STUDENT Achievements
Christina Saggiomo Wins Top Prize in the CME Competition More than 100 graduate and undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the country competed in the CME Group Commodity Trading Challenge, a fast-paced electronic and open outcry trading competition. This competition was originally created by the New York Mercantile Exchange and the University of Houston nine years ago with just a small number of schools on the roster. As the markets have grown, so has the competition, with 58 schools participating in 2010. Finance major Christina Saggiomo VSB ’10 took part
Assistant Professor of Management James Klingler
Christina Saggiomo VSB ’10 on the trading floor in the CME Competition.
this spring. “I participated in the competition to have a fun
listen and make bids. They also had to negotiate the quantity
and interesting experience and to learn as much as I could,”
of contracts.
she said. “Not only did I learn a tremendous amount in a few
“When they called my name as the first place winner,”
hours of trading, but I truly felt empowered. At the end of
Saggiomo said, “I was in absolute shock. I had made mistakes
the day I was so glad I had participated in the competition. I
along the way and had to learn a number of things on the fly,
experienced something that many people, especially college
but I could not have been prouder of my own performance,
seniors, may never get to experience. And winning was icing
my teammates’ performance, and the opportunity to repre-
on the cake.”
sent Villanova. While this type of trading does not exist on
The competition was comprised of many rounds of trading in which participants had to use their skills and knowledge to
Wall Street like it used to, it is one of the most exciting, exhilarating, and exhausting activities I have ever participated in.”
Graduate Business Team Awarded 2nd Place at the ACGPhiladelphia Cup A four-person team from the Villanova School of Business won second place at this year’s ACG Philadelphia Cup, a highly realistic private equity/investment banking case-study competition. The team of MSF students Patrick Doherty, Meet Doshi, Olivia Pietrunti, and Sumedha Verma won $5,000 for their success. Each team analyzed and presented solutions to a complex business case that required a combination of corporate strategy, finance, and valuation skills. VSB students competed against six area graduate 30
Joseph Mancari, VSB ‘09
villanova business | fall 2010
investment/corporate development market,” says associate professor and chair of the department of finance David Schaffer. “The Philadelphia Cup provides a unique opportunity for the students to challenge themselves in tackling a real-world business problem in what continues to be one of the most dynamic and sought-after market segments.” The MSF team of Olivia Pietrunti, Patrick Doherty, Sumedha Verma, and Meet Doshi took home 2nd place at the ACG Philadelphia Cup.
business programs. The other participating schools were Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business; La Salle University School of Business; Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business; Saint Joseph’s University Haub School
of Business; Temple University’s Fox School of Business; and University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “Over the past few years, the ACG Cup has established itself as a leading business case competition focused on the financial
VSB Senior Wins 2010 PICPA Award This spring, Katelyn Fanto VSB ’10 received the
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) outstanding senior award, given to one senior at each college or university in the State of
