Lincoln International Business School is celebrating student success after scooping two awards at the prestigious PQ Awards ceremony.

The annual PQ Awards are organised by renown accountancy trade journal, PQ Magazine, with Editor Graham Hambly hosting the online ceremony on the 29th April.

The Lincoln Student Managed Investment Fund (LSMIF) were delighted to accept the Student Body of the Year award with President James Stenson accepting the accolade on behalf of the members, while Emma Mellor, an Accountancy and Finance alumna, was named Graduate of the Year in recognition of her outstanding academic ability and extra-curricular achievements.

With just five student managed investment funds existing within the UK, the Lincoln Fund was established at the University of Lincoln by staff and students six years ago. It is designed and operated just like any investment management company with a trading account and investment of shares in companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Dr Hao Quach
Dr Hao Quach

Associate Professor, Hao Quach, oversees the LSMIF and commented: “The interest in the fund has grown quickly, recruiting over 100 student members this academic year alone, all holding different roles from analyst to CEO. 

“It is an honour to learn from members that the LSMIF has been an important factor in choosing to study at Lincoln as it offers a valuable extra-curricular learning experience with members accruing skills that make them highly employable graduates. 

“In addition, the LSMIF has been pioneering international collaborations including a student conference with peers in Vietnam and a fundraising campaign to assist victims of floods abroad.

“My thanks go to LIBS staff for their never-ending support, James Stenson for being such a talented CEO, as well as donors and advisors of the Fund, Brewin Dolphin and MBS.”

Third year BSc (Hons) Banking and Finance student and LSMIF President James Stenson, welcomed the award and thanked members for their hard work and dedication, particularly over the last challenging year: “As President I would like to thank all our Analysts, Senior Analysts, Management and Board of Advisors who donate their free time to make this fund the absolute best student fund it can be. 

“We look forward to the future and have great plans, hopes and expectations for the Lincoln Student Managed Investment Fund for 2022 and beyond. Thank you to Graham Hambly and the whole PQ Magazine team for a wonderful evening.”

LSMIF students
LSMIF (taken 2019)

The Graduate of the Year award went to Emma Mellor who achieved a first-class BA (Hons) Accountancy and Finance degree in 2020 and whose educational journey saw various extra-curricular accolades.

James Wright, Senior Lecturer in Accountancy and Finance, nominated Emma for her award describing her as “… a highly driven, committed, and hard-working individual who, no matter the situation, gives her all. 

“Whilst studying and graduating from the University of Lincoln with a first class degree in 2020, Emma balanced her family, children, commuting and working commitments around her studies which I commend her for.”  

Emma Mellor
Emma Mellor

Emma added: “I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had been nominated and shortlisted but I honestly couldn’t quite believe I had won. I had a really good team of people around me throughout the degree and I couldn’t have completed half of the stuff I did without that solid support network.”

Head of Accountancy, Finance and Economics Department, Siobhan Goggin, said of the awards: “Acknowledging and celebrating student success is important and my thanks go to the team for submitting four nominations, all of which were shortlisted, with two winning awards.  

“The LSMIF is a student body of which we are very proud and as it continues to thrive is deservedly garnering national and international acclaim for its achievements.  

“Our Graduate of the Year, Emma, demonstrated a commendable commitment to her studies as well as being an active member of our student community with notable achievements throughout her programme.”