Thirty-six second year students recently traveled to the United Kingdom for the Global Topics Course on Global Capital Markets led by finance professor Yiorgos Allayannis. The course, held 26-30 March, was the second that professor Allayannis has led in London with the support of Darden’s Center for Global Initiatives. “London is one of the leading financial centers in the world,” said professor Allayannis. “The Global Capital Markets course is offered in London to capture expertise on markets that are prominent in London, such as European, Emerging, and Frontier markets, Art and Gold markets, Shipping markets, etc. By listening to experts discussing these markets and by delving into case studies that are linked to these global markets, there are synergies that develop and the picture emerges more clearly regarding risks and returns.”
Darden hosted a reception for the Darden Worldwide Course students and alumni that featured a panel discussion on “Understanding Brexit: One Year Later”. On the panel were alums Kim Morrish (MBA ’93), owner and director of Ground Control Ltd., Louis Elson (MBA ’90), cofounder and managing partner of Palaman Capital Partners, and professor Yiorgos Allayannis. “Being in London,” shared Allayannis, “one cannot avoid hearing about the potential implications of Brexit on the capital markets and the UK as a whole. Teaching a case on Brexit and moderating an alumni panel on the topic brought to bear some of the nuances and the uncertainties that still exist regarding the future relationship of the UK with the EU and what that means for business as well as for people.”
In addition to classes led by professor Allayannis held at the London School of Economics, the week included several visits to financial institutions facilitated by UVA and/or Darden alumni from those companies, including the Bank of England (David Beers, UVA ’75), Goldman Sachs (Uday Maholtra, MBA ’00), and fintech company Ebury (Duarte Monteiro MBA ’10). Other Darden alums presented to the group on emerging markets corporate credit (Rodney Thomas, Apollo, MBA ’99), real estate markets (Kari Pitkin, Bank of America, MBA ’97), and shipping derivatives trading (Jeffrey Yao, Profision Shipping Capital Management, MBA ’01) during the week. The group also visited Christie’s Prints and Multiples Collection and enjoyed dining at York & Albany, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant.
