Blog post
JMSB MBA ICC – An Ultimate out-of-class Experience
The John Molson MBA International Case Competition (MBA ICC) is a unique, high-caliber competition with significant global reach, which pushes you to the limit to bring out your best and fosters teamwork in a high-pressure environment. Organizing this mega-event is an excellent opportunity to tremendously grow your professional and personal skills as well as your personality. Even though organizing an event of such scale is a challenging and tough task but beyond that it is about being part of a family – a family of smart, hard-working, striving, inspirational and enthusiastic people from all over the world.
As of today, organizing the 38th edition of the MBA ICC has been one of the best and most cherished experiences of the MBA program. On top of gaining a great network, this position has given me the opportunity to work on my presentation and leadership skills while being surrounded by a terrific mentor and a dedicated board of directors. I got to see how high-ranking executives on our board of directors think and work together and guide us in on the right path of excellence. As difficult and taxing it is to handle all the marketing materials for an event of this magnitude, at the end of the day it is all worth it. The friends you make, the people you meet, the networks you build, that’s for life. It’s something I will never forget.
Last year, I was a lead volunteer at the MBA ICC and I must say, it was a surreal experience to witness such a fun and exciting competition. Organizing hundreds of students across dozens of rooms, attending the networking sessions that allowed us to make new friendships and learn from each other, bringing in the new year in the coldest part of the planet, witnessing an Ice Hockey Game for the first time, savoring delicious food at the Hotel Bonaventure in Montreal, dancing the night away at the theme party – there are many reasons to become a part of this world class event. In particular, I really loved how everyone meets up at the hospitality suite in the evenings building up the special John Molson MBA experience of being one enthusiastic and passionate community from all over the world.
No matter what your role is – competitor, judge, organizer, volunteer – the MBA ICC is an invigorating week of global networking and an opportunity to flex your mental muscles. It is a great way to work on your professional communication skills, which is transferrable to any position you might take on in the future. Collaborating with the other members of the ICC team, you acquire exceptional skills in teamwork and communication. Needless to say, the learning curve is steep.
The countless opportunities to make friends with the brightest minds from around the world and to grow personally as well as professionally makes the MBA ICC an unparalleled event year after year. It is an amicable journey filled with excitement, stress and learning which provides a fast-track to greater business acumen.
Ankit Kumar
Organizer – Marketing
John Molson MBA ICC