Connecticut’s Leading MBA Programs to Compete in Second Annual ACG Connecticut Cup Competition

Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, UConn and Yale MBA Students to Face-off in ACG’s M&A Case Study Competition

FAIRFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACG Connecticut, the Connecticut Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), the premier authority on corporate growth, corporate development and mergers and acquisitions, will hold the second annual ACG Connecticut Cup Competition on March 28, 2011 at the offices of RBS Business Capital in Stamford, CT.

“The ACG Cup is a particularly valuable MBA competition in that it gives students an opportunity to work on an actual investment banking and private equity case-studies and gain real-world professional experience”

The ACG Connecticut Cup is a case study competition designed to give students from leading MBA programs across the state real world experience and practical knowledge of mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity.

On March 28, teams from the Quinnipiac University School of Business, Sacred Heart University’s John F. Welch College of Business, The University of Connecticut School of Business and the Yale School of Management will present valuation, capital markets and M&A strategic advice to a panel of seasoned M&A professionals from within the ACG Connecticut community, including Jim Barra of Ironwood Capital, Mark Campbell of BlumShapiro, Ramsey Goodrich of Carter, Morse & Mathias, Fridolf Hanson of RBS Business Capital, Jamie McCleary of Willis Group and Andrew Runk of CIT Group.

The winning team will be announced April 1, 2011 at the ACG Connecticut Monthly Breakfast Meeting at the Stamford Marriott. The winner will be awarded the prestigious ACG Connecticut Cup title and a cash award. Second and third place winners will also receive cash awards and prizes.

The presentations on March 28 comprise the final stage of the ACG Connecticut Cup that began in intramural rounds in February. Winners of the initial round who are competing in the finals include: Kyle Sleczkowski, Christopher Swanson, Thomas Vara and Steven Woodhull from Quinnipiac University School of Business. Jim Carroccia, Mark Galletta, Craig Garvey, Andria McBride and Rick Southard from Sacred Heart University’s John F. Welch College of Business. Oana Dancescu, Rosita Katsi, Shripurna Kulkarni, James Londono and Matt Weier from The University of Connecticut School of Business. And, Michael Barjum, Tugce Dursun, Alejandro Palacido and Jesse Yao from Yale School of Management.

"The ACG Connecticut Cup is a unique opportunity for Connecticut’s first-rate MBA students to interact and network with our community of over 250 senior-level M&A professionals, potential employers, resources and networks,” said Jamie McCleary, ACG Connecticut Cup Chairman, and Partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Willis. “Building a top-notch professional network is essential to career development and growing businesses, and our second annual competition serves as a conduit to introduce the next generation of dealmakers to ACG Connecticut.”

“The ACG Cup is a particularly valuable MBA competition in that it gives students an opportunity to work on an actual investment banking and private equity case-studies and gain real-world professional experience," said Ramsey Goodrich, President of ACG Connecticut, and Managing Director at Carter, Morse & Mathias. “We look forward to hearing the students’ presentations and welcoming the winning team to our April meeting, one of ACG Connecticut’s premier networking and dealmaking events.”

The ACG Connecticut April Breakfast Meeting will feature a keynote address by Alan Aronovitz, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Brands, the Stamford, CT-based provider of household care and laundry products. Mr. Aronovitz will present, “Making a Clean Break – The Phoenix Brands Story,” to an audience of over 150 local Connecticut M&A professionals.

ACG Connecticut will also host a Hartford Breakfast Meeting on April 13 at The Hartford Club, featuring presentations by Robert D. Kipps, Managing Director, KippsDeSanto & Co. and a keynote by Tom Ridge, Former Governor of Pennsylvania, Director of the Office of Homeland Security and President and CEO of Ridge Global.

For more information on the ACG Cup Competition and ACG Connecticut programming please visit www.acg.org/connecticut.

About ACG

The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) is the global community for middle market M&A dealmakers and business leaders focused on driving growth. ACG members have access to data, content and networking to access capital, make deals and drive corporate growth. Founded in 1954, ACG has grown to more than 13,000 members organized in 56 chapters throughout North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.acg.org. For more information about ACG Connecticut, please visit http://chapters.acg.org/connecticut/.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To attend the ACG Cup Competition, please contact: Jarret Izzo, BackBay Communications, 646-801-1220 [e-mail]