Guildhall students present at State Street Bank

Second year Banking and Finance students present a SWOT analysis of State Street Bank

Date: 28/01/2015

After weeks of preparation as part of the Employer Led Problem Based Learning project, on Tuesday 20 January 2015 second year BSc Banking and Finance  students took to the stage in front of a panel of judges to deliver a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats) and a strategic solution to a business problem, followed by question and answer sessions at State Street Bank's own auditorium in Canary Wharf. 

The students participated in weeks of challenging tasks which included completing assignments, following a tight brief as well as presenting in front of a tough panel which they were also assessed on. The judging panel included six individuals including: Professor David Nevill, assistant vice president and Mr Todd Fournier, skills trainer, both at State Street Bank Global Services; Mr Dermot O'Brien, CEO of the Adab Trust, Ms Tanzeem Ahmed, partnerships and performance manager, Poplar HARCA; And, two of our very own lecturers Ron Cambridge, senior lecturer and course leader, and Chris Sale, principle lecturer, Collaborative Links & Enterprise.

As part of the Employer Led Problem Based Learning project, the students were also trained by the university’s own Ms Carmel Carroll, academic liaison librarian, and Ms Tahera Huda of the Placement & Employability Unit (PEU), as well as, Miss Nanya Oboite and Mr James Lunn from the Financial Times, who helped in training the students to use the valuable rich data available on ft.com. Students used their training in researching information about State Street Bank and the industry in which the bank operates, in order to produce professional business reports, and in preparation for their final presentations.

This was a great opportunity for the students to gain practical presentation skills within a professional established banking corporation. We caught up with one of the candidates before she was about to perform her presentation. She gave us an insight into how she prepared for this challenge and into how she was feeling. She said “It was a tough experience knowing that my grades depended on our group work, report and most of all, our presentation, however it was a great opportunity to get a feel of how a real presentation in front of professional bodies would be. It was great preparation for when we are graduates. I really enjoyed this experience and the opportunity to present at State Street, and receive help from the Financial Times is a once in a lifetime chance. The nerves are kicking in now but hopefully our hard work as a group will be shown through our presentation.”

The event was opened by a speech by Mr Andy Muncer, head of Global Marketing & Communications, EMEA at State Street Bank, and the presentation were also watched by other guests from State Street Bank, the University and from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Professor Stephen Perkins also attended the presentations and awarded the winning team. He said: “This was a great opportunity for our Guildhall students and I am very proud of each of them for the way they conducted themselves in such a professional manner. They sounded - and looked - like credible business people, at home in this excellent business setting. Each group produced informative and insightful presentation which impressed the panel immensely.”

Guildhall would like to congratulate all students who took part in the State Street Bank Competition.  

 

State Street Bank Presentation