"My name is Lia O' Brien and my team Michael Dore, Oisín Mac Sweeney, Eoghan O’Sullivan, and Barry McCarthy and I recently competed in the 2025 National Investment Banking Competition (NIBC) with the support of CUBS. The competition involved two rounds, spread over three months. We worked on corporate finance scenarios where we developed and presented strategic solutions to a panel of industry professionals.
Competing universities included the London School of Economics, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, Princeton University, Bocconi University and the National University of Singapore.
In November 2024, the first-round case was released, we were tasked with acting as advisors to Bumble Inc. as they evaluated potential strategic changes. Our team conducted extensive research into Bumble Inc. and its operating market, developed a comprehensive valuation model, and formulated strategic corporate finance recommendations. For the first round, we submitted a comprehensive pitch deck, a detailed financial model, and delivered a presentation outlining our findings and proposed solutions. Our submissions from the first round qualified us for the global final of NIBC, held in Vancouver, Canada.
During the final round, we acted as sell-side M&A advisers in a time-pressured case competition. Our team developed a comprehensive pitch deck outlining our strategic recommendations and presentedto investment bankers from the Bank of Montreal. The presentations took place in the iconic HSBC Building, located in the heart of Vancouver’s financial district.
The programme for the final round included networking sessions and speaker events where we connected with students from leading universities worldwide. We also had the opportunity to visit the University of British Columbia where we watched the qualifying round for the Sauder international case competition.
Participating in both rounds of NIBC were highly rewarding experiences. The skills we developed and the connections we made will be invaluable for our future careers in finance."