A team of four finance students from the Illinois Institute of Technology has advanced to the semifinals of the McGill International Portfolio Challenge (MIPC) in Montreal. They are competing for $50,000 Canadian dollars in cash prizes awarded to top-performing teams and individuals.

The MIPC is recognized as the world's largest buy-side university finance competition. It aims to bridge academia and industry by providing students with opportunities to address real-world investment problems. This year's competition features 99 teams from universities across 17 countries, with only 25 teams moving forward to the semifinals scheduled for November 8–9, 2024. The top five semifinalists will proceed to the finals on November 9.

The Illinois Tech team consists of Akansha Burad, Javier Gomez, Yu-Te “Kevin” Lin, and Max Ortolano, who are all enrolled in the Master of Science in Finance program at Stuart School of Business. Their faculty adviser is Clinical Associate Professor of Finance Michael Rybak.

Participants act as asset managers at large institutional investors like pension funds. Each team must submit a written investment proposal addressing issues specified in the MIPC Grand Challenge. This year’s challenge asks how innovative portfolio strategies can withstand inflation pressures while meeting retirees' liquidity needs across various demographics.

Industry professionals and experts in institutional investing judge these proposals to select semifinalists. In subsequent rounds, each team presents its proposal live before a panel and answers questions from judges.

Additionally, MIPC-sponsored recruiting events and networking sessions provide participants with opportunities to engage with industry professionals and fellow students leading up to and during the semifinals weekend.