We have new winners of the local CFA Institute Research Challenge final

In this year's Polish edition of the international competition CFA Institute Research Challenge, over 50 students from 12 teams representing 8 universities competed for the best team of the most prestigious global competition for young analysts. As a result, five teams qualified for the online finals on March 1, 2022. The team representing Kozminski University in Warsaw won, and they will fight in the next stage of the international competition.

The team that took first place in the final qualified for the EMEA regional stage (quarter-finals), presenting further the analysis and valuation of Asseco Poland. The best teams will compete against other teams from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the end of April. If the team representing Poland and the Baltic countries successfully copes with the task, it will face the global final online in mid-May.

"I highly appreciate the qualifications of students in the field of financial analytics, which we saw in the reports prepared by the teams and in the presentations of these reports. Competition participants showed that they are already prepared to work in the analytical departments of financial institutions, not only in Poland. The strength of this project is its global nature – nearly 1,000 universities are taking part in this year's edition of the CFA Institute Research Challenge", explains Krzysztof Jajuga, President of CFA Society Poland.

"Participation in the CFA Institute Research Challenge project is a valuable experience for us. Congratulations to all the teams that decided to join this initiative. We watched with great interest as young people argued their valuations of our company, defended their theses and answered jurors' questions", said Karolina Rzońca-Bajorek, Vice President of the Management Board, CFO of Asseco Poland. "We conduct transparent communication with the market based on dialogue. Therefore, the team presentations gave us a new perspective on our activities and were important feedback that we intend to use to communicate with respective audiences".

CFA Society Poland would like to thank all professionals who agreed to share their knowledge and experience with students taking their first steps in the field of financial analysis. Furthermore, thanks are due to all mentors, graders, university tutors and jurors for their support in the professional development of future analysts.

"Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego once again takes part in the CFA Society Poland initiative as a Partner. Strengthening relations with the student community is one of our priorities in building the BGK brand as an employer. Cooperation with CFA Society Poland allows us to reach young people involved in their professional development and broaden their competencies. Therefore, it was with great pleasure that I participated in the competition's final and watched the students' presentations. I believe that the participants' presented level of skills and knowledge was very balanced", summarizes Agnieszka Wysocka, Director of the Accounting Department at BGK and a juror in this year's edition in Poland and Baltic countries.

The local edition would not take place without the involvement of our partners – the consulting company Deloitte, the Warsaw Stock Exchange, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, and Dorsum.

"We are incredibly proud that once again, as Deloitte, we had the pleasure to be the Strategic Partner of the CFA Institute Research Challenge. Participation in the competition gives a unique opportunity to learn about work in investment consulting and company valuation methods. Thanks to the acquisition of practical knowledge, it will be easier for participants to check the newly acquired skills in practice, taking up work, among others, in financial consulting. Many of our top talents in the organization are winners and graduates of previous editions of the competition. Therefore, we are delighted to support the further development of the CFA Research Challenge program", sums up Tomasz Ochrymowicz, CFA, Partner in the Financial Advisory Department, Deloitte.

Thank you, and we keep our fingers crossed for the winners at the next stage of the competition!

About the local final of the CFA Institute Research Challenge
The local final of the CFA Institute Research Challenge, for which 5 teams qualified. was held on March 1, 2022, in the online formula.

Competition winners

1st place:
The team representing Kozminski University
Faculty Advisor: Marek Panfil, PhD
Industry Mentor: Piotr Adamczyk, CFA

Winning team members:
Maksymilian Bąkowski, Andrew Rufus, Anna Kobiela, Bartłomiej Wójcik, Szymon Markiewicz

2nd place
The team representing Kozminski University
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Franjo Mlinaric
Industry Mentor: Milena Olszewska-Miszuris, CFA, ACCA, FSA Credential-Holder

2nd team members:
Leonardo Bocci, Marek Szalai, Alan Schulz, Siddharth Jain, Shakhnoza Khomidova

3rd place
The team representing SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Faculty Advisor: Tomasz Dziawgo
Industry Mentor: Maciej Niemierka

3rd place team members:
Iman Najafi, Daniel Antonik, Candy Barai, Chandan Khadka

4th place
The team representing ISM University of Management and Economics
Faculty Advisor: Dmitrij Katkov, PhD, CFA
Industry Mentor: Maciej Bałabanow, CFA

4th place team members:
Kasparas Karalius, Lukas Girdvainis, Robertas Pangonis, Nikita Lužkov, Tomas Paulius

5th place
The team representing Poznan University of Economics and Business
Faculty Advisor: Richard Van Horne, PhD, CFA
Mentor: Przemysław Grobelny, PhD, CFA

5th place team members:
Zakarias Larsson, Quynh Anh Van, Saad Hanif, Juan Antionio Mesa Barrera

Official website: www.researchchallenge.pl

Strategic Partner: Deloitte
Partners: Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, Dorsum, Giełda Papierów Wartościowych
Subject Company: Asseco Poland