Division
Investment Banking
The Investment Banking division takes you from knowing nothing to holding your own in an interview. This year is about depth: defining every concept from the ground up so nobody feels locked out.
THIS YEAR AT A GLANCE
IB Accelerator Series Terms 1-2
Industry Spotlight Series 2-3x per term
M&A Case Competition Term 2
Restructuring Competition Term 2
Series - Terms 1 and 2
IB Accelerator Series
Our flagship technical programme and the backbone of our division. We build from the three financial statements through DCF, comps and precedent transactions, then into LBOS, merger models and IPOs. Every session combines interactive modelling with a closing quiz, and consistent attendance earns a WFS IB certificate.
KEY FACTS
Format
Workshops with live modelling and a quiz
When
Terms 1 and 2
Who
All years, no experience needed
You earn
WFS IB certification
Series - 2-3x per term
KEY FACTS
Format
One Sector per session, M&A through that lens
When
2-3 sessions per term
Who
Open to all members
Industry Spotlight Series
Each Industry Spotlight takes one sector and breaks down how M&A works within it: what drives deals, how companies in the sector are valued, and the transactions that have shaped it. The series builds the sector-level commercial awareness that interviewers look for and that technical preparation alone does not cover.
COMPETITION - Term 2 · Final in London
M&A Case Competition
The M&A Case Competition is a buy-side competition hosted by Warwick Finance Societies in collaboration with leading finance societies from universities across the UK. Participants take on the role of advisors to a large-cap acquirer, and their task is to identify a strategic acquisition target and build a full acquisition proposal around it. Strong submissions combine a clear investment thesis with rigorous financial analysis: the strategic rationale, a valuation of the target, deal structure and financing, synergies, the impact on the acquirer's earnings, and the key risks. The top teams are invited to a live final in London, where they pitch their recommendation to a panel of judges from leading investment banks and investment firms, defend it under questioning just as they would in front of a client, and compete for a share of a cash prize pool. Open to students across the UK, the competition is one of the most direct ways to get hands-on experience of how M&A deals are built and to put your work in front of industry professionals.
COMPETITION - Term 2 · Final in London
Restructuring Competition
The UK & Europe Restructuring Competition is hosted by Warwick Finance Societies in collaboration with leading finance societies from universities across the UK. Teams are given a set of companies in financial distress, along with their financials, and are tasked with pitching a restructuring solution that makes the business sustainable again, both operationally and financially. Strong submissions identify the underlying causes of the distress, analyse cash flow, liquidity and debt sustainability, and set out a practical strategy that addresses the company's operational and capital structure problems, while weighing the key risks and the competing interests of creditors, shareholders and other stakeholders. Teams submit a pitch deck supported by a full financial model, and the top teams are invited to a live final in London, where they present their solution to a panel of restructuring and credit professionals and defend it under questioning, competing for a share of a cash prize pool. Open to students across the UK and Europe, the competition offers rare hands-on exposure to one of the most technical areas of finance.
IB Fresher Representative Recruitment
The IB division hires two Fresher Representatives each year to work alongside the senior exec in running our sessions, competitions and content. No prior experience needed, just genuine interest in investment banking and the initiative to follow through on your own ideas.
01
02
03
CV and written answer screening
15-minute interview
Presentation
04
Offers for the role