A team of five MBA students from the David Eccles School of Business won the 2015 ACG Cup, beating out teams from Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University and Westminster College.
The ACG Cup is a case-study competition where MBA students deal with real-world situations in a high-pressure setting, handling situations dealing with mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity. The students make presentations that incorporate those areas to a panel of judges, comprised of successful bankers and investors.
The five winners are: Trevor Jones, David McKee, Mark Mugleston, Jaren Rogers and Vishnu Ravikumar. They won the cup and cash awards. The ACG Cup taught important lessons to all five students. Here are Vishnu’s thoughts on the event:
What was your favorite part of the competition?
The opportunity to test our finance skills, apply what we’ve learned in the MBA program and prove our mettle as bankers was my favorite aspect of the competition. Also, we really wanted to beat BYU, who has dominated the competition for three straight years.
What did you learn from competing in the cup?
How to do million dollar deals! Although fictitious, the cases closely mimic real-world acquisitions and buyouts. It is one thing to learn valuation and other core finance concepts in class, but applying them in a simulated high-stakes environment where we pitch to a panel of accomplished bankers and investors is the proof in the pudding.
Why would you encourage students to compete in the ACG Cup in the future?
For anyone that wants to break into investment banking, corporate finance or private equity, this is a golden chance to shine. It is also a great talking point for when you interview with the likes of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, etc. Distinguishing yourself outside of the classroom is absolutely critical when you are competing with other Ivy League MBAs.