ACG Atlanta is pleased to host the ACG Cup competition, enabling our organization to forge closer relationships with the leading business schools in our region, and introducing the next generation of business leaders to the premier M&A, corporate growth and corporate development community, the Association for Corporate Growth.

The Atlanta ACG Cup Executive Committee is led by Ezra Field (Roark) and Paul Kleinkauf (DataSite) as Co-Chairs. The Executive Committee members include Ira Moreland (ICV Capital), Tom Purcelli (Houlihan Lokey), Mike Bloom (Mazzone & Associates), and Stuart Johnson (Barnes & Thornburg LLP).  The Committee has scheduled the following schools to participate in the ACG Cup Program:

The ACG Cup Value Proposition
The ACG Cup is a case study competition designed to give students from leading MBA programs across the country real world experience and invaluable insights into mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity.  Each case study provides students with a unique opportunity to present valuation, capital markets and M&A strategic advice to a panel of seasoned M&A professionals from within the ACG community.  The competition is carried out through a series of intra-school and regional competitions, with regional winners awarded the prestigious ACG Cup title and cash awards.

To Participant:  Participating in the ACG Cup provides students with the unparalleled opportunity to:

• Interact and network with leading finance professionals and organizations
• Gain insight into the inner workings of corporate finance through a variety of transaction perspectives
• Meet and develop relationships with potential employers, team members and mentors
• Experience the opportunity to apply critical academic skills to a highly realistic M&A case study
• Enhance and polish presentation, team-building and networking capabilities

To ACG Atlanta:  It is intended that participating in the ACG Cup Competition provides ACG Atlanta with the following benefits and that the success of participation in this pilot program will be evaluated based on the strategic initiatives of the Chapter:

• Community Service Initiative

• Give back to the community by supporting area business schools
• Support area business school efforts’ to instruct students in the M&A/private equity/investment banking fields
• Acknowledge Emory’s Private Equity & Hedge Fund Center’s commitment to an intellectual center focused on areas in alignment with ACG Atlanta’s purpose

• Branding Initiative

• Heighten awareness of ACG Atlanta within area business schools
• Achieve positive media attention by participation in the program
• Provide an opportunity to receive positive media attention by using Capstone’s to honor winners

• Membership Initiative

• Heighten awareness of ACG Atlanta to potential future ACG Atlanta members
• Engage ACG Atlanta members who are not typically active in the organization
• Expose potential Corporate members to ACG Atlanta

• Quality Content

• Potentially provide an intellectual connection to provide future speakers and hot topics

• Support ACG Global Initiatives

• Participate in ACG Cup, one of the key initiatives of ACG Global and to fulfill the criteria for award consideration by ACG Global
• Send CityWide winners to compete in Inaugural National ACG Cup Competition when scheduled in upcoming years