Meet and Greet with R.W. Baird

On Wednesday, September 29, the students in the AIM Class of 2011 had an opportunity to attend a 'meet and greet' event with professionals from R.W. Baird following the Career Fair. Dr. David Krause, AIM program director said, "It is always beneficial for our students to network with investment professionals. Informal gatherings such as the meet and greet are an excellent way for our students to learn more about career opportunities and get insights into every day life at Baird. I know many of the students were highly impressed with the Baird attendees."

Kelly Rauch (Senior HC Resource Group Specialist) arranged the event. Other Baird representatives in attendance included:

• Justin Holsen (Institutional Equity Sales)
• Matt Notarianni (Equity Research) 
• Jason Bednar (Equity Research) 
• Katie Wycklendt (Investment Banking)
• Adam Czaia (Investment Banking)
• Tim Wojs (Equity Research)
• Patrick Savage (Institutional Equity Sales) 

 

Jim Clifton (GE Capital) Visits Dr. Krause's Fixed Income Class

On Wednesday, September 29, Jim Clifton (MU '02) from GE Capital visited Dr. Krause's Fixed Income class. Mr. Clifton is the Manager of the Investment Analyst Program (IAP) at GE Capital. Prior to his current position, Jim was an Audit Manager at General Electric on the Corporate Audit Staff. He also completed the Financial Management Program at GE Healthcare. Jim also has a degree from the University of Chicago.

Mr. Clifton provided valuable information to the students in Dr. Krause's class. His experience at GE Capital is in the area of specialized asset-based transactions. He is directly responsible for conducting risk analysis on new transactions and presenting findings and recommendations to senior management. Jim brought two analysts along with him - Will Patten and Jill White. 

Dr. Krause said, "Jim was an excellent speaker to bring into my class. When he talked about how he and his analysts perform credit portfolio management, analysis of financial statements, computing operating metrics, and evaluating collateral availability - it showed the students that the textbook material is relevant."

Will Patten and Jill White provided some very interesting "day in the life of an analyst" stories. The students enjoyed talking with the students about their experiences with GE Capital in Chicago. 

Mr. Clifton is responsible for providing leadership within a 40+ person team headquartered in Chicago and he is directly responsible for ten investment analysts who are responsible for due diligence on new and existing mid-market credit transactions across the US and Canada. His experience with senior-secured asset-based and cash flow debt transactions, as well as his work with private equity sponsors, was appreciated by the students. Jim and his analysts attended the Career Fair where they met many more interested students.

Brian Hellmer Visits Marquette University's AIM Program

Brian Hellmer

On Wednesday, September 29, the AIM program hosted Brian Hellmer, Director of the Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis at Wisconsin School of Business, UW-Madison. Prior to taking the helm of the renown Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP) last year, Brian was a Managing Partner at Northern Capital Management for over 13 years. He also worked as an Equity Analyst and Strategist at Fleet Bank Investments.

As the Director of the Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis, Mr. Hellmer oversees the operations of the nation’s oldest applied investment program for MBA students. His major duties include prospective student marketing and admissions, employer recruitment, alumni relations, fundraising and academic advising to current students. He teaches the cornerstone course of this program – FIN 835/836 Applied Investment Management, which allows students to manage over $65 million.

Mr. Hellmer talked to the AIM students about ASAP and his investment experiences. Dr. David Krause, AIM program director said, "It was a pleasure to have Brian on campus for the afternoon. He was well received by the AIM students who engaged in an interesting dialogue with him. I enjoyed Brian's visit because we were able to share ideas about our applied investment programs. I'm certain that our exchange will help students in both programs in the years to come."

Dr. Krause added, "I know the students especially enjoyed talking with Brian about the investment philosophy and process followed by the students in ASAP. The students also found the discussion of stock screening to be quite interesting. They also engaged in a dialogue about macro-economic trends and current monetary and fiscal policy. I look forward to having Brian visit us each fall."

Dan Fuss Says California `Will Get Through' Budget Crisis: Video

Daniel Fuss (MU alumnus and AIM supporter), vice chairman at Loomis Sayles & Co., talked today on Bloomberg television about the outlook for California’s budget crisis. Fuss also discussed the state's debt and economy, and his investment strategy - he is beginning to take an interest in the PIIGS. He talked with Carol Massar and Matt Miller on Bloomberg Television's "Taking Stock."

PLAY BLOOMBERG VIDEO

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Changes to Morningstar Global Equity Classifications

Dr. David Krause, AIM program director said, "On the eve of the 5th anniversary of the AIM Equity Fund, I found out today that Morningstar is changing its classifications for equity sectors and industries. This is the classification scheme we have used for the past five years to assign sectors to the student-managers - which is important because we run a sector neutral strategy. We'll adapt to the new classifications which are similar to the S&P GICS scheme."

Morningstar reported today that is enhancing its global equity classification system, beginning at the industry level and extending up to the sector and super-sector level. Morningstar stated that they are making these changes for the following reasons:

1. Our current sector classification system was created nearly 10 years ago, and since that time, the markets and our clients' needs have evolved. We believe the foundation of the new equity classification system, economic sensitivity of a company's revenues, is a better way to break down the investment universe. 
2. The new classification system is more intuitive and adds a more global perspective to our research. It also has some important elements in common with the widely used S&P GICS, which simplifies comparison. 
3. Overall, our revised system is more logical, allows for intelligent diversification, and makes it easier to understand the decisions made by portfolio managers. It presents a robust classification tool in line with both macro-economic factors as well as global market developments.

Broadly speaking, there will be a reduction in the number of Industries and Industry Groups, and a redefinition of the Sectors and Super-Sectors. The new classification system will eliminate 79 current Industries and will introduce 14 new Industries, resulting in 148 Industries. At the Industry Group level, there will be 69 groups rather than the current 91. There will be 11 Sectors under the new system, and they are being redefined based on their economic sensitivity. The number of Super-Sectors will remain at three, but will also be reworked based on sensitivity to economic cycles. Download the new Morningstar global equity classification hierarchy.
 
The changes will take place according to the following schedule:

• New Industry Classifications: October 2010
• New Sectors and Super-Sectors: March 2011

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY FALL CAREER FAIR 2010

The Fall 2010 Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, September 29, from 1:00 – 5:00pm in the Alumni Memorial Union. Follow this link to find a list and details of the firms that will be visiting campus.

The student flyer for the Career Fair can be found at this link. The Career Fair is for students seeking full-time, internship, post-graduate service, and graduate/professional school opportunities.

Geneva Capital Management Visits AIM Program

On Friday, September 24, Nicholas Bauer, CFA, Director of Institutional Sales & Marketing; Scott Priebe, Principal & Portfolio Manager; and Michelle Picard, CFA Principal & Portfolio Manager of Geneva Capital Management visited the AIM program. They talked with Dr. Krause about the AIM program and had an opportunity to meet a number of the students in the program.

Scott Priebe

Geneva Capital Management is located in Milwaukee and is an investment management firm offering investment management services to individual and institutional clients. The company was founded in January, 1987 by William A. Priebe, CFA and Amy S. Croen, CFA, veteran money managers with more than 60 years of combined experience.

Michelle Picard

Michelle J. Picard, CFA, joined Geneva in 1999 as Director of Marketing, was promoted to the position of Research Analyst in 2002, then Vice President, Portfolio Manager in the first quarter of 2005. Michelle became a Principal of the firm in the second quarter of 2006 and an Executive Vice President, Portfolio Manager in March of 2010. W. Scott Priebe, joined the firm as an Investment Analyst in 2004, and became a Principal in 2008 and also as of March 2010, became an Executive Vice President, Portfolio Manager. Joining the Investment Team in the spring of 2010 was Nicholas C. Bauer, CFA, Director of Institutional Sales & Marketing.

Geneva invests in high-quality, stocks with a proven and consistent record of growth. Geneva’s goal is to outperform the relevant index over a five year period, while maintaining a risk profile at or below the index's level. Dr. Krause, AIM program director said, "It was very interesting to watch Michelle, Scott, and Nick interact with the students. They knew many of the stocks the AIM students have pitched the past few weeks, so there were some useful exchanges of information. I know the students found the dialogue to be valuable."

Nick Bauer

Geneva’s philosophy focuses on the search for relatively undiscovered high-quality companies with superior management, leadership positions within their industries, and healthy historical and projected earnings growth. Geneva's objective is to find those companies which perform so well, the portfolio can hold the stocks for long periods of time, occasionally trimming the size of the position to take profits and maintain diversification. The Investment Strategy Group establishes extensive management and analyst contacts, and uses a proprietary valuation model that adds discipline to the investment process.

Dr. Krause said, "I was pleased that we had an opportunity to host Geneva Capital Management in the AIM room. The students and I recognized that they can add much value to classroom discussions about security selection and portfolio management. I'm going to be working to include them into next semester's class schedule - I think this is the beginning of a solid long-term relationship. I believe we can establish an opportunity for students to possible intern with Geneva and I certainly want Michelle, Scott, and Nick to serve as mentors to our students."

Make a Difference - Wisconsin Officers Visit the AIM Program

On Friday, October 24, Brenda Campbell (Executive Director of Make a Difference - Wisconsin) and Robert Bukowski (Board Member of Make a Difference - Wisconsin and President of Alpha Investment Consulting Group) visited the students in the AIM Class of 2011.

Make A Difference – Wisconsin, Inc. (MAD-WI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to enrich the community by empowering students to make informed financial decisions. MAD-WI engages volunteers from the local business and professional community in the delivery of financial education.

The Make A Difference – Wisconsin mission is to provide financial literacy programs and resources that empower students to make sound financial decisions. Their vision is to build strong communities where students and their families make informed financial decisions and take control of their financial future.

According to Ms. Campbell and Mr. Bukowski, "Studies show that U.S. teens are graduating from high school without solid financial management skills. The lure of credit card offers and check-cashing stores, combined with a lack of money management education, sets many up for financial crises that can last a lifetime. We want to change that."

The Make a Difference program consists of three seminars focused on budgeting and saving, understanding checking accounts, and understanding credit cards, credit history/scores, and credit reports. The program is typically delivered over the course of six visits to the classroom. Mr. Bukowski noted, "Volunteers present the program individually or in pairs and engage students by sharing personal and professional experiences related to financial literacy and through the use of several hands-on activities. I believe you would be very effective in talking with high school students about these important issues."

Brenda and Bob talked with the AIM students after class about how they can volunteer with Make a Difference. For more information about how you can volunteer with the organization to help ensure the success of our youth, our state, and economy go to the Make a Difference - Wisconsin web site. 

AIM program director, Dr. David Krause, strongly encourages his students to be actively involved in community service. He said, "MAD-WI is an outstanding organization that has the full support of Milwaukee's investment community - and we want to also be involved in helping achieve the mission. A few years ago, AIM student Andy Parker was very active with Brenda and the volunteers with Make a Difference - Wisconsin; I hope AIM students in this year's class step up to the challenge." To read a Marquette Warrior news article about Andy Parker's and Chris Teff's efforts to assist MAD-WI, go to: http://tiny.cc/8t0pq.

Jim Bianco Quoted in Today's Wall Street Journal

Jim Bianco

Jim Bianco (MU '84), president of Bianco Research and a frequent visitor to the AIM program, is quoted in a feature story in today's Wall Street Journal.   The article is titled 'Macro' Forces in Market Confound Stock Pickers and Jim is quoted as saying, "Stock picking is a dead art form. Macro themes dominate the market now more than ever."   The article also features a very interesting video:

AIM Students Planning to Pitch Stocks at Marquette Circles Event in Chicago (October 27th)

Chris McGuire

On Wednesday, October 27, Marquette University will host a CIRCLES networking event in Chicago. The event will be held at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL. Registration begins at 5:00 pm with Round Table discussions starting at 6:00 pm. (Note: one of the Round Table discussions, "Why Hedge Funds Belong in Individual Investor Portfolios in the 21st Century," will be hosted by Dr. David Krause, Director, Applied Investment Management Program, Marquette University; and Christopher McGuire, Comm ’91, Owner and Chief Investment Officer, Phalanx Capital Management, LLC).

Following the discussions (about 6:45 pm) the attendees will have an opportunity to meet and network with Marquette alumni, parents and friends attending the CIRCLES event. You can register online at: Chicago CIRCLES. 

The details are being worked out that will enable up to five students in the Applied Investment Management (AIM) Class of 2011 to pitch five stocks at 5 pm before the Round Table discussions begin. To learn more about the AIM stock presentations, go to: Fall 2010 AIM Presentation Schedule.

The AIM students eager to do a stock pitch are: Caitlin Johnson, Shannon Lawton, Tom Molosky, Tim O'Donnell, and James Werner. Details about the stocks the students will be presenting, as well as the time and room location, will follow. Dr. David Krause, AIM program director said, "The students are looking forward to presenting their stock recommendations and hope people are able to attend and provide feedback. These 'road shows' are an important element of the AIM curriculum."

The First Marquette University New York Alumni and Finance Students’ Video-Conference Was a Success

On Wednesday, September 22, 2010, a video-conference with the New York alumni and Marquette’s finance students was held. The one hour session, which featured 13 investment professionals presently working in NYC, originated from Citigroup’s 399 Park Avenue headquarters. A special thank you goes out to Citigroup’s Sue Harnett and Dan Williams (Marquette alumni) who organized the event – and to all the alumni who attended the event in person.

55 undergraduates majoring in finance were on the Milwaukee end of the video-conference in the AIM room on the 4^th floor of Straz Hall on Marquette’s campus. The live video stream technology worked flawlessly with the cameras recording the speakers and participants in New York who were visible on the large projector screen in the AIM room. The camera zoomed in on the Marquette students as they asked questions of the NY alumni, who also were able to view the students in the audience in Milwaukee during the event.

Following the alumni introductions the students heard about the current ‘State of Wall Street.’ Sue Harnett, Dan Williams, and the other alumni talked about the current recruiting calendars and the prospects for full-time and internship opportunities in various major bulge bracket investment banks. This was followed by an extremely useful presentation from some of the recent MU grads about living and working in New York City. The formal presentation ended with an ‘Ins and Outs of Wall Street’ refresher. The remainder of the time was devoted to a student Question & Answer session which featured all of the NY-based alumni responding to the various queries.

Dr. David Krause, AIM program director, commented about the evening, "Much like the spring ‘Ins and Outs’ event, this was very successful. The insights and advice from our New York finance alumni are especially important for those Marquette students interested in careers in finance in New York and other major money centers.  This one hour event was highly informative and certainly piqued the interest of many sophomores and juniors who have never been exposed to these opportunities before. Like the ‘Ins and Outs’ in the spring, this is a unique opportunity to hear from people inside the New York financial community.”

Thanks go out to the following NYC-based Marquette alumni who were in attendance on the video-conference:

• Ashley Beckner (Morgan Stanley)
• Adam Bordner (Citigroup)
• Steve Briggs (Bank of American / Merrill Lynch)
• Matt Bruno (UBP Asset Management)
• Sarah Clasing (Bank of American / Merrill Lynch)
• John Dwyer (Credit Suisse)
• Sue Harnett (Citigroup)
• Steve Holtkamp (Morgan Stanley)
• Amy Klemme (Morgan Stanley)
• Ryan Loftus (JP Morgan)
• Kimberly Moehle (Carlyle Group)
• Joe Mrak (FolioDynamix) 
• Dan Williams (Citigroup)

Mark Ziehr, Frontier Partners, Visits AIM Program

On Wednesday, September 22, Mark Ziehr, CFA, a partner at Frontier Partners, visited the AIM program. Frontier Partners develops customized marketing and business development programs for institutional investment managers. They have a team of seasoned professionals whose backgrounds encompass marketing, client service, portfolio management and pension consulting. They bring their experience to bear for each of their respective fund managers. 

Mr. Ziehr has an impressive investments background. Prior to joining Frontier Partners, he worked for Mercer Investment Consulting and The Northern Trust Company in Chicago. Mr. Ziehr was a Principal and Research Consultant at Mercer Investment Consulting where he had responsibility for primary research on numerous investment managers across various investment strategies. He also served as a portfolio manager with Northern Investment Counselors Group of Northern Trust Global Investment Services where he was responsible for a number of high net worth investment management relationships. Mark is also the Chief Financial Officer of Timpani Capital Management, a Milwaukee-based small cap growth asset management firm. Note: last Friday the AIM students presented six stock ideas at Timpani Capital Management (see previous blog entry). 

Mark talked about how Frontier Partners operates and how their clients benefit from their relationships with a global network of consultants, plan sponsors, educational institutions, state and local governments and other organizations with significant assets to invest. Frontier Partners represents six investment management firms, including Timpani. 

Dr. Krause, AIM program director said, "It was a pleasure to host Mark. He has a wealth of experience in the industry and is an accomplished speaker. He provided excellent career advice to the students and made himself available after class to avail himself to the student. Everyone enjoyed talking about investments and the financial markets with him. Mark's always welcome in the AIM room when he visits Milwaukee."

Dr. Abdur Chowdhury to Join Chicago Federal Reserve Academic Advisory Council

James Bianco (MU ’84) is the President of Bianco Research, an Arbor Research & Trading affiliate. Jim is a regular guest speaker in the AIM program and is an annual presenter at the AIM Forum. He is frequently seen as an expert commentator on CNBC and Bloomberg television and is widely acknowledged to be among the leading authorities on Federal Reserve policy, macro-economic trends, and interest rates. 

Jim Bianco

Mr. Bianco is a member of an advisory council at the Chicago Federal Reserve that regularly meets before the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings with the Dan Sullivan, Director of Research, and other Fed economists to discuss monetary policy.

Thanks to Jim's recommendation, Dr. Abdur Chowdhury (Chair of Marquette University’s Department of Economics) will be added to the list of participants at the Chicago Fed’s Academic Advisory Council meetings. The semi-annual events are held with Charlie Evans, the Chicago Fed’s President, and other economists from prominent Midwestern universities. The group holds a roundtable discussion of the economy and current monetary policy.

Dr. Chowdhury is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at Marquette. His area of specialization is Open Economy Macroeconomics and Monetary Policy. As the Chief Economist for Capital Market Consultants in Milwaukee, he prepares quarterly and monthly commentaries on U.S. and global economic issues and challenges. He also provides regular advice on economic policy issues to a number of investment firms and financial institutions.

During 2003-2008, Dr. Chowdhury worked as the Chief Economist and Director, Economic Analysis Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva, Switzerland. The Economic Analysis Division (EAD) focused on analyzing macroeconomic trends in 56 countries in North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union and provided policy advice to the national policy makers in these countries. In his capacity as the Chief Economist, he coordinated, supervised as well as contributed to the publication of the Economic Survey of Europe, the flagship semi-annual publication of the Commission. Abdur regularly prepared background documents and briefing papers on a number of UN global issues including Financing for Development, Foreign Direct Investment, Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development, Human development indicators, etc.



Dr. Abdur Chowdhury



Prior to joining the United Nations, Dr. Chowdhury worked for 14 years as Professor of Economics at Marquette and he also held positions as a Faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and Bentley College. He also worked as a Senior Researcher at the Central Bank of Finland and Senior Fulbright Scholar in Thailand. He is widely published in international professional journals, newspapers and other media outlets on a variety of global macro and monetary issues.

Dr. Krause said, "I talked with Abdur this morning and is he very pleased to become involved with the Chicago Fed. Again, our thanks go out to Jim Bianco for recommending Dr. Chowdhury to the Chicago Federal Reserve. This is another example of the Marquette network working to serve the greater good."

AIM 'Super Saturday' Interviews Scheduled for October 9th

AIM program director, Dr. David Krause said, "We are fast approaching the deadline for the new Applied Investment Management program students in the Class of 2012 to submit their applications. The full application package is due on Friday, October 1st. We expect another outstanding set of candidates." More information about the application process can be obtained here.

Dr. Krause continued, "The past several years we have been utilizing an interview process we call AIM Super Saturday. Because that format has worked so well for us, we again will follow that system. I encourage AIM and Marquette alumni, as well as local investment professionals, to join us for Super Saturday." 

AIM assistant, Lee Hovorka, and Dr. Krause compile a detailed file for each applicant. After reviewing all of the material in the application packet for each student, Dr. Krause and other finance faculty conduct a 15-20 minute interview with each student during the week of October 4th. Then on Saturday, October 9th, about 15-20 MU alumni and other investment professionals interview the AIM candidates for about 10-12 minutes in a one-on-one setting. Following about 3 hours of interviews, Dr. Krause and the interviewers meet to discuss the applicants. This input will be used to help select the AIM Class of 2012. Krause said, "The Super Saturday process has been used successfully by the major investment firms to interview full-time job seekers, so we have borrowed the practice to help us select members of the new AIM class. Thus far the process has worked quite well and we're thankful for the time our alumni and the local investment professionals devote to the process."

He added, "It is a very efficient and useful process. Since we’ve gone to this method I believe we’ve made better admission decisions." By all indications we are expecting a strong group of AIM student applicants – some of whom chose to attend Marquette because of the AIM program. Krause commented, "We again seek your assistance in the interview process. If your schedule allows you to participate, please contact us at aim@marquette.edu to indicate your interest."

Below is the format for the morning of Saturday, October 9th:

• 8:30 AM - Continental breakfast and expectations of interviewers

• 9:00 AM - Interviews begin in various rooms within Straz Hall with interviews scheduled every 12 minutes

• 11:30 AM - Interviews complete

• 11:45 AM - Regroup (with lunch) and debrief (should be about 30 minutes)

Thank you for your support of the AIM program.

The CFA Societies of Milwaukee and Madison Announce the Third Wisconsin CFA Investment Research Challenge

 The CFA Society of Milwaukee and the CFA Society of Madison announced recently that 10 schools have expressed an interest in participating in this year’s Global Investment Research Challenge. The CFA Investment Research Challenge is a competition in which student teams from the top area business schools write an equity research report on an assigned company and present their findings to a panel of investment industry experts. The winning team will advance to compete in the Americas Regional level of the Global Investment Research Challenge hosted by CFA Institute, to be held in Omaha, NE on April 6-7, 2011.

This annual educational initiative is designed to promote best practices in research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis. It complements students’ university curriculum by simulating the ‘real world’ experience of an equity analyst. The Challenge spans one semester, and consists of the following components:

I.          Analysis of a Public Company

II.         Mentoring By a Professional Research Analyst or Portfolio Manager

III.        Writing an Equity Research Report

IV.       Presentation of Research to a High-Profile Panel of Experts

Each university chooses one team of 3-5 members to represent it – and both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. Students must be enrolled in the current term at the university they represent at the time of the local Challenge in March, 2011.   CFA Charterholders and students who have significant prior work experience in fundamental company analysis are not eligible. Last year, CFA Institute member societies held local competitions with more than 2000 students from over 425 universities worldwide.

The CFA societies of Milwaukee and Madison have already confirmed the participation of the universities: Marquette University, Carthage, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Carroll University, Valparaiso University, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Whitewater.

The competition will culminate with the 5th Annual Global Investment Research Challenge, to be held in Omaha, Nebraska on April 8, 2010. The Global Challenge consists of the winners of the regional finals held in Asia-Pacific, EMEA, the Americas, and New York. The 2010 winner was the University of the Philippines - Diliman.

“The CFA investment research challenge has been an outstanding applied learning opportunity for our students,” said Dr. David Krause, director the Marquette’s AIM program. “We were very fortunate that our teams advanced to the Americas Regional level of the competition our first two years of participation. We are thankful for the efforts of the Milwaukee and Madison CFA societies for hosting the event which will benefit all of the students who participate. We look forward to participating each year in the truly worthwhile activity.”

AIM Students Pitch Stocks at Timpani Capital Management

On Friday, September, 17, six AIM students presented their equity recommendations during the first AIM 'road show’ of the fall semester. Kristin Holzhauer, Peter Stucki, April Qi, David Hermanny, Tom Molosky, and Andrew Freedman pitched their stocks to Timpani’s Brandon Nelson, Ryan Isherwood, and Mike Klenn (AIM ’10). For a link to the six AIM student equity write-ups, go to: http://tiny.cc/jgaki

“The sessions we hold within investment companies are valuable learning experiences," said Dr. David Krause, AIM program director. “It reinforces the applied element of the AIM program. We’ll continue to go on the road on Friday afternoons to present stocks to investment professionals.”

Timpani Capital Management runs a small cap equity growth fund. The firm was founded in 2008 and is located in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Brandon Nelson (CFA), Portfolio Manager / CIO, and his team believe that earnings drive stock price performance. Their approach of combining fundamental research with an analysis of market sentiment helps them identify the gap that exists between a company’s business strength and the market’s expectation of that strength.

Dr. Krause stated, “On behalf of the students in the AIM program, we want to thank Brandon, Ryan, and Mike for hosting us. All of the student presenters agree about the benefits of these type of interactions. The questions and insights of investment professionals are highly beneficial and serve as an important element in keeping the 'applied' element front and center in the AIM program. What they learn in these interactions can't be found in text books - it can only be obtained by working with people experienced in security analysis.”

“All-in-all, this was a very useful trip to Timpani – our second time there. We look forward to returning again,” Krause concluded.

Marquette University Fall 2010 New York Alumni and Finance Students’ Video-Conference

On Wednesday, September 22, 2010, at 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. (CST) in the AIM Room (4th Floor Straz Hall, College of Business Administration) a video-conference with the New York alumni and Marquette’s finance students will be held. Dr. David Krause, AIM program director, commented about the event, "I encourage sophomores, juniors, and seniors to attend the video-conference. This event with our New York finance alumni is especially intended for those Marquette students interested in careers in finance in New York and other major money centers.  This one hour event will most definitely be worthwhile for our students."

The planned agenda includes:

• Alumni Introductions (5 minutes)
• State of the Street (10 minutes)
• Current Recruiting Calendar (10 minutes)
• Living and Working in New York (5 minutes)
• ‘Ins and Outs’ Refresher (15 minutes)
• Student Question & Answer (15 minutes)

 The scheduled NYC attendees are as follows:

• Ashley Beckner
• Adam Bordner
• Steve Briggs
• Matt Bruno
• Sarah Clasing
• John Dwyer
• Sue Harnett
• Steve Holtkamp
• Amy Klemme
• Kimberly Moehle
• Joe Mrak
• Paul Simenauer
• Sarah Somers
• Dan Williams

Dr. Krause said, “The Marquette student participants are free to arrive in the AIM Room as early as 4pm (CST). We understand that some students have classes that end at 4:45pm and will be entering the AIM Room at that time – that is fine. We are looking forward to this event and thank everyone involved in its planning and execution. Like the ‘Ins and Out,’ this is a unique opportunity to hear from people inside the New York financial community.”