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 Student name: Todd Nelson
Programme title: Full-time MBA
Universities attended: Wartburg College
Degree obtained: Bachelor of Arts, accounting
Contry of origin: United States
Age: 30
Career History
Prior to pursuing the MBA, Todd Nelson worked for Deloitte & Touche and Ernst and Young in accounting/finance positions of increasing responsibility. Todd's interest in the MBA was sparked while working in a position at E&Y where he had the opportunity to help clients structure tax-efficient acquisitions, mergers, and divestitures, and perform tax due diligence. It was during this time that he found a passion for mergers and acquisitions. He quickly realized that it would be necessary for him to obtain his MBA to broaden his financial knowledge and add more value to the deals from a capital structuring and financial due diligence perspective.
Program Benefits
As I considered which school to attend, I found myself drawn to The University of Iowa. The program has an outstanding finance curriculum and faculty. This was proven when the finance program was ranked seventh in the world by Financial Times of London a few years ago. But it's not just the ranking that makes this program special; the faculty care about you as a person and student and treat you as a colleague. A great example of this is a weekly golf pairing I play in with finance faculty members. Now that's what I call networking!
In addition, it was important for me to attend an MBA program where experiential learning is integrated into the curriculum. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the Henry Fund, an investment management portfolio. It doesn't get any more hands-on than actively managing a $500K equity portfolio. The team has been quite successful as proven by our recent first-place finish in the graduate category in a national competition for large-cap equity blend portfolios, held in conjunction with the Redefining Investment Strategy Education (RISE) Forum.
Some of my other interests include international business and entrepreneurship. As a way to satisfy my international business interest, I was looking for a chance to study abroad. An opportunity presented itself through the Tippie 'Experience China' program where 16 other MBA students and I traveled to Hong Kong and China for 14 days during winter break. During the trip we completed an international finance class delivered in conjunction with the Hong Kong Tippie Executive Program, participated in company visits, and, believe it or not, still had time for some sight-seeing. Tippie is also well known for its entrepreneurship program, which I plan to explore in my second year of the program.
This past year I was also elected as the MBAA (The MBA Association) class president. Through this position I serve as the liaison between the student body and the School of Management. I am also a member of several other student organizations that fall under the MBAA umbrella. These organizations bring in prominent corporate speakers, participate in networking events in major U.S. cities, hold workshops that are relevant to the respective organizations, and spearhead philanthropic ventures, among other activities. This year the Tippie Leadership Association sponsored a trip to visit with Mr. Warren Buffett, the second-wealthiest person in the world next to his good friend Bill Gates. It doesn't get any better than this!
To summarize, I wanted to attend an affordable program that was highly acclaimed within the finance arena, offered international travel and study abroad opportunities, provided student organization leadership opportunities, and was a place I could call home. I found it all at the University of Iowa!
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