Posted: 07 April 2006
UCD Quinn School of Business Students Win Merrill Lynch European Case Study Challenge
UCD Quinn School of Business students were the only representatives from an Irish university to make the final of the Merrill Lynch European Case Study Challenge in London last month. In the final of the competition, the UCD team went head to head against teams from universities in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland.
Niamh Prenderville, Stephen Brosnan, Andrew Flood and Daniel Tanase pictured handing over the award to Dr. Martin Butler, Director, UCD Quinn School of Business
Having the youngest team and facing opposition with more experience in the financial area didn’t stand in the way of the UCD team as they scooped first prize at the Merrill Lynch London office on Friday 31st March.
In the first round of the competition the UCD team had seven weeks to submit a report analysing a specific European Industry such as Energy, Real Estate or Pharmaceuticals. A panel of Merrill Lynch judges reviewed the submitted reports and the BComm students’ analysis was rated one of the eight best.
For the final round, the level 1 BComm students travelled to London to deliver a 10 minute presentation and a Q/A session in front of a judging panel of Merrill Lynch executives. The team had from 9.30am to 4.30pm to prepare for the session.
While in London, the team also had the opportunity to interview for the 2007 internship programme and gain insight into business activities at Merrill Lynch. The UCD Quinn School of Business team received a prize of €4,000.
The success of the UCD team clearly shows the tangible effects of the UCD Quinn School’s unique learning environment which encourages students to analyse and understand business theories and methods.
According to Andrew Flood, one of four winning students, "as a team we are delighted to have won this competition. To be one of the 8 finalists selected out of 180 entrants from some of the most prestigious European business schools was already an achievement but to win it is very special. The event was an incredible experience with an extremely high standard of competition – some of the crème de la crème of European colleges from LSE to HCE Paris and students from Norway to China. Our week at the Merrill Lynch headquarters in London was an invaluable opportunity to experience life in an investment bank first hand and offered us an insight into potential careers in this field"
The four level 1 BComm students on the UCD Quinn School of Business team were Niamh Prenderville, Stephen Brosnan, Andrew Flood and Daniel Tanase.