The Lundquist College of Business's investment group pays dividends for two students, who will join Goldman Sachs upon graduation in June 2018.
Since 1998, the University of Oregon Investment Group at the Lundquist College of Business has been one of the most successful student-run investment groups in the United States, with many UOIG alumni transitioning to successful careers on Wall Street and with prestigious investment banks. The group manages more than $1 million in real dollars across three portfolios, with its Tall Firs Portfolio outperforming its benchmark and achieving a 232% return since inception.
With outstanding returns and real-world experience, UOIG has helped make the college a destination of choice for recruiters from the investment field. And that trend continues with the two current UOIG students who will be joining Goldman Sachs.
Jelena Hoffart, president of UOIG, is pursuing a double major in economics and political science, and she is also a student in University of Oregon's Robert D. Clark Honors College. Postgraduation, Hoffart will work at Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst. She has been part of UOIG since 2015 and in summer 2017 was an investment banking summer analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets" headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.
“UOIG gave me the tools and mentorship to learn and practice financial statement analysis, equity valuation, and equity research skills that were directly applicable to a career in finance. Preparing stock valuation reports and the knowledge I accumulated through creating them helped me stand out in interviews with prospective employers and during internships. UOIG provided me with the platform to land my dream job at Goldman Sachs, and I am incredibly thankful for the program," said Hoffart.
Jordan Shimabuku, manager of UOIG's Tall Firs Portfolio, will also be joining Goldman in their Global Investment Research division. Shimabuku came to Oregon after finishing high school in Egypt. He is double-majoring in economics and business administration with a concentration in finance. He has interned with Martin Capital Partners and Pacific Crest Securities. Shimabuku was also named UOIG's analyst of the year in 2017 for going above and beyond with his research and detailed reports.
“The investment group has taught me not just technical skills, but professional development skills as well. One of the greatest resources the group offers is the other members. I am constantly being pushed to think deeper and to do more. I owe my career success to the members that mentored me, and hope I can pay-it-forward through continuing the success of the group," said Shimabuku.
UOIG consistently produces a positive career alpha for students because of its hands-on, innovative structure. UOIG is structured like a buy-side firm and students function as sector leaders, company analysts, and lead portfolio managers. Students also receive guidance from the college's finance faculty and Cameron Center for Finance and Securities Analysis, which helps them apply current best practices from industry to their investment process. Students also benefit from the suite of portfolio management tools available through the Cameron Center, helping to produce a streamlined beginning-to-end investment process featuring all of the essential security analysis, portfolio construction, risk decomposition, style analysis, and performance attribution tools needed for professional-caliber money management.
“There is something special about UOIG. The students are highly motivated and impressive. They use modern valuation methods to identify investment opportunities, write in-depth reports, and ask each other penetrating questions about the analysis. They are developing the real-world skills they need to be successful in the financial industry while still in school. It's really a terrific model," said associate professor of finance Brandon Julio, who is a UOIG faculty advisor and holds a PhD in finance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was previously on faculty at the London Business School.