
A team of three students from the NIU College of Business bested students from around the world to earn the title of Global Champion in the 16th Annual CFA Institute Research Challenge.
The event puts teams in the role of financial analysts and evaluates their analytical, valuation, report-writing and presentation skills. This year’s competition attracted more than 6,400 students from 1,100 universities in 91 countries this year.
The NIU team was comprised of Nolan O’Rear, who graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in both accountancy and finance; Paula Veyhle, who completed her bachelor’s in management in May 2021 and her master’s in finance in May 2022, and Nicholas Stone, who earned a bachelor’s degree in finance in December 2021, completed his master’s in finance in May and is on track to complete his master’s in data analytics in December 2022.
The trio began their run to the global finals by winning the local-level competition hosted by CFA Society Chicago in November. They continued their winning ways with three more first-place finishes, including at the America’s Regional Final in late April. In May, they won out over teams from Spain, Italy, Canada and Australia to claim the global crown.
“Few students I have met in my career can match Paula, Nick and Nolan’s talent, hard work and determination to succeed,” said Balaji Rajagopalan, dean of the NIU College of Business. “They personify the NIU Huskie spirit.”
Department of Finance Chair Gina Nicolosi coached the team. Their industry advisor was NIU College of Business alumnus Ian Long, who is now a development manager at Crowe LLP.
“This team proved they understand the complex cornerstones of developing, articulating and defending an investment thesis.” Long said. “They were thoughtful and strategic with their presentation, always staying a step ahead of the judges. This kind of success doesn’t happen overnight. It was a direct result of their focus and perseverance.”
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