Global Innovation - The Paul Merage School of Business - University ...

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
24
experience INNOVATION
ACG Cup
Long hours, exhausting work.
The rewards add up to a winning experience.
YOU HAVE FIVE DAYS to prepare a
course of action for a company
facing a difficult business decision.
You’ll present your ideas to a
board of complete strangers —
experts in investment banking and
corporate finance who are ready to
pounce on any cracks or inconsistencies
in your plan. In your spare
time, you can study for midterms,
pay attention to your full time job,
and maybe check in with your
family once in a while.
That was the challenge faced by
the Merage Fully Employed MBA
Bill Ryan, ‘08
By Connie Clark
(FEMBA) student team as they
competed in the second annual
Association for Corporate Growth
(ACG) Cup competition earlier this
spring.
DevelopedtogiveMBAstudents
real exposure to finance, mergers
and acquisitions, the competition
pitted Merage students against
teams from Cal State Fullerton,
Chapman University, USC, and
Pepperdine University. Merage
again walked away with exceptional
honors taking second place and a
$5,000 cash prize.
But students say the rewards go
far beyond the honors and money.
First-hand experience in preparing
and delivering a complete report to
investment bankers is invaluable,
says team member Bill Ryan.
“After all we went through — the
analysis, the sleepless nights, the
detailed criticisms of every angle,
and the hours of rehearsal for the
presentation, we knew we had a
final product we believed in, and
we were ready to present it, right
or wrong.”
Secrets of their Success
Merage teams have walked away
with top honors in each of the two
years of the competition. They say
communication is the key to winning.
“You need to be convincing,
clear, decisive and polished,” says
Ryan. “You can be the world’s best
financial modeler, but if you cannot
communicate your seven days of
analysis to the judges in under 15
minutes, you will find it challenging.”
For students who want to give it
a try next year, Ryan offers some
advice. “First, clear your calendar.”
Teamsaregivenfivedaystopre-
“You can be the world’s
best financial modeler,
but if you cannot
communicate your seven
days of analysis to the
judges in under 15
minutes, you will find
it challenging.
”
pare their presentation, and Ryan
says it’s absolutely essential to be
focused on the project during the
short timeframe.
The competition is sponsored by
the Los Angeles chapter of ACG,
an international association for
professionals involved in corporate
growth and development, as well
as mergers and acquisitions. With
11,000 members in 53 chapters
throughout North America and
Europe, the organization fosters
networking among its executive
community.