If your goal is to work in investment management, there鈥檚 no substitute for using real money to take financial positions based on a well-thought-out growth strategy.
Thanks to the efforts of Leeds students and staff, and the support of donors, the University of Colorado Boulder is offering undergraduates听real asset management experience.听
The Leeds Investment and Trading Group, or LIT Group, is a club open to the entire university. In its weekly meetings, students can ask听questions about finance, investing and business trends; explain investment concepts; or learn from guest speakers.
Now, for truly dedicated students, there is LIT Group鈥檚 Investment Team, which since January has overseen a portfolio of more than听$300,000.听
鈥淭he opportunity to manage real money has everyone more excited鈥攅specially our business community and alumni, who are eager to mentor students and share their expertise,鈥� said Matt Fleming, program director at the Burridge Center for Finance听at Leeds.听
Prospective members must first complete the LITG Analyst Program鈥攁 nine-week course created and facilitated by team president Matt Kreimer (Bus鈥�22), that primes them for the challenges they鈥檒l face in working with part of the university鈥檚 endowment.听
Last academic year, about 50 students interviewed for positions with the Investment Team, with 12 selected听for the first Analyst Program class. Those dozen students are now听working within the team to pitch听potential investments.
LIT Group鈥檚 legacy training program lacked real-world application and 鈥渨asn鈥檛 robust enough to properly train our analysts to manage money,鈥� said Kreimer, who completed his third internship this summer and will graduate in the spring. Now, students complete weekly assignments in line with their Investment Team responsibilities, and 鈥渢he course culminates in applying what they鈥檝e learned in a final stock pitch presented to the team.鈥�
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Matt Kreimer, president of LIT Group鈥檚 Investment Team, checks a chart during a club presentation. Kreimer also created the nine-week program that prospective analysts must complete to join the Investment Team.
鈥淭he opportunity to manage real money has everyone more excited鈥攅specially our business community and alumni, who are eager to mentor students and share their expertise.鈥�
- Matt Fleming | Program Director | Burridge Center for Finance
Viraj Suri (Bus鈥�21), the immediate past president of LIT Group, said his leadership experience in the club鈥攊ncluding making the case for funding鈥攑repared him to make a strong impression as an investment analyst with Denver-based Aether Investment Partners.听
鈥淭he leadership qualities I built鈥攂eing organized, properly delegating tasks, supporting other members of the executive team鈥攚ere integral to my personal and professional development,鈥� Suri said.
The focus now, Kreimer said, is using the Analyst Program to build a strong pipeline, so the group can generate market-beating returns and provide a听community for students to learn and grow together.
鈥淭he idea is, you take this course in either your first or second year, and by the time you are a junior or senior, you are able to mentor the next group of members,鈥� he said.
The Analyst Program is demanding鈥攏ine weeks of lessons, with homework and research work, that emphasize both technical and durable skills鈥攁nd members do not receive formal course credit. There鈥檚 no shortage of听benefits, though.
鈥淎 club like LIT Group makes our conversations with recruiters much easier,鈥� Fleming said. 鈥淲e can identify听students who are involved to further demonstrate the value they can bring to an organization.鈥� 听
Suri, meanwhile, said the club is an incredible opportunity for underclassmen to get a head start on complex topics in finance听and accounting.听
鈥淚f you want to understand what people are talking about, you need to learn the jargon,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you go into your classes, or are interviewing for an internship or job, you鈥檙e able to talk to a financial concept more thoroughly than the person next to you. It gives you a really big advantage.鈥�
Erik U. Roll茅 says his family鈥檚 support is about challenging students to apply what they鈥檝e learned in investing.
Giving students a听long-term perspective
As a student, Erik U. Roll茅 (Bus鈥�02) had a wealth of experiential learning opportunities with actual businesses鈥攂ut none in finance. So he and his family helped launch the Leeds鈥� investing seminar course, as well as what would become LIT Group鈥檚 Investment Team.
鈥淢y investment approach is about the long term,鈥� said Roll茅, principal and portfolio manager at Granite Investment Partners LLC.
This experience makes analysts more accountable听and responsible over a four-year trajectory of a stock, as opposed to a听single semester.鈥漈hat experience is key when Roll茅 interviews candidates.
鈥淭he first thing I want to understand is, does this candidate have a genuine interest in investing, and have they done it?鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing able to have that conversation as a recent graduate really separates you from the pack, and this program gives you听that differentiation.鈥�
