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.

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To celebrate the career of retiring Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan President and CEO Jim Leech, his friends and colleagues have made donations toward a scholarship for MBA students at Queen’s School of Business. With an anonymous donor agreeing to match all donations up to $1 million, the Jim Leech MBA Scholarship currently stands at $1.75 million. That makes it the largest Queen’s MBA scholarship.

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan President and CEO Jim Leech, his friends and colleagues have instituted The Jim Leech Scholarship for MBA students at Queen’s School of Business. The Scholarship currently stands at $1.75 million which includes an additional donation that has been made anonymously.

Commenting on the “Queen’s School of Business is honoured to be the recipient of this generous gift in Jim’s name,” said David Saunders, Dean, Queen’s School of Business. “It’s a fitting tribute given Jim’s service to Queen’s, as the current Chair of the School of Business Advisory Board and incoming Queen’s University Chancellor. The Jim Leech scholarship will help us attract the most promising global leaders to our MBA program.”

Jim Leech, retiring CEO, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and his wife Deborah Barrett, look on as CEO-elect Ron Mock and David Saunders, Dean, Queen’s School of Business, announce the establishment of the $1.75 million Jim Leech MBA Scholarship

Mr. Leech is the second CEO in Teacher’s history as an independent organization, having assumed that position in 2007. Before becoming CEO, Mr. Leech was head of Teachers’ Private Capital. Under his leadership, the organization became one of the world’s leading private equity investors, increasing its assets to roughly $130 billion. For the past two years, Teachers’ has ranked number one in the world for pension fund investment returns and for the quality of member service. Mr. Leech has also made a substantial contribution to the ongoing debate about the Canadian pension system, having this year co-authored a book on pension reform called The Third Rail: Confronting Our Pension Failures.

“We’re honouring Jim because of the excellence he brought to Teachers’,” said Ron Mock, Teachers’ CEO-elect. “We’re doing it in a way that is near to his heart – through a gift that will benefit his alma mater and more importantly, the young people who choose to study there. Jim has never lost sight of the need to give back to the community. The Queen’s MBA scholarship ensures that Jim’s legacy of leadership and community spirit will live on.”

“This is an overwhelming and humbling honour,” said Mr. Leech of the establishment of the scholarship fund in his name. “I have been involved with higher education, and with Queen’s in particular, for 40 years. I am thrilled to know that Queen’s students will benefit from the wonderful generosity of my friends and colleagues.”

Mr. Leech received the gift at a gala retirement dinner last night in Toronto. The $1.75-million endowment will help students achieve their dreams of earning a Queen’s MBA. Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic excellence to students entering the One year full-time MBA program beginning January 2015. Mr. Leech earned his MBA at Queen’s in 1973.

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