Robert H. Smith School of Business to Host First M&A Competition

College Park, Md. August 7, 2007 - The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business today announced leading U.S. business schools will participate in its first M&A Competition, October 11-12. Teams of up to four MBA students will compete to present a winning M&A pitch that will be delivered to a panel of Wall Street bankers and corporate executives. The event is supported by title-level sponsors Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers and gold-level sponsors Black & Decker, Constellation Energy and Marriott International Inc.

In addition to a team from Smith, participating schools include Carnegie Mellon Universitys Tepper School of Business, Columbia Business School, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, and Yale School of Management.

A panel of industry professionals and Smith School faculty members will award a $5,000 first prize, $2,500 second prize and $1,000 third prize to student teams tasked with creating a persuasive argument while under deadline and competitive pressure. Teams will be judged on their qualitative arguments and the quantitative models used to support their arguments.

The Smith School is very pleased to host an event that gives students the chance to experience a real world investment banking scenario without actually going to Wall Street, said Alexander Triantis, interim chair of the finance department at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. The ability to deliver an accurate financial analysis under intense pressure is a vital aspect of any pitch. This is great training ground for an MBA interested in corporate finance or investment banking.

The Smith Schools MBA Finance Association is organizing the event, which will include a networking reception and opportunities for students to meet industry recruiters.