A four-member team of students from EFOS – Vili Bolkovac, David Jakišić, Manuel Mršić, and Maria Runje – achieved outstanding success by taking third place at the prestigious and highly demanding CFA Research Challenge competition in Zagreb. This is an international competition that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in financial analysis, corporate valuation, and presentation skills before renowned industry experts, and it is recognized for its intense competitiveness and the high standard it sets for all participants.
Vili Bolkovac, David Jakišić, and Manuel Mršić are third-year students in the University's undergraduate program in Economics and Business Economics, while Maria Runje is a first-year student in the graduate program in Financial Management. Under the mentorship of Assistant Matija Kuzmić and Điva Pulitika as an industry collaborator, after three months of work, this team demonstrated an exceptional level of motivation and dedication. Their project included a detailed investment analysis of the Croatian company AD Plastik, one of the leading regional manufacturers of plastic components for the automotive industry. As part of their research, the students studied the structure of the automotive industry at both local and global levels, analyzed the company's business model, and identified the key factors influencing AD Plastik's growth and profitability. A particularly important part of the work was creating a cash flow projection for the next five years, for which students used a range of financial and statistical tools to achieve the most accurate projection possible. Based on these results, they formulated and justified their own position on the intrinsic value of AD Plastik.
The final presentation, which included the defense of their theses and conclusions, was delivered in English before a professional jury composed of Kruno Abramovič, Tomislav Bajic, CFA, and Damir Čukman, CFA. In a field of seven teams, their third-place finish demonstrates not only their high level of knowledge and skills but also their ability to successfully apply theoretical concepts to real market conditions. Furthermore, the fact that the competition in this contest is exceptionally strong further underscores the value of their achievement. By successfully completing this phase of the competition, the team has demonstrated that academic knowledge, when complemented by the right amount of effort, creativity, and perseverance, can result in outstanding achievements. Their example can serve as an inspiration to all students and future participants in similar competitions, demonstrating the power of teamwork and the importance of continuous professional development.
