Queen’s University and SMU Win 1st Prize at RSM STAR Case Competition

Teams from Queen’s University, Canada and Singapore Management University took first place in the RSM STAR Case Competition 2017, at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM).

The competition from April 2-9 saw the participation of a record number of 12 business school teams from eight countries.

The teams of bachelor students competed to solve two real-world case challenges for multinational sports company Nike Europe and Dutch restaurant chain Brownies&downieS.

Over the course of the week, the teams participated in two case challenges: a 10-hour case challenge for Brownies&downieS, a training centre for people with intellectual disabilities and a vessel to create change and acceptance, and a 24-hour case challenge for Nike Europe.

The winning teams of both cases were announced at an award ceremony on April 7. Queen’s University took the first place in the Brownies&downieS case challenge, with Haskayne Business School and Corvinus Business School in second and third place. The winning team received the Brownies&downieS pie book.

The winner of the Nike Europe case challenge was Singapore Management University (SMU), followed by Ivey Business School and Haskayne Business School in second and third place. The winning team received an edition of Shoe Dog, a book by Nike’s founder Phil Knight.

Each case included confidential information on a problem that needed to be solved or an opportunity the company wanted to explore. Students also took part in workshops, presentations by company reps, excursions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and networking and social events.

“The quality standard of the presentations, as well as the content generated in just 24 hours, was amazing. The motivation, focus and determination of the teams were very inspiring especially considering the limited exposure of the teams to the business world.”

“I have developed professional capabilities that will last a lifetime,” says Johnnie Allan, a student from Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary.

“I learned how to speed research a subject you know nothing about and still present like an expert. I learned how to take advantage of adrenaline and function on little sleep. I learned how to communicate under pressure and work as a team. Yet the socialising with students from across the globe was the highlight,” he adds.

RSM’s reputation for sustainability appealed to Jazelle Tan, a student at Singapore Management University. “I’m an active participant in the international case competition circuit and the RSM STAR Case Competition was a natural next-step given that the business problems are known for their sustainability slant,” she says.

The most important takeaway for her was realising that sustainability efforts can have an impact and be cost-efficient. “Through the Nike case, we were able to apply these topics that have been widely discussed in the business world,” she adds.

Students had 10 hours to prepare their solution to the case for Brownies&downieS, before making their presentations at RSM on April 4. The four finalists were Queen’s, Haskayne, Corvinus and HEC Montréal.

Preparation for the 24-hour case for Nike included a day spent in-house at Nike Europe, where students took part in a company tour, presentations and a dinner with company reps.

Students then worked for 24 hours together in their hotel rooms to break the case. At the 12-hour mark, they had the opportunity to garner information from Nike representatives with a 15-minute Question & Answer session. The four finalists of the case were: Ivey, SMU, RSM and Haskayne.

“This event is a great opportunity to get advice from recognised universities and exposure to a pool of highly talented students,” says Hanjo Riemersma, director supply chain strategy at Nike.

“The quality standard of the presentations, as well as the content generated in just 24 hours, was amazing. The motivation, focus and determination of the teams were very inspiring especially considering the limited exposure of the teams to the business world.”

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Aislin Roth, a student from team Queen’s University in Canada, says, “I loved visiting Nike’s European HQ. We had no idea who the sponsor of the 24-hour case was going to be and I’ll never forget arriving on the bus, seeing the coffee shop with the slogan “Just Brew It”, and only then realising we were going to be presenting our ideas to one of the world’s most iconic brands.”

Jazelle Tan, a student from Singapore Management University, says, “One of the things I learned is that teamwork is key to success. Not only did our team’s camaraderie contribute to our win, but RSM organising committee’s team spirit was one of the biggest factors for the smooth execution of the week-long event. The Netherlands has taught us to work hard, and play even harder!”

The RSM STAR Case Competition is a unique opportunity for teams from top business schools worldwide to compete against each other to solve to real-life business cases.

“In addition to being an event focused on learning and case solving, the RSM STAR Case Competition also brings people together from all over the world to connect and get to know each other,” says Céline Ariëns, chairman of the case competition.

Cases are developed by participating companies together with the Case Development Centre. Along with developing problem-solving, time management, teamwork and presentation skills, students get to know like-minded, ambitious students from all over the world.

Each university is represented by a team of four undergraduate students accompanied by a faculty advisor from their university.

The teams that participated in this year’s competition were Corvinus Business School from Budapest, Hungary; The Chinese University of Hong Kong from Hong Kong, China; HEC Montréal from Montréal, Canada; Hong Kong Polytechnic University from Hong Kong, China; Ivey Business School, Western University, London, Canada; Queen’s University from Kingston, Canada; Singapore Management University from Singapore; Haskayne Business School from Calgary, Canada; Universitas Gadjah Mada from Yogyakarta, Indonesia; University of St. Gallen from St. Gallen, Switzerland; University of Technology from Sydney, Australia; and Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University from the Netherlands.