June 18, 2003

Ernst & Young Supports Private Equity Center's Programs

A recently finalized fund agreement with Ernst &Young, an international professional services firm, provides five years of support to the College of Business for a recurring conference on private equity and entrepreneurial finance. Income from the company's five-year pledge of $100,000 supports the conference, organized and coordinated by the Office for the Study of Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Finance. Ernst & Young was the corporate sponsor for the first private equity conference, held in April in Chicago.

Ernst & Young is a global company that provides clients with solutions based on financial, transactional, and risk-management knowledge in the core services of audit, tax, and corporate finance. The company has more than 106,000 staff in 140 countries.

In addition to the annual conference, the Office for the Study of Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Finance provides education and training of students for careers in the proivate equity industry and sponsors research and education to enhance knowledge of the evolution and growth of the industry and its impact on global capital markets, entrepreneurship, and economic development. Michael Weisbach, who holds the Stanley C. and Joan J. Golder Distinguished Endowed Chair in Corporate Finance, heads the Office.