Contact Us
Center for Financial Excellence
Duke University's
Fuqua School of Business
100 Fuqua Drive, Box 90120
Durham, NC 27708-0125
Tel +1.919.660.7913
Rich experiential programming that integrates industry practitioners is critical to the fulfillment of the Center's mission.
See below for descriptions and additional information about previous Center events.
2011-2012 Seminars & Workshops
December 2011
Private Equity Case Study: Leslie's Swimming Pool Supplies
Practitioner: CVC Capital Partners
On December 7th, CVC Capital Partners led a case study event exploring business evaluation and the associated due diligence process. The CVC team, including 2 private equity professionals, used its previous deal work on Leslie's Swimming Pool Supplies to explain their investment rationale and process by which they discerned the key value drivers of the business. Then, students worked in teams to answer business evaluation questions based on the same briefing materials that CVC received at the beginning of the actual investment process. Teams then presented their analyses to the CVC team and received feedback in order to deepen their understanding of business evaluation best practices.
November 2011
Corporate Finance Case Study: Retail Store Reinvestment Rates
Practitioner: Limited Brands
Limited Brands, in partnership with the Center for Financial Excellence, ran a corporate finance case study on Wednesday, November 30th for 30 Daytime MBA and MMS students. Victoria's Secret CFO Pam Edwards led the event, which enhanced students' comprehension of corporate finance skill sets, roles, and responsibilities.
The event gave students a hands-on opportunity to work on actual tasks and challenges that corporate finance professionals face every day. The session utilized both lecture and student team break-out work sessions to deepen students' learning.
September 2011
Women in Finance: Leadership & Lessons Learned
On September 20th, the Center for Financial Excellence, in collaboration with the MBA Finance Club, held its first Women in Finance panel and networking event in order to facilitate deep engagement between female Fuqua students and established finance industry professionals. The event showcased perspectives, insights, and dialogue with three senior-level women in the finance industry and followed up with a networking and cocktail reception. Event panelists and guests are as follows:
Event headliners:
- Keynote speaker: Lisa McGeough, Managing Director & Senior Relationship Manager, Wells Fargo Securities
- Caroline Brecker, Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank
- Paula Arrojo, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
Additional Attendees:
- Claire Pearson, Barclays Capital, Investment Banking
- Katy Knipp, J.P. Morgan, Private Wealth Management
- Rachel Reed, ExxonMobil, Corporate Strategic Planning
- Sarah Hartley, Wells Fargo, Investment Banking
For more information on the headliners and the evening, click here.
August 2011
Finance Professions Workshop
On Saturday, August 6th, the Center for Financial Excellence, in collaboration with the Career Management Center, held its Second Annual Finance Professions Workshop for incoming first-year Daytime MBA and MMS students. The daylong Workshop delved deeply into the roles and responsibilities of five specific finance professions: investment banking; institutional sales & trading; asset management; corporate finance; and private wealth management. The finance practitioners on each of the panels, which included 12 Fuqua alumni, described the duties associated with their jobs, explained managers' and employers' performance expectations of newly-hired MBA graduates, and highlighted best work practices for career advancement and professional success.
Learn more about the event and panelists here.
back to top2011-2012 Boot Camps
December 2011
Valuation Methodologies and Sell Side Best Practices
Practitioner: Credit Suisse
On December 7th, a team of Credit Suisse investment bankers, including Center Advisory Board member and Fuqua alumnus Steven Pierson (MBA '95), administered a 6-hour boot camp on valuation methodologies and sell-side best practices. The team focused primarily on relative valuation analyses, including comparable companies and precedent transaction analyses, and contrasted these approaches with discounted cash flow and levered buyout valuation analyses. The team also provided an overview of the sell-side process, including broad auction, targeted sales, and negotiated sales. Following Credit Suisse's lecture, the students had an opportunity to delve deeply into real-world valuations assignments while receiving input and guidance from the team of industry professionals. Further, the Credit Suisse team elaborated upon the roles and responsibilities of investment banking professionals, enhancing students' appreciation not only for the science behind valuation analyses but also the art of being a trusted advisor.
Learn more below:
November 2011
Valuation: Methodologies and Best Practices
Practitioner: J.P. Morgan
On November 2nd, the Center for Financial Excellence hosted a team of five investment bankers from J.P. Morgan who ran an intensive six-hour valuation boot camp for 40 first-year daytime MBA students.
The J.P. Morgan bankers, including Shawn Saparamadu (Fuqua '11), described relative valuation methodologies, including comparable companies and precedent transaction analyses, and compared and contrasted these approaches with discounted cash flow and leveraged buyout valuation analyses. The bankers discussed the pros and cons associated with these methodologies and provided experiential insights to frame valuation analyses within the context of real-world facts and circumstances. The students applied their learning in an extended breakout session where they worked in teams on rigorous valuation assignments. The students then presented their analyses to the J.P. Morgan team for evaluation and critique. The session concluded with a discussion about the roles and responsibilities of investment bankers and the importance of being a trusted advisor.
Learn more below:
October 2011
Financial Due Diligence: Analyses and Best Practices
Practitioner: PricewaterhouseCoopers Transaction Services
On October 12th, the Center conducted an intensive seven-hour boot camp that focused on financial due diligence analyses and best practices. Professionals from PricewaterhouseCoopers' Transaction Services group, including a Fuqua alum and PwC Partner, administered the event for the second year in a row. 36 first-year daytime MBA students participated in this event.
The educational objective of this boot camp was to enhance the students' comprehension of the skills, knowledge and best practices required to prepare best in class financial due diligence, including quality of earnings, debt-like items and working capital analyses. The PWC team provided students with detailed descriptions of these concepts and interspersed their lecture with anecdotes and examples from their professional experiences. During the boot camp the students also worked in teams on case studies where they were required to calculate and determine adjustments to a company's reported EBITDA based on financial statements and other related materials provided to them. Learn more below: