Emerging CFO Case Competition

Smith student Philip Peker ’18 writes about the Emerging CFO Case Competition which took place on April 17, 2017, at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Five teams of undergraduates in the Finance Fellows program at the Smith School competed on April 7 in the Emerging CFO Case Competition. The event was organized by Susan White, clinical professor of finance and the Finance Fellows faculty champion, and the students were presented with a case entitled, INFINITI HR – Target or Acquirer?

Three of the five judges are current employees of INFINITI HR and were naturally very interested – and informed – about the case. The students were challenged to address and to offer viable and constructive solutions for the rapidly expanding professional employer organization.

“The Emerging CFOs Case Competition was a challenging yet rewarding experience. We were tasked to complete a valuation of a private firm called Infiniti HR and consult them on potential acquisitions that would help the company grow. It was a new experience to me because it was based on a real world situation where our recommendations will actually be sent to the co-founder of the company,” said Melissa Horowitz.

Her teammate, Jody Morissey added: “My experience with the ECFO's Case Competition was great. I was lucky enough to be on a team with really smart and driven women, and we all worked really well together. I think we were all very proud of our final product!” 

Lalitha Cheruvu, was also a member of the five-woman winning team, said, “"Participating in the ECFOs Case Competition was a very rewarding experience. We gained insight into the real world by consulting with a local firm, creating financial models, and presenting our analysis to company executives. I believe what made us successful was how well we meshed together as a team. All of my teammates were so hardworking and creative, and we fed off of each other’s attitudes!"

One of the judges, Norm Oremland, graduated from the Smith School with a degree in accounting and finance and has returned to Smith numerous times to judge case competitions. He is currently the senior vice president of wealth management at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. He said he plans to be back on April 28 for the Finance Fellows’ Annual Wikler Case Competition.

According to Prof. White, “The competition was successful from everyone's point of view. The students - and faculty - learned a great deal about INFINITI HR and the PEO (Professional Employer Organization) industry. The judges from INFINITI HR heard excellent solutions from the students.”

The Emerging CFOs program is for students interested in corporate finance and investment banking. ECFOs provides in-depth analysis of corporate finance aspects of finance and provides students with enhanced leadership and communication skills.

For more information on Emerging CFO’s Fellows or any of the other 14 unique Fellows Programs, go to Smith Fellows.