
Every year, hundreds of students from around the globe participate in the McGill International Portfolio Challenge, hoping to impress the judges with innovative portfolio strategies and gain access to unique recruitment opportunities. “MIPC Perspectives” is a new project designed to recognize the hard work of uniquely skilled individuals who have previously participated in the challenge. In 2021, Danish bachelor student Anna Abrahamsen not only won the challenge alongside team “Investopedia Interns”, but also took home the “Best Speaker” prize.
For Context: The MIPC’s Fifth Edition – Ultra-Low Yields
The fifth edition of the MIPC revolved around the ultra-low yield and high equity valuation environment that the world economy found itself in amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were tasked with designing sustainable investment strategies that delivered adequate returns without taking on excessive risk.
Anna Abrahamsen – Background
Our media team sat down with Anna Abrahamsen, an international business student at the prestigious Copenhagen Business School (CBS). A member of CBS International Case Teams, Anna has participated in several case competitions around the world, often placing first. The MIPC was Anna’s first-ever participation in an international challenge, and she found the experience to be exceptionally rewarding, setting her up to excel in future business competitions.
Anna’s MIPC Journey
What Anna appreciated the most about the MIPC was how broad the case was, allowing participants to form their own assumptions to address the societal issue at hand. She recalled just how experienced the panel of judges was, and how their feedback enabled her and her teammates to improve their work in time for the final presentation. As remarkable as it sounds, Anna had never participated in any finance competition in the past when she won the MIPC. This tremendous feat is proof that anyone eager to put in the work and learn along the way can succeed at the challenge.
Advice to Future Participants
Anna encouraged future participants to have a holistic approach to tackling the case, taking the time to consider all the different factors that may affect their chosen strategy. For team “Investopedia Interns”, this meant splitting their suggested approach into short-term, medium-term, and long-term implications. She then stressed the importance of addressing the needs of all stakeholders, their roles, and how they are affected by the proposed approach. Having competed in many competitions, Anna knows how important it is to not be afraid to make assumptions, as long as those are justifiable and adequately explained.
When it comes to forming your team, choosing partners with a diverse set of skills can only be beneficial as it allows for more efficient collaboration and increases your chance of success. As one of the five best speaker award recipients, Anna emphasized the role that storytelling plays in a successful team’s work. Team “Investopedia Interns” kept their submissions “clear and concise”, eliminating irrelevant or redundant information and only focusing on what truly mattered to the audience.