Rotman Commerce students place 5th in CFI Financial Modelling Competition

With the opportunity to gain both practical experience and international recognition in the financial industry, contestants had one week to analyze a case study, create a valuation model, and formally present an investment recommendation to a panel of judges. Last November, Rotman Commerce team members Lewis Liu, Wadee Shahid, Akshay Jain, Andy Lin, and Cindy Li worked together to take on this year’s case. They were tasked with designing merger models to determine which of three companies Coca-Cola should acquire. Their hard work paid off with outstanding results, and here, the team shares some of their thoughts and experiences.

Why is this accomplishment important to you? 

Since this competition is so technically focused, we found it a unique opportunity to truly test our skills against the kinds of cases investment bankers and financial analysts encounter every day. Since we’re all considering pursuing a career in the financial industry, it was important for us to get hands-on experience in the area. Also, what an incredible chance for us to get feedback from professionals who do this for a living! The competition is so prestigious. When we entered, we certainly weren’t expecting to place. Our result gave us encouragement that we needed: we have what it takes to succeed in the industry.

Our accomplishment is a testament to the generous mentorship we’ve received, as well as our own hard work, attention to detail, and problem-solving abilities under a short time frame.

How has Rotman Commerce impacted you?

To begin with, Rotman Commerce financially supports our participation in competitions like these through reimbursing entry fees and providing training sessions. This financial barrier is an important obstacle to remove. It gives all students who are truly passionate about problem-solving the opportunity to participate.

Furthermore, our participation in this competition was entirely fuelled by our involvement in the Rotman Commerce Competition Team (RCCT). The RCCT provided us with endless support and mentorship.

Finally, the concepts we are currently learning in upper-year finance courses, especially RSM332 and RSM333, provide the frameworks to real-world cases in competitions.

Looking ahead 

The team plans to continue participating in a variety of case and financial modelling competitions. They all intend to keep up their involvement with the Rotman Commerce Competition Team, which they emphasize will be recruiting new additions to the team in March.

Learn more about the CFI Financial Modelling Competition on their website.

January 21, 2021