On March 3, the final of the Spanish division of the CFA Research Challenge 2021 competition was held virtually and EADA‘s team took third place. EADA has consistently placed among the top three at the Madrid finals since beginning to compete in the Challenge.
In the CFA Research Challenge, participants from top business and law schools compete with the objective of compiling a professional analyst report of a publicly listed company (this year CaixaBank). This year, thirteen teams representing nine institutions competed for a place at the virtual final.
EADA’s top-placing team was made up of five participants from the International Master in Finance : Domenica Avellán Burgos (Ecuador), Paulina Jaensch (Germany), Albert Moragriega (Spain), Hans Troye (Norway), Thore Vogel (Germany). The team was hand-picked in October and worked on the report from November until February.
The most rewarding moment came right after the presentation, when we saw that we had done a good job.
On February 19, EADA’s team learned that it had passed on to the final after months of hard work preparing the report. According to Programme Director Jaume Bonet, the team took full advantage of the personal and professional development opportunities that the CFA Research Challenge offers. “They learned how to work under pressure, coordinate and delegate tasks, present findings effectively and communicate persuasively,” says Mr Bonet. “Our students put into practice all of the ‘soft skills’ learned in EADA’s Leadership Development Programme during the Master in Finance, and I am proud to see them take third place.”
For Albert, the day of the actual presentation was a both thrilling and nerve-racking. “The minutes before starting the presentation were really exciting – we were confident and already content with our presentation,” he saya. “Nevertheless, we were looking forward to seeing how the jury evaluated our work. The most rewarding moment came right after the presentation, when we saw that we had done a good job.” Paulina and Albert agree that the CFA Research Challenge was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for learning and growth.
This CFA journey is a unique learning experience that is as rewarding as it is demanding.
In the CFA Research Challenge, the work that you put in before the final presentation is as important as what happens on the big day. “We worked day and night to finish the valuation report,” says Hans. “It was very challenging, but very valuable – this experience has been extremely valuable for my future career.”
For Domenica, it was the mix of hard and soft skills that made the biggest impact. “The CFA Research Challenge has been excellent training for my future career with investigative, meticulous, detailed and demanding work,” she says. “Besides the technical knowledge, the extraordinary teamwork and experiences that we created as a team were very valuable.
All of the members of EADA’s team wholeheartedly recommend participating in the CFA Research Challenge. “This CFA journey is a unique learning experience that is as rewarding as it is demanding,” says Paulina.