Portuguese team wins MBA Case Competition
John Molson School of Business students started the year ready to get down to, well, business.
Kicking off the winter term, the 30th edition of Concordia's John Molson MBA International Case Competition (MBAICC) was held January 3 to 8 at Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.
This year, EGP – University of Porto Business School, from Portugal, took home to Portugal the Concordia Cup, complete with a cheque for $10,000. Queen’s University from Kingston, Ontario, placed second, while the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany, captured third.
The four-member team from the JMSB made it to the semifinals, finishing among the top nine teams of 36 competing. The team remains proud of its performance, taking the intense contest as a true test of their abilities.
“It was fantastic. It’s such an emotional roller coaster. It really got the adrenalin going, and I learned a lot,” said Aaron Linden, second-year MBA student and member of the JMSB’s team.
The competition usually provides some unusual twist or challenge with a live case, and this year was no exception. In the past, students have been asked to develop hypothetical solutions for corporations within a pressure-packed three-hour period. On January 6, it was a branch of the federal government asking for answers.
Representatives from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada asked students to address Canada’s interest in establishing more bilateral trade agreements to facilitate an expansion of business abroad and become more competitive in global trade.
“It was definitely challenging,” said Micheal Gerstel, second-year MBA student and member of the JMSB’s team. “I think we did a good job in realizing that Canada, as a small player vis-à-vis other countries and their trading prowess, has to be very strategic in aligning its core competencies up with the particular needs of other countries.”
For organizers, the anniversary event – which welcomed roughly 250 participants – went off without a hitch. The smooth operation allowed organizers to raise thousands of dollars for charity.
By placing tables in a few strategic places and soliciting donations, organizers raised $8,400 for the Lights for Life charity, a non-profit organization that provides durable, rechargeable LED lighting to some of the world’s poorest children with no access to electricity.
A notable development: long-time JMSB professor Pierre Brunet formally announced his retirement from competition organizing. Brunet has been involved with the MBAICC nearly every year since its inception in 1981, serving as chair and an active board member.
“This was not unexpected, as he had mentioned it several times over the past several years. I was not surprised, but very disappointed,” says Alan Hochstein, JMSB Associate Dean and Director MBA Program. “He was always a positive element within the competition. He was well-known and well-liked.”
Related Links:
• John Molson School of Business MBA International Case Competition
• John Molson School of Business
• Business competition celebrates three decades – Now, December 7, 2010
• Lights for Life