From Chattanooga to Amman: UTC Student’s PwC Middle East Internship Reveals Deal-Making Side of Finance

A rising senior majoring in Finance: Investments with a minor in Innovations in Honors at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga spent the summer as a Deals Intern with PwC Middle East’s Corporate Finance team, where she contributed to live advisory projects and discovered a passion for mergers and acquisitions.

The Internship Experience

Bana Sulieman, a Jordanian student, was based in the Amman office but worked closely with colleagues in Riyadh and Dubai. Her day-to-day tasks included researching companies and industries, analyzing financial statements and annual reports, and examining financial performance across Middle Eastern markets. She also used Excel extensively for analysis, including trading comps—a method of valuing a business by comparing it to similar publicly traded companies.

A significant part of her role involved translating that analytical work into slide decks and materials that could be clearly communicated to clients. “You can do all the research and have all the numbers, but you also need to know how to present that information and explain what it means to a client,” she noted. Sulieman said she was proud to contribute to live advisory work and see how her analysis could influence real companies.

The environment was fast-paced, with non-negotiable deadlines. She also took summer classes concurrently, making her more intentional about managing her time and priorities.

A New Perspective on Corporate Finance

Before the internship, Sulieman associated corporate finance primarily with Financial Planning and Analysis, budgeting, and internal financial planning. She did not initially realize how closely certain areas of corporate finance within an advisory practice resemble investment banking. Working on the Corporate Finance team showed her firsthand how mergers and acquisitions advisory involves valuation, financial analysis, projections, and transactions.

She discovered that M&A work is not purely analytical. “You can have all the right numbers, but you still need to understand the people involved, communicate your findings clearly, and understand what the client is trying to achieve,” Sulieman said. She noted that every transaction has a different story behind it, which makes the work interesting. The combination of analytical rigor and interpersonal skills led her to realize that M&A is an area of finance she genuinely wants to pursue.

Skills and Support

Sulieman’s prior experience with the UTC Student Managed Investment Learning Experience (SMILE) Fund, including service as Vice President of Risk Management, helped her become more comfortable presenting and expressing her perspective. She had also been exposed to finance through conferences and site visits in New York City, Chicago, and Nashville.

She credited several UTC professors for their support, including Dr. Hunter Holzhauer, who consistently encouraged her to pursue new opportunities; Dr. Bento Lobo and Dr. Nilesh Sah, who pushed her to put herself out there; and Ray Ryan, who provided advice and feedback throughout her development. She also expressed gratitude to her parents for encouraging her to push herself and keep growing.

Looking Ahead

Sulieman entered the internship wanting to explore which area of finance to ultimately pursue, with interests in international business, financial analysis, and working with people. The PwC Middle East experience confirmed that appetite. “In M&A, you are not just asking, ‘Is this a good company?’ You are asking, ‘Does this acquisition make sense? Why does it make sense? What would make it worth doing?’” she explained. “You must understand the company, industry, market, financials, valuation, and what the buyer is ultimately trying to accomplish—then bring all of that together.”