Guest Lecture on Corporate Finance with CFO Yandex Autonomous Vehicles
On March 23, a guest lecture on "Practical Aspects of Capital Cost Estimation. M&A Valuation" was held as part of the 'Corporate Finance' course. The speaker was Alexander Shvarev, CFO of Yandex Autonomous Vehicles, PhD in Economics and MBA, Member of the Academic Council of the Finance Master's Degree programme.
Alexander Shvarev shared his practical experience in assessing the cost of capital of companies and analysing business in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions. Special attention was paid to real-world cases, financial modeling tools, and the specifics of negotiations between business buyers and sellers. The speaker discussed in detail how expectations for synergy are formed, why the benefits of transactions are often overestimated, and how to correctly apply various valuation approaches, from DCF to market multipliers.
The students had a unique opportunity to learn how the theoretical concepts of corporate finance are implemented in practice in large companies. The lecture provided a deeper understanding of how investment decisions are made, how the cost of capital is calculated taking into account country and industry risks, and why it is critically important not only to master the techniques, but also to be able to conduct a dialogue with businesses, take into account the strategic goals and interests of the parties.
Separately, the speaker stressed that success in corporate finance is impossible without close cooperation with business units. Only by understanding the real needs of the company can we offer effective financial solutions and correctly assess the potential of transactions. Such meetings with business representatives are a valuable opportunity for students to ask questions, gain insights and broaden their professional horizons.
The lecture became an important event for the development of students' professional competencies and also strengthened the link between the academic environment and real business. Events of this format allow future financiers not only to deepen their knowledge, but also to prepare for the challenges of the modern corporate environment.
