It's been another banner year for the University of Oregon Investment Group (UOIG). All three of its student-managed portfolios outperformed their benchmarks, and this summer will see many of the group's members at jobs and internships on Wall Street, in San Francisco and London, England, and beyond.
At the UOIG annual meeting this May, fund managers reported the year's results to an audience of current members, alumni, and supporters. Raw returns for the Tall Firs portfolio stood at 25.71 percent for the year while those for the Svigals portfolio were 25.9 percent. The DADCO portfolio—part of a multiuniversity competition sponsored by D. A. Davidson & Company—saw an impressive 37.5 percent increase, once again putting the UO group well ahead of its rivals. (Look for final results in early September.)
It's results like these—along with the confidence that comes from managing live money—that help make UOIG members" resumes stand out in a highly competitive field.
“UOIG was the main talking point in all of my interviews, whether they were informational or formal," said Mike Saeks "14, who starts in the valuation group at Houlihan Lokey in San Francisco this summer. “The experience—and then providing a sample of the work I had done for the investment group—was what sealed the deal on getting the offer."
The group's incoming president Josh Mazzarella '15 agrees.
“Working with UOIG really gives you confidence and experience in yourself, and it also shows potential employers that you have experience, you have that confidence, and you have that ability to perform under pressure," he said.
A student in the Lundquist College Honors Program, Mazzarella will spend the summer interning in the deal origination team at The Riverside Company, a private equity firm.
Working the long hours that it takes to succeed in the group means that members forge strong bonds.
“Beyond just professionally, these are the people I see myself remaining friends with well after college. They're the ones I can see myself going into business with down the road," said Saeks.
The group recruits just twice a year, but Mazzarella encourages interested students to get in touch at any time.
“If you're a current student, reach out to us. We have an application process early in fall term, but if you're really interested in joining, just come into the suite and talk to us. We really like to meet new people," he said.