Wake Forest Students Win Corporate Growth Competition

A team comprised of Charlotte-based Working Professional MBA students from the Wake Forest University Schools of Business won first place and $5,000 in the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Cup competition in Raleigh on Feb. 26.

The team members include: Colin Clark (MBA ’12), Kevin Grace (MBA ’11), Chas Mansfield (MBA ’11), Ryan Poulsen (MBA ’11) and Adam Richeson (MBA ’11).  The students balanced full-time jobs, coursework and family obligations while competing in the ACG Cup. They earned the honor to represent Wake Forest after winning the campus competition on Jan. 22.

The ACG Cup competition is designed to give students from leading MBA programs across the country experience in providing strategic advice regarding valuation, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions.  Student teams play the roles of investment bankers and present to seasoned professionals from ACG®.

“I’m always amazed at our working professional students as they juggle work, family, health and school.  These five students added another ‘ball in the air’ to their already-full juggling routine when they decided to participate in this case competition,” said Bill Davis, Associate Dean of Working Professional Programs at Wake Forest University Schools of Business. “We are very proud.”

ACG® Cup judges told the Wake Forest team that they felt that they could ask a question of any of the team members and get a knowledgeable answer.

“The team approach of Wake Forest's Working Professional program contributed to the team's ability to divide and conquer this real-world M&A simulated experience,” Mansfield said. “Long hours and sacrifice were required of all team members.”

This is the first year that Wake Forest has entered this case competition. Team member Adam Richeson was instrumental in getting Wake Forest involved in the event.

Wake Forest University Schools of Business offers both an Evening and Saturday MBA for Working Professionals programs in Charlotte, NC.  For more information on these programs, contact Leslye Gervasi, director of Wake Forest University Schools of Business Charlotte MBA Programs at gervasil@wfu.edu or 1.888.WAKE.MBA.

Click here to learn more about the ACG Cup.