The Van Berkom Investment Management Program (VBIMP) will provide a small group of select JMSB undergraduate and graduate students with an experience that will open the door to a career in the global capital markets. Each year, six to ten students will be admitted in order to actively manage a portfolio of small capitalization stocks with aim to achieve returns that exceed a small-cap North-American benchmark.
New program recruits will complete the first-year in the VBIMP as research associates (RAs).
Upon entering their second year in the program, research associates will assume the responsibility of managing the fund and earn the title of fund managers (FMs).
Duties and Responsibilities of Research Associates (RAs)
Primary role of incoming research associates (RAs) is to support the fund managers (FMs) who will be managing the VBIMP portfolio. As delegated by the FMs, RAs will assist by performing research and writing stock reports. RAs also have the opportunity to work on their own stock pitches, which are presented to the investment committee. In order to better assume these responsibilities, RAs will enroll and successfully complete an applied investment course, participate in a financial modelling “boot camp”, receive training from library staff on research, receive training from JMSB’s Career Management Services about obtaining internships and full-time employment in capital markets and complete an internship.
Applied Investments Course
Upon acceptance, VBIMP research associates will be enrolled into FINA 409 “Applied Investment Analysis,” a course which will focus on evaluating stocks using modern methods on valuation, writing stock reports as well as pitching stocks. It will consist of lectures, discussions of books, presentations by industry experts, and use of the investment lab (Formula Growth room). The main topics include: a) understanding the different investment styles b) reading accounting statements from an investor’s point of view c) industry analysis d) stock analysis. The course will be held during the winter term each year, and will count for 3 credits.
This course is a specialized course designed for the students enrolled in the Van Berkom Investment Management Program. Therefore, departmental consent is required prior to registration in this course.
Contact:
Amr Addas, Director of VBIMP
amr.addas@concordia.ca
About Amr Addas
Duties and Responsibilities of Fund Managers (FMs)
Reporting to the Investment Committee and overseen by the program director, FMs are second-year VBIMP students having completed/maintained the following as RAs:
- FINA 409 Applied Investments
- A GPA exceeding 3.5
- An internship with positive performance evaluations
They will assume the management of the portfolio on January 1 and be responsible for its performance until December 31, of that same year. They must add value to the fund as per the requirements established in the fund’s investment policy statement.