The ACG Cup, hosted by ACG Western Michigan, is an intercollegiate case competition that brings together top undergraduate and graduate business students from colleges and universities across the country. The mission is simple but powerful: give students a challenging, real-world case that allows them to showcase their valuation, M&A, and critical thinking skills in front of local employers, while helping retain and attract talent to West Michigan.
Ahead of the competition, Mercantile hosted the Career Conversations event that gave students the chance to connect directly with employers, ask questions about career paths, and learn what working in West Michigan’s finance and banking community really looks like. Representatives from several local organizations participated, and yes, our mascot Earnie even made a special appearance!
We were thrilled to sponsor both events and participate throughout the weekend. Members of our team engaged with students to talk about career paths in credit, banking, and finance, while others served as judges during the ACG Cup competition, evaluating presentations alongside leaders from across the region.
Doug Holtrop, ACG Western Michigan Board President, and Senior Commercial Banking Officer at Mercantile opened both events and spoke to the importance of investing time and energy into students who are exploring careers in finance.
Supporting the next generation of finance professionals means more than showing up, it’s creating real opportunities for connection, conversation, and learning.