There has been rapid change in Corporate Real Estate (CRE) management as firms seek to lighten the real estate impact on their balance sheets. More tasks are being outsourced to service providers and leasing is common for generic warehouse and office space. The CRE team asked Nicholas students to analyze and present an overview of emerging best practices of CRE Portfolio Management. Students were asked to identify critical process steps, data analysis tools, decision making criteria, optimal organizational structure, desirable employee skills, and performance evaluation techniques.
The Nicholas team began by analyzing academic journals, real estate trade journals and consulting reports. We met with several real estate and facilities service providers, including executives with Jones Lange LaSalle and Equis. We surveyed real estate management at blue-chip firms, including Procter & Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, Rockwell Automation, PepsiCo, Kraft, and GE. The surveys helped us understand trends in corporate real estate portfolio management and identify best practices. They also provided a unique opportunity to share our ideas and receive feedback from these experts. Thank you to the board members and alumni who helped to connect us with the real estate specialists at your firms.
Robert W. Baird asked Nicholas students to assess current trends in corporate takeover defense and to document their findings in a pitch book. The pitch book will be distributed to current clients.
Nicholas students performed a thorough review of existing academic and theoretical research on takeover defense. They also accessed investment banking industry research and benchmarking data to synthesize key techniques. They then assessed the fit of various techniques by industry characteristics and situation.
The project gave students an opportunity to become familiar with a new database called "Shark Repellent" to identify empirical evidence in support of their recommendations.
Renovar develops and commercializes urine-based in vitro diagnostic assays to predict kidney disease. The company's non-invasive technology is based on the identification of key bio-markers found in urine that will enable physicians to predict ensuing kidney disease far in advance of existing diagnostics, and with greater sensitivity and specificity. Renovar's new technology eliminates painful biopsies. The Madison-based company was founded in 2000 by a UW-Madison Medical School professor.
Nicholas students were asked to value the business as both a stand-alone company and as a strategic partner. The valuation work required informed forecasts for revenue growth, which embeds pricing assumptions and market research. They researched the industry and competitive landscape to identify firms that may fit as joint-venture partners or strategic alliances. We also performed analysis of the complicated process of obtaining a CP code, which allows the procedure cost to be covered by Medicare. Renovar's new technology could reduce the need for costly biopsies and some organ transplants.
Quintessence Bioscience
Quintessence Biosciences is an early stage biopharmaceutical company based in Madison. The company was funded in 2003 to reengineer mammalian proteins to be cytotoxic to cancer cells. The company was founded by two UW-Madison scientists and holds five patents. The business has been approached by a large, publicly traded pharmaceutical company regarding a possible sale. The board of directors asked Nicholas to provide an unbiased estimate of the potential market value of business.
Nicholas students began by developing a pitch book to present the company's appeal as an acquisition candidate. We submitted a separate valuation report and model for Quintessence management and board to value the business as both a stand-alone company and as an acquisition target. We also provided qualitative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of acquisition by a strategic buyer, and appropriate sale price, and advice on how to handle any sale negotiation and preparation.
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Previous Nicholas Projects |
Spring '06 Projects |
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4th Round Projects |
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