NatWest have provided a fascinating active learning brief on complex restructuring for students studying 'Issues in Financial Reporting', a module led by Dr Elaine Conway which helps students analyse the performance of an organisation.
NatWest created a case study of a fictional organisation to test students’ skills and capabilities. The team have then supported the module through a series of guest lectures and live Q&A with students. Students were then formally assessed on this work as part of their degree, with the top performers invited to join the Restructuring team at NatWest for a week-long internship to gain valuable insights for their future careers. Feedback from the current cohort has been very positive and students have found it an interesting aspect of banking that they hadn't previously considered.
This project is the brainchild of Emily Makinson, Loughborough Business School alumni and Head of Complex and International Restructuring at NatWest. The partnership has been delivered by a team led by Amar Gill, Senior Director, Restructuring, and kindly supported by Martin Vesey, David McCall, Lee Simpson, Alan Smith, (esteemed Loughborough alumni) Grace Duffey and Kiefer Heatherington.
Active learning briefs like this provide so much value to students, enabling them to understand real world business problems, while considering the broader industry and societal context. We are proud of our many industry partnerships at Loughborough Business School, although the time and effort the NatWest team have spent in designing this case study is rare and incredibly special, giving students a glimpse into all areas of the business to apply their learning. We hope this is the beginning of a special partnership going forward.