FMA Magazine 2021 - 2023

CASE COMPETITIONS
NICK
While we are a student-run organization, the Auburn
FMA program wouldn’t be where it is today without
Tracy Richard, Director of the Integrated Financial
Leadership Program in the Department of Finance. It
all begins with Tracy. She started the FMA program at
Auburn and, in fact, Tracy was the first person I spoke
with when I transferred to Auburn as a junior.
It was clear to me from the start that she cares deeply
about Auburn and Auburn students – FMA or not, she
wants us to be successful.
Also, our team’s success wouldn’t have been possible
without the insight, guidance and relentless support we
received from our FMA predecessors.
Kennedy Jarvis is a senior at Auburn and FMA Co-
President. Kennedy was part of the winning team
last year and generously served as a critical source of
mentorship for this year’s team. She and the other FMA
alums were eager to pay back the support they received in
the past – that was invaluable.
NICK
Sure. All teams in this year’s competition were provided
information on a hypothetical digital media company
serving the sports and entertainment industry. We all
were tasked with the same three objectives:
• The first was to provide an analysis of the industry in
which the hypothetical company operates…a market
analysis.
• The second was to conduct an equally deep
analysis of the phantom company itself, including –
importantly – establishing a valuation.
• Third – and perhaps most important – we all were
tasked with creating a strategy and plan of action
for raising $50 million in capital to support the
hypothetical company’s progress going forward.
These three components of the challenge demand a wide
range of skills and a high level of cooperation from team
members. While there were individual steps and tasks
to be completed, it was the integration of those tasks
into a clear, concise and compelling pitch that made the
difference. Each of us had to step up and deliver our
individual contributions while also being mindful of how
those contributions needed to be framed in the overall
pitch.
HARBERT
NICK
I’d also like to thank Jimmy Brewster and Krista Alexton
– both FMA alums – for their support. They never
hesitated to answer our questions or hop on a call with us
to walk through the various aspects of the model we were
developing and the presentation we were creating.
That sounds like “paying it back” or “paying it forward,”
depending on how you look at it.
Exactly. I’d say both. What you’ll find with FMA alums
is that they value their experiences in FMA so much that
they want the next class of FMA at Auburn to have even
more success, even better opportunities than they did.
That’s the DNA of Auburn’s FMA program. We’d like
nothing better than to help next year’s Auburn team
succeed. We’re here because of the great guidance and
help we received along the way, and we want to pay that
effort and value back to Auburn students, especially the
next class of FMA.
HARBERT
Moving on to the support you cite as the second key
component of success. Can you elaborate? What
resources were available to you and how did that
contribute to your team’s success?
FMA 2021-2023 MAGAZINE 43