advisory and M&A teams, as well as Professor Martine Carre-Tallon from Dauphine University in Paris and Professor Laura Nuñez Letamendia from IE Business School in Madrid.
Now in its 10th year, YOUniversity Deal Challenge provides students with a springboard for a career in the financial services industry. The runners-up from Nova Business School and Dauphine each received a £6,000 cash prize.
This years’ success marks the continued evolution of Duff & Phelps’ national case study competition established in 2010. The 2019 event was the most internationally-focused yet, featuring further final events in New York, Mumbai and Hong Kong to encourage more participation from teams across the globe.
Sharon Davies, Managing Director, Valuation Advisory at Duff & Phelps: “We are committed to identifying and investing in the next generation of finance leaders. We were very impressed by the quality and detail of the case studies presented at this year’s event and we are honoured to extend the opportunity to students around the world.
“YOUniversity Deal Challenge offers students the unique opportunity to showcase their skills in a competition resembling the real challenges that finance professionals often face in their careers. By applying technical reasoning and critical thinking in teams, competitors gain an in-depth insight into the variety and complexity of the work involved in key stages of a financial transaction.
“Congratulations to this year’s winners and to all our entrants for some exemplarily work.”
