BATON ROUGE – Varadero Capital LP, an alternative asset manager investing in specialized credit, announced the first class of its new summer internship program with LSU. The three chosen students, two sophomores and a junior, will spend eight weeks at the company’s headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, learning and applying investment principles and preparing for full-time roles in the financial sector.

The group’s junior, Mason Tucker, a native of Youngsville, La., is a finance major, the acting director of finance for LSU’s Student Government, and a current intern at the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation. Finn Bicknell, a native of Mandeville, La., is a double-major in mathematics and finance, conducts research for the school’s finance department, and has already passed his first actuarial exam. An honor roll student, Nicole Decker, a native of Coral Springs, Fla., is also a varsity volleyball player with a near-perfect GPA.

LSU and Varadero are a natural fit to help students make the leap from Baton Rouge to Wall Street. Two members of the firm’s leadership team each hold two degrees from the university: Fernando Guerrero, the managing partner and chief investment officer, completed both his undergraduate and graduate work at LSU, and, Michael Linn, the chief operating officer, completed his graduate work at LSU as well.

“LSU altered my trajectory by providing a strong academic foundation and access to exceptional regional financial institutions as I entered the job market,” said Guerrero, who has worked in structured credit markets for more than 30 years. “As a student, it’s difficult to know how the material you’re studying will transfer to securing a job, so getting hands-on experience is important. I’m also deeply grateful to the LSU faculty that helped me land my first job, and I am pleased to help other students.”

Richard D. White Jr., dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business, was equally as excited about the partnership.

“We’re thrilled with the success of our graduates and their willingness to help cultivate the next class of finance professionals,” he said. “With increased collaboration between the LSU alumni network and the university, our students will have more opportunities to work in major money centers like Wall Street.”

“Dean White, Dr. Rajesh Narayanan and Dr. Kurtay Ogunc have proven to be exceptional partners in the creation of the Varadero Internship Program and instrumental in efficiently providing access to LSU’s talented pool of students,” said Guerrero. “We look forward to helping LSU students find meaningful employment with high-caliber companies in the New York area.”

To show its commitment to these three exemplary students, Varadero has agreed to pay for their travel to and from New York, assist with their accommodations, and provide them with a stipend.

“While the students are working with us,” said Guerrero, “we want them to focus on getting as much as possible from the experience.”

About Varadero Capital

Varadero Capital LP is a value-driven alternative investment manager. They make investments across specialized credit markets with a focus on achieving capital preservation and delivering uncorrelated, risk-adjusted returns. Varadero’s competitive advantages include our ability to source transactions, to conduct intensive fundamental and quantitative credit analysis, as well as to creatively structure and execute investments. They seek to prudently manage risk by rigorously evaluating downside scenarios and implementing hedges to reduce our investors’ exposure to broader market volatility. The firm was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in New York City.

About the E. J. Ourso College of Business

Since its establishment in 1928, the E. J. Ourso College of Business has continuously improved and expanded its offerings for students and alumni. Additionally, the college has made it a priority to provide its faculty with the resources it needs to further research in every aspect of the business world and to produce industry leaders for a global work environment. For more news and information about the E. J. Ourso College, visit https://www.lsu.edu/business/index.php.