Strategy and Transactions according to our trainees and analysts
Our trainees and analysts give you an overview on what our various different teams do within Strategy and Transactions!
Henrietta Anttonen
Analyst
Transaction Services
In the Transaction Diligence team, we work with buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence projects. Usually my day comprised of various data crunching tasks where I looked at earnings quality or the financial position of a target firm. During the projects I was also actively in contact with the seller’s side as we ask for materials and explanations for accounting practices and numbers. My days also include drafting these reports after receiving enough insights to the questions derived from the data crunching phase. I found it very interesting to learn about various businesses, products and strategies that most often explain the development in the financials.
After having worked 6 months in this team I have found it useful to have basic skills in handling larger data sets in excel. Basic knowledge of functions and commands in excel come in very handy when doing analysis and saves time in case you are on a busy schedule. Furthermore, an understanding of financial statements is good in order to be able to orientate between balance sheets and Profits and Losses (income statement) as well as recognizing the impact of one-line items on one another. Finally, I think that curiosity will carry far in this team as all of the transactions have different purchase price mechanism and you will learn more by daring to ask questions and wanting to understand why we are focusing on certain items more than others.
Sina Andersson
Analyst Trainee
Corporate Finance
As an intern in the corporate finance team I participated in several on-going projects for clients who are for example selling a part of their company, buying another company, or looking to do an Initial Public Offering (IPO). I had the possibility to both work on pitches for possible future clients, as well as worked on projects for clients who were already in the process of buying or selling. Some highlights of my internship were when I had the chance to participate in a client meeting, as well as the fact that the internship truly was international, as I collaborated with EY M&A teams from other countries during some of the projects I worked on.
To get the most out of the internship in the corporate finance team, I would say that great skills in English is a prerequisite and a basic understanding of mergers and acquisitions as well as finance will make the internship more rewarding for you.
Antti Sinkkonen
Senior Analyst
EY-Parthenon
I have worked in EY-Parthenon team since September 2018 and ever since my first week at EY-Parthenon I have had a chance to participate in numerous interesting projects and proposal processes. During my internship I was treated as a full team member and given considerable responsibility over client deliverables and other project work which has resulted in steep learning curve as you might assume. Typically, my work week consisted of material preparations, analyzing client material and data and attending client meetings – however every week and workday is different, which is something I personally prefer. In addition, we collaborate a lot with other EY teams both domestically and internationally to find the best people and solutions for our clients.
To succeed one should have excellent interpersonal skills, master or at least have previous experience in using Excel and PowerPoint as well as be able to independently analyze data and draw conclusions from it. Understanding causal connections and being able to think strategically while paying attention to details is something that will take you far in this business!
Auli Nikkilä
Analyst Trainee
Restructuring
As an Analyst Trainee in the Restructuring and Turnarounds team you get to work with companies in difficult and complex situations. Our team helps companies transform and reshape their business for sustainable growth. Our services include but are not limited to distressed corporate advisory, working capital advisory and formal insolvency. I had the chance to work on restructuring projects and one project from a different sub-service line. Each project was different, truly interesting and taught me a lot each step of the way. In the restructuring team you get to work on real-life business cases to save and help companies in distress.
Work assignments and the amount of work varies depending on the current project situation. When staffed on a project I worked together with the project team to help deliver the project to the customer. I got to participate in client meetings, analyze financial data, conduct research on the client’s industry and business operations and prepare deliverables i.e. the report. Usually all work is conducted in teams, but the majority of working hours consists of independent work mostly using Excel and PowerPoint. When not staffed on a project, I worked with administrative tasks and various sales support tasks e.g. prepare a proposal.
I would say that a basic understanding of a company’s business operations and profitability will help you make the most of your trainee period. In addition, flexibility, good social skills and the ability to endure timely pressure will help you to handle dynamic and complex project situations. But most importantly, you need an eagerness for continuous learning and a passion for transaction advisory.
Artturi Juva
Manager
Valuation, Modeling & Economics
As a trainee in Valuation, Modelling and Economics team (VME) you will get to be part of large variety of diverse engagements for clients ranging from SMEs to listed companies. Like the name of our team suggests, our engagements can be divided into three different categories: valuations, business modelling and economics related engagements.
Valuation engagements are typically prepared for either decision-making, tax or accounting purposes and can - in addition to traditional business valuations – also include valuations of individual intangible or tangible assets such as brands, technology, customer relationships or inventory.
Business modelling engagements on the other hand include developing an Excel-based model based on our clients’ wishes. The developed model typically works as a tool for forecasting cash flow, profit/loss statement and balance sheet but models can also be developed for other purposes such as inventory planning.
In Economics related engagements the goal of our work is typically to examine a wider economic impact of e.g. larger infrastructure projects or other public investments.
An ideal candidate for the VME-team is an analytical team player, who is also capable of working independently. Overall, our work revolves a lot around Microsoft Excel and thus, it is especially important that you are familiar with the tool and the most commonly used formulas such as INDEX-MATCH and SUMIF. It is also beneficial if you have experience with VBA, but it is not a requirement.
