21 Jul 2014
UBS Finance Academy
During the second week of the school holidays, myself and 49 other students from across the eastern states of Australia were given the opportunity of a life time !!! We were selected to participate in the UBS Finance Academy 2014 which was fully paid for by UBS.
Across this week we all became great friends and learnt many skills, whether they be skills used in the finance industry or life skills such as presenting speeches effectively. We stayed at Dunmore Lang College and each day caught a bus to the UBS headquarters located in the CBD.
Each day we were given talks by people in many different roles at UBS. Some of them being Investment banking, Operations, Equities and research and credit and rates. On Tuesday we were given a private tour of the UBS trading floor. Here we saw stock brokers doing what they do best.
Most nights we were up till between 6-9pm working in groups on our case studies. This was then to be presented to a board of UBS staff members. We were given a case study about the real life acquisition of Fletcher and Crane. Through this we learnt what an acquisition is, how to calculate and read VWAP's, P/E's and EBITDA's, funding of companies, team work and many more skills.
On Wednesday we suited up and were given a private tour of The Art Gallery of NSW and were taught about the finance behind the art gallery. Later on that day we headed back to UBS where they held a Canape' function. At this function Guy Fowler Head of Investment Banking was our host. Here we had one on one conversations with workers at UBS where we could ask and find out anything about their roles and how they got there. This was a "money can't buy experience" where we learnt so much about the finance world.
The last day Friday was a very emotional day. We presented our presentations to the Panel. Where the winning group got a prize. We then had lunch set for us in the presentation room, (the room looked like it was set for the Queen, we had also had our own waiters) At each of our tables we had someone important and next me I had Robert Milliner. Robert Milliner was Chief Executive Partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques from 2004-2011. He retired from Mallesons on 31 January 2012 to take up a role in the corporate sector. He chaired the Large Law Firm Group which represents Australia's 9 largest law firms and is the only law firm member of the Law Council of Australia, from 2006-2011. Robert Milliner is also hosting the B20, which is a part of the G20. The G20 discusses crucial world issues and it is being held in Brisbane this year. After lunch we took the bus back to Dunmore Lang College and said good bye to everyone where a few shed tears. Then we went our separate ways with many lifelong friendshaving to catch a plane home.
For as much work that was completed there was probably more fun. Everyday UBS supplied a great breakfast (pancakes, fruit salad, eggs), morning tea, lunch afternoon tea, dinner (chicken schnitzel, pasta) and dessert (doughnuts, apple crumble). By the end of the week I had made 50 great friends with some of the best people I have met in my life. In the one week I was there I had become closer to the people there than a lot of people I have been with at school for 4 years. In the common room on campus they had a flat screen T.V., table tennis, pool table and lounges just to relax with your mates. Everywhere we went you were with great kids and I always had a smile on my face. On the last night we all got together and had a mini party upstairs on level floor. (what happens on level 4 stays on level 4 ).
This has been the best week of my life and I would recommend it to anyone interested. This is also great for people that don't know what industry they want to work in. I would like to thank Mr Chipperfield and Mrs Campbell for bringing this opportunity to my attention and Mr Barnet for putting in a Principles acknowledgment.
THANKS UBS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Jack Shearer