JMSB competes in the inaugural National Mining Competition
Left to right: Mark Haber, Stephanie Iannantuono, Dennis Kalayciouglu, Khatera Hashuri and Thomas Horvath
Khatera Hashuri, Stephanie Iannantuono and Dennis Kalayciouglu represented the Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business (JMSB) in the first-ever National Mining Competition, hosted by the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan, from November 2 to 5.
Participation in the competition proved to be a tremendously rewarding experience for the team from JMSB. The first day of the competition saw the distribution of the case, as well as an explanation of the event’s unique format.
The competition included two “challenges” in addition to the usual presentation of recommendations. The first challenge consisted of teams speed dating the judges, all of whom worked in various sectors within the mining industry, including human resources, operations, engineering, and public relations. Teams had five minutes with each judge, during which they could ask questions that would help them gather as much information as possible to help them resolve the case.
The second challenge, revealed on the second day of the competition, involved the simulation of a crisis in the mining industry. Teams were given 40 minutes to prepare a two-minute “damage control” press conference, which was recorded and graded. The JMSB team executed the task remarkably well.
On the third day of the competition, the team had the opportunity to present their recommendations to the judges. The presentation totalled 20 minutes in length but included only six minutes (three at the beginning, three at the end) of “protected time” during which judges were not permitted to ask questions. The judges were visibly impressed by the JMSB team’s knowledge and the thoughtfulness of their recommendations.
Despite a very strong performance, the team narrowly missed advancement to the final round. They finished second in their division and fourth overall.
The John Molson Competition Committee (JMCC) thanks Lead Coach, Thomas Horvath for his helping the team prepare for this newfound competition. JMCC also thanks Stephen Hui and Adam Forlini for sharing their valuable insight into the mining industry with the team.
The Committee also thanks Mark Haber, head coach and advisor to the Competition Program, for his unending dedication to the program and for his support of this team.
Special thanks to sponsors Pfizer, Power Corporation of Canada, National Bank and Rio Tinto for their contributions to the competition program.