As an MBA student in the corporate finance and investment banking specialization, you will gain immediate access to a professional network that includes our executives-in-residence, our advisory board, alumni from our specialization, and corporate partners affiliated with our program. These connections will provide you with a competitive advantage in recruiting, understanding the finance industry, and sustaining a career in finance.

Executives-in-Residence

Our executive-in-residence program identifies senior executives and board members of leading companies who have successfully guided organizations through mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, restructurings, divestitures, shareholder activism, and other capital markets activities. You will learn from these executives as they link theory to practice by providing insights on what really matters in these transactions and exactly how companies, advisors, and investors interact and add value.

Through lectures, applied learning projects, and one-on-one discussions, you will gain insights on corporate strategy and leadership. Our executives are dedicated to mentoring students and helping set the strategy for the Nicholas Center.

Don Condon (left) and Tom Tefft (right)

Our current executives, Don Condon and Tom Tefft, are noteworthy board members who are passionate about our program. Learn more about Don and Tom.

Passionate Alumni and Corporate Partners

As an MBA student in the corporate finance and investment banking specialization, you will have many opportunities to connect with program alumni and corporate partners eager to provide mentorship and career advice. Many alumni are CFOs, senior executives, and established investors, while others are in positions of increasing responsibility in the corporate finance, investment banking, corporate development, strategy, and mergers and acquisitions.

Don Condon

“The corporate finance and investment banking specialization in the Wisconsin MBA Program creates a unique opportunity for both businesses and students. Starting with candidates who are among the best qualified in the world, the specialization provides unique access to the best academic training and real-world business projects, working with key executives. For Fortune 500 companies, banks, and investment houses, corporate finance students in turn offer creative, value-adding solutions to serious real-time business issues as well as potential new employees that start way ahead of MBA students from most major universities. It has been a great privilege to work with this program for many years and to see it become a significant competitive advantage for both the companies we partner with and the students we develop.”

—Don Condon
Distinguished Public Company Board Member and CEO of IDSM Distribution Services, Inc.

A Dedicated Advisory Board

Executives and current practitioners from major corporate finance and investment banking firms serve our students and the Nicholas Center as advisory board members. These leaders from diverse backgrounds and a variety of positions share their knowledge and experiences with MBA students.

As mentors, they assist in applied learning projects, serve as guest speakers on campus, and spend one-on-one time with students. They also provide valuable industry connections that facilitate the placement of students for internships and full-time positions.