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Lazaridis School of Business and Economics students have the opportunity to unleash their competitive edge by participating in a number of case competitions throughout their time at Laurier.
Through these competitions, we bring our students together and challenge them to develop innovative solutions for real-world business problems, honing their critical thinking, teamwork and presentation skills.
See how our Lazaridis School students have the opportunity to represent us globally in external competitions, and how they can hone their academic skills through internal competitions.
The Lazaridis School is proud to support and recognize the efforts of many of our students at external case competitions around the globe. The continued success of Lazaridis School students at these competitions is a testament to our students' ongoing commitment to building on the skills they learn in the classroom.
Students work together with professors and alumni who provide endless hours of guidance and support to help make the Lazaridis School a global competitor.
Are you representing the Lazaridis School at an external case competition? Let us know by completing this Qualtrics Survey.
2023: Top 10
The Accuracy Business Cup is a three-phase competition, hosted by financial services company, Accuracy, giving students the opportunity to work on an international financial and strategic business case. With preliminary rounds organized by local Accuracy offices, winners from the national phase move onto the international competition at Accuracy’s global headquarters in Paris, France.
Team members: Grace Bilodeau, Sean Cornelius, and Karen Zhuang (McGill University)
Highlights: In 2023, there were 1,230 candidates forming 410 teams from nine participating countries (Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Morocco, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom).
Two students from the Lazaridis School were part of the Canadian finalist team at the 2023 Accuracy Business Cup in Paris, France. Congratulations to the team for ranking as one of the top teams, surpassing over 400 teams internationally to take a spot in the finals.
2024: Finalists
2022: Second place (short case); third place (long case)
2019: First place overall
The BBICC is a global undergraduate business case competition held in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. As one of the top global business case competitions, BBICC is a unique opportunity for international business schools to take part in challenging case competition and experience Serbia and its culture.
Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Tailai Wang, Elizabeth Robbins, and Rachel Clark
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos, Kathryn Porretta, and Daniel Roytman
Highlights: In 2024, the BBICC goal was to maintain the crossroad of diverse cultures, create a good learning environment, and provide all the participants with valuable knowledge. Twenty universities from around the world were invited to solve three real business problems with innovative ideas to ensure participants received relevant knowledge for their professional future.
In May 2022 the Belgrade Business International Case Competition moved to an online format, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.
In the Long Case category, the National University of Singapore claimed first place, followed by the University of Belgrade in second place, and the Wilfrid Laurier University secured a third-place finish. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology won first place in the Short Case Category, with Wilfrid Laurier University securing second place and the University of Belgrade sin third place.
Read more about the competition on the BBICC website.
Team members: Melissa Donato, Matthew Donovan, Stephen Kingston, and Kathryn Porretta
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos and Srin Sridharan (BBA ’14)
Highlights: The Belgrade International Case Competition, took place from April 7-13, 2019, at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Each year, 20 top business schools from around the world are invited to participate.
The competition was comprised of three challenging cases. The case questions asked students to provide expansion strategies for new products and identify industry verticals in which to deploy technology tools.
Students had to provide rigorous proof of feasibility and a comprehensive strategy. Judges were industry professionals, mostly senior leaders, who demanded defensible answers to tough questions that would be asked in any boardroom. Our students rose to the challenge and brought home the first-place finish, adding to the international reputation of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.
2024: Finalists
2023: Second Place (Division B 24-hour Case); Fourth Place (Division B 5-hour Case)
2021: Second Place (8-hour Case); Second Place (24-hour Case)
CaseIT is the world’s premier international undergraduate Management Information Systems (MIS) case competition. Business students from across the globe converge in Vancouver, BC, to put their skills to the test in this week-long event with opportunities to network, explore, and learn.
Team members: Perry Au, Aryanna D'Addio, Katelyn Scime, and Tiwalade Olobayo
Coach: Josephine McMurray
Highlights: At CaseIT in 2024, Lazaridis BTM students analyzed a case involving Pacific Coastal Airline from British Columbia and its functional interoperability — essentially, how various computer systems work together and communicate.
In most cases, CaseIT is one of the stand-out memories of Lazaridis BTM students, and it continues to pay dividends long into the future. Past competitors have earned consulting jobs at Konrad and Deloitte or worked as analysts at private equity firms. One graduated team member recently advanced to a vice-president role at Goldman Sachs.
Team members: Ben Lalonde, Maureen Mao, Jacob Parkhill, and Christopher Rodgers
bJosephine McMurray and Matthew Raines
Highlights: Students from the (BTM) program represented the Lazaridis School at the 2023 Competition. 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the competition, hosted at the Beedie School of Management at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver, BC.
The Lazaridis School team brought home fourth place in the division B five-hour case and second place in the division B 24-hour case.
Team members: Kaitlyn Hall, Logan Naudi, Romane Ng, and Cassandra Pike
Coach: Josephine McMurray
Highlights: The team went up against 64 other competitors on 16 teams from universities around the world to earn second place in the eight-hour case deliberation held on Feb. 15, 2021. The team also won second place in the 24-hour event, earning them a ‘wild card’ spot in the five-minute pitch round competing against the University of Calgary and Laurier’s perennial case competition rival, the National University of Singapore.
The team did not advance to the finals, but came in first in the introductory video contest in which team members highlighted interesting facts about their respective hometowns.
2023: Finalists
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Students are tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. They gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst.
Team members: Dipal Doshi, Natalia Rusu, and Violeta Shabatura
Coaches: Bruce Everitt and Sean Patterson
Highlights: Congratulations to three Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) double degree students from the Lazaridis School earned a finalist spot in the 2023 Local CFA Institute Research Challenge Finals.
Supported by faculty advisor, Bruce Everitt, and industry mentor Sean Patterson, the team had been preparing their recommendation since November.
2023: National champions
2022: Top five
2021: Finalists
2020: National champions
Enactus Canada competitions inspire excellence amongst postsecondary students across the country. At regional and national events, students demonstrate how their community empowerment projects and business ventures are shaping the economic, social and environmental landscape of Canada in two types of competitions: impact challenges and the Student Entrepreneur National Competition.
At the Enactus Canada National Exposition, all student teams across Canada compete in the Enactus National Competition. The successful team advancing through opening, semi-final and final rounds of competition is named Enactus National Champion and advances to represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup.
Coach: Laura Allan
Highlights: Laurier’s Enactus team claimed the national title at the Enactus National Exposition. A total of 44 teams competed from across Canada at the event held May 1 to 3, 2023 in Montreal.
The Laurier team, which presented two student-led enterprises, defeated competitors from Saint Mary’s University, Okanagan College and the University of Ottawa in the final round of competition. Enactus Laurier represented Canada at the Enactus World Cup in Utrecht, Netherlands in October 2023.
In addition to winning the national title, Enactus Laurier received the 2023 Hazelview Sustainable Cities Project Accelerator Best Project prize for the work of Kuponya Innovations, which has created a sustainable, climate-resilient housing solution for Indigenous communities in Canada’s North. Enactus Laurier’s President Zander Smith also received the Enactus Student Leader of the Year award.
Coach: Laura Allan
Highlights: Led by undergraduate students dedicated to creating social change through innovation and entrepreneurship, the team earned a top-five finish at the Enactus National Competition held earlier this fall in Toronto. Enactus is a global network that uses entrepreneurship as a catalyst for positive social and environmental impact.
Enactus Laurier, represented by student-run enterprises The RJ Project and Kuponya Innovations, was one of 25 teams from Canadian postsecondary institutions to compete in the national competition, which began virtually in May. Enactus Laurier advanced to the final round to compete against teams from Okanogan College, the University of Ottawa, Saint Mary’s University and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Coach: Laura Allan
Coach: Laura Allan
Highlights: Laurier’s team was named champion among 58 teams across Canada, 20 national semi-finalists and five finalist teams, including Lambton College (former national champions and World Cup winners), the University of Ottawa and St. Mary’s University (last year's national runner-up).
At the national competition, Laurier’s Waterloo Enactus team presented two of their ventures, EarthSuds and Last20, in the Scotiabank Climate Change Challenge and was named the national champion. EarthSuds was also named the national champion in the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge. One of the team’s newest ventures, Smile Tabs, was awarded the 3M Canada Best Project Accelerator Award. The venture, which produces single-use toothpaste capsules, was created after its student founders won Laurier’s first-year BDO New Venture competition.
This represents the first time in 15 years that Laurier’s team has won the national title and the second year in a row that the team has advanced to the overall national final round.
2024: First place
2023: First place
The Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition is the first global case competition to focus on family businesses, creating unique challenges for students to solve. Participants applying the knowledge and expertise developed in the classroom to understand and solve critical issues unique to family enterprises.
Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Sia Bhaskar, Harleen Grewal, and Arnav Hiremath.
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Sia Bhaskar, Harleen Grewal, and Arnav Hiremath
Coaches: Sean Cameron, Matthew Donovan, Rona He, Mackenzie Oldfield, Grant Meaney, Daniel Roytman, and Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: This year marked the 10th annual competition at UVM and brought together 19 teams – 10 undergraduate and nine graduate, from 12 countries around the world. Ninety-six competitors and coaches, and more than 50 judges came together from Jan. 11 to 14 for an exciting schedule including a pre-arrival case, with time to prepare before the competition, and two four-hour cases, before the division finalists competed for the title. There were also numerous social opportunities to meet and network with teams from other institutions including a welcome reception, dinner with karaoke, and museum exhibits.
In addition to taking the first-place win, two of the Lazaridis School students were recognized with “Best Undergraduate Presenter” awards, which acknowledge depth of analysis, conviction, and grace when presenting. Harleen Grewal received the award in the divisional competition, and Sia Bhaskar in the final presentation.
2022: Third place
2020: First place
The FEP School of Economics within the University of Porto hosts an International Business Case Competition where international teams boost their intrepid problem-solving spirit to solve a real live business challenge. The 48 students from 12 global universities are put to the test in a competition that requires them to use their talents to the full. It’s an excellent opportunity to make new friends and to advance further in case-solving skills.
Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Isabella Brodeur, Kyle Chang, and Imaad Mian
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: Representing the Lazaridis School, the team participated virtually and earned third place.
Running over the span of four days, competitors solved a real-life business problem in this extensive case study. Galp Energia challenged students to develop a 10-year strategic plan for their commercial business unit to adapt its fuel stations network according to changing environmental and consumer trends. Teams were asked to identify how trends such as the shift towards electric vehicles and increased needs of consumer flexibility, would impact their business model.
Team members: Katherine Gotovsky, Ryan Kofsky, Adam Figura, and Ruby Tang
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos and Srin Sridharan
Highlights: This victory was particularly satisfying for the team who prevailed against some very tough competition, including the University of New South Wales and the University of Belgrade whose teams came in second and third, respectively, as well as perennial challenger the National University of Singapore - whom Laurier beat in the first round of Division A.
2023: Second place
2021: Second place
Hosted annually, this two-day virtual competition engages the best and brightest HR students and challenges them to tackle real-life business and HR situations.
Participating students are presented with an HR business case and have a few hours to read and analyze the case, develop a response strategy, and produce a 15-minute presentation with their team’s recommendations.
Team members: Micayah Coutinho, Suhavi Garg, and Victoria Talvitie
Coaches: Steve Risavy.
Highlights: This year marks the fourth-annual event which hosted 18 teams from educational institutions across Ontario. Hosted virtually, the two-day competition engages HR students and challenges them with real-life business and HR situations.
Team members: Kanika Dave, Maneesha Suresh, Ellen LaFroy, Cassidy Janet Porco, and Sayivaruni Visagan
Coaches: Steve Risavy
Highlights: A team of fourth-year business students studying in the Human Resource Management concentration placed second at the third HRPA’s Annual Student Case Competition, held virtually on March 20, after finding an inventive solution to a business problem.
The team from the Lazaridis School competed against more than 40 students representing eight universities and colleges across Ontario. They were tasked with analyzing a human resources business case, developing a strategy in response and presenting their team’s recommendations. A panel of six senior human resource professionals reviewed and scored the presentations based on a points system.
2023: Winner of the Most Innovative Pitch Award
The ITMSA is a non-profit, student-run course union serving students within the Business Technology Program (BTM) at the Ted Rogers School of Management of Toronto Metropolitan University.
Incredibly relevant to today’s shifting workforces to digital and innovative workplace practices, ITMSA's mission is to collaborate with organizations, leaders, and alumni in business and technology to equip BTM students with professional and academic experiences to ensure their future success in the industry and excel beyond their expectations.
Team members: Pery Au, Wesley Choy, Ethan Gardiner, and Shaza Najeeb
Coach: Josephine McMurray
Highlights: Lazaridis BTM students continue to positively represent the school and their program in student competitions and the team at this year’s Symcor Case Competition was no exception. The competition was hosted by the ITMSA at Toronto Metropolitan University. The team impressed the judges and were awarded the Most Innovative Pitch Award.
2024: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; All-Star Awards – Third Place; Debate – Second Place; Social – Second Place; Finance – First Place; Human Resources – First Place; International Business – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; Business Strategy – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place.
2023: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; Digital Strategy – First Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; International Business – Second Place; Finance – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Second Place; Accounting – Second Place.
JDCC is a multi-disciplinary competition hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students (CABS). It is the largest undergraduate business school competition in Central Canada, and brings over 600 student delegates together from Ontario, Québec, and the Maritimes. Lasting three days each Winter, JDCC is comprised of the following events: Eight academic case competitions, debate competition, social competition, sports competition, charity competition, and overall school spirit.
Team members: Kyle Chang, Imaad Mian, Sia Bhaskar, Duncan Spizzirri, Charlie Fletcher, Emma Robson, Simon Tan, and Maddie Edgar
Coaches: Brandon Van Dam and Michael Blair
Highlights: The Laurier Case Team soared to victory at the 2024 competition, leaving with an impressive array of awards. The team not only secured top honors in several key categories but also walked away with the highly coveted Academic Cup, solidifying their standing as a powerhouse in the world of business competitions.
The Laurier Case Team's triumph at JDC Central serves as an inspiration for aspiring business leaders. Their outstanding achievements in multiple categories and the acquisition of the Academic Cup reflect the team's commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
Read more about this competition.
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: The Laurier Case Team (LCT) represented the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and Wilfrid Laurier University at JDC Central (JDCC) from Jan. 20-23, 2023. Hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students (CABS), JDCC brings together more than 600 business students from universities in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes to compete in interdisciplinary fields, including academic cases for eight business disciplines, parliamentary style debates, sports tournaments, social competitions and charity contributions.
The Lazaridis School has continued to show excellence at JDCC over more than 10 years of participation in the competition. This year’s team was no exception, with a podium finish in seven of the eight academic tracks, the team won the Academic Cup for the sixth time in the 11 years it has been awarded.
Awards won: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; Digital Strategy – First Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; International Business – Second Place; Finance – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Second Place; Accounting – Second Place
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: The students of the Laurier Case Team representing the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics continued their tradition of excellence at the JDCC competition on the weekend of Jan. 22-24, 2022. The delegation of 46 students and volunteers brought home multiple awards, including first place wins in Business Strategy, the esport Rocket League, and Charity dollars raised.
The Laurier Case team was the 2nd place winner for School of the Year and the Academic Cup, adding to the team's multiple School of the Year and five Academic Cup awards over the last 10 years.
Awards won: School of the Year – Second Place; Academic Cup – Second Place; Human Resources – Third Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Marketing – Third Place; Finance – Third Place; Digital Strategy – Second Place; Social – Third Place; Debate – Second Place; Esports Rocket League – First Place; Esports COD Warzone – Third Place; Charity Consulting Project – Third Place
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: The JDCC is widely regarded as one of the most complex and challenging case competition series’ in Canada, engaging and testing the talents of the best business school students since 2009.
Over the years, the Lazaridis School has racked up more podium finishes than any other business school in their division, earning a reputation for competitive excellence that appeals to current and future Golden Hawks alike.
Awards won: School of the Year – Second Place; Academic Cup – Second Place; Charity – First Place; Consulting Project – Third Place; Esports 3v3 – Second Place / 4v4 – Third Place; Accounting – First Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Human Resources – Second Place; Participation – First Place; Sportsmanship – First Place
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos, Srin Sridharan, Sean Cameron, and Eoin Ferguson.
Highlights: Undergraduate business students won first place at the 2020 JDC Central Competition (JDCC) hosted by Goodman School of Business at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.
This is the eighth time Laurier has earned the top ‘School of the Year’ title and the fifth time that Laurier has won the ‘Academic Cup’. The team held the ‘School of the Year’ title for seven consecutive years from 2010-2016.
Awards won: School of the Year - First Place; Academic Cup - First Place; Accounting – Second Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Digital Strategy – Third Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place; Finance – Second Place; Human Resources – Second Place; International Business – Second Place; Marketing – Second Place; Debate – First Place; Charity – First Place; Social – Third
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: All of the JDCC Laurier team’s preparation paid off at the JDC Central competition hosted at the University of Guelph last month. The team, led by captain Sania Lalani, represented the school with a stellar turnout of 11 podium finishes including two first place, four second place, four third place as well as the Faculty of the Year Award.
This year’s teams responded to cases related to new market entry, new product development, and blockchain, among others. Not only did the team come in second in the Academic Cup and School of the Year categories, but associate professor Sofy Carayannopoulos was named Faculty Advisor of the Year for her tremendous dedication to supporting our students.
Awards won: Academic Cup – Second Place; School of the Year – Second Place; Accounting – Second Place; Business Strategy – Third Place; Finance – Third Place; Human Resources – First Place; International Business – Second Place; Wildcard – Third Place; Charity – First Place; Social – Third Place; Faculty Advisor of the Year award
2024: Third place, John Molson Sustainability Case Competition
2023: Won three of five cases, MBA International Case Competition
2021: Finalists, John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition
The John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec hosts several case competitions per year for undergraduate and graduate students.
Each year, the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition prepares the world’s brightest undergraduate business students to become leaders in a globally interdependent, culturally diverse and rapidly changing economic environment, while fostering strategic thinking, innovative problem-solving and sound decision-making.
Team members: Adam Figura, Katherine Gotovsky, Rona He, and Ryan Kofsky
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: For the first time ever, a team of business students from the Lazaridis School made it to the finals at the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition, the world’s largest undergraduate international case competition, held virtually Feb. 28 to March 6, 2021.
The team competed against 28 business schools from countries including Australia, Lebanon, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Thailand, China and the United States.
The JSCC is an annual event that focuses on the link between business and sustainability. The main objective of JSCC is to foster meaningful collaboration among business schools while spreading awareness about the significant advantages of integrating sustainability into corporate strategies and decision-making processes.
This competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students from all over Canada who share a passion for sustainability. JSCC provides an invaluable real-world experience for participants, giving them an opportunity to receive feedback from a distinguished panel of experts. By participating in JSCC, students gain invaluable insights, build essential skills and contribute to the advancement of sustainability practices in the corporate world.
Team members: Alya Najila, Mridhulaa Suresh, and Bianca Tu
Coach: Barry Colbert
The John Molson MBA International Case Competition is a not-for-profit event organized by a team of MBA candidates from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Recognized as the largest of its kind, this competition is open to the top business schools worldwide. Its main purpose is to bridge the gap between corporate and academic worlds, ultimately enriching the experience of students and executives alike.
The competition hosts 36 teams from universities around the globe to compete for the coveted Concordia Cup. Taking the MBA experience beyond the classroom and participating in five rigorous case analyses, students are also encouraged to network and engage with peers from other institutions in networking and social events integrated throughout the schedule.
Team members: Avery Cantlon, Rob Hand, Nikola Miokovic, and Veronica Windmoller
Coach: Matthew Donovan
Highlights: In January 2023, a team of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University participated in the 41st edition of the John Molson MBA International Case Competition (MBAICC), hosted by Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.
After a tough start to the competition, the team pulled together and won the last three of the five cases in their division, ending with a 3-2 record and giving them the second highest number of wins in that division. While it wasn’t enough to take a podium spot overall, the experience and learning opportunities for the team were celebrated by all.
2024: First place
The David Sobey Centre National Retail Case Competition offers students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to tackle real-world challenges and obstacles faced by today's retailers, all while engaging in spirited competition with teams from across Canada. Upon delving into a specially crafted case, participants have the unique privilege of meeting with industry executives, gaining valuable insights, and posing questions to deepen their understanding of the problem.
Teams embark on a journey of ideation, crafting their most innovative solutions to address the case challenge. Students will submit a video case presentation, where a panel of judges will select the cream of the crop who will advance to the final round and showcase their solutions live (virtually) to the very company executives who presented the challenge. This grand finale is not just a showdown; it's an opportunity to vie for the grand prize and solidify their position as retail problem-solvers extraordinaire.
Team members: Michael Ye, Alex Nagy, Katrina Sage, and Sophia Divita
Highlights: The Laurier Case Team were asked to give a recommendation to grow Decathlon’s new expansion into Canada. They explored concepts of demographic analysis, strategic alignment, and retail-specific concepts relating to store design and customer experience.
2023: First place
2022: Second place
ROCA is an annual case-based competition featuring top undergraduate student teams from leading business schools across the globe. Thanks to is strong focus on sustainability, leadership, and innovative shifts in the modern economy, this week-long experience provides students, coaches, judges and volunteers with a meaningful and transformative global experience.
ROCA is a co-hosted by Rotterdam University (Netherlands) and Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada).
Team members: Kyle Chang, Rachel Clark, Arnav Hiremath, and Duncan Spizzirri
Coach: Sean Cameron
Highlights: The 2023 Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA), hosted in partnership by Carleton University's Sprott School of Business and the Rotterdam Business School, has concluded with a resounding victory for the team representing the Lazaridis School earning first place.
This prestigious competition brought together top business students from across the globe to tackle complex real-world challenges presented by various companies.
Read more about this competition.
Team members: Brayden Royston, Georgia Bryson, Tailai Wand, and Jason Amri
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos and Sean Cameron
Highlights: In November 2022, four business students from the Laurier Case Team (LCT) earned second place in the Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA).
Started in 2017, ROCA brings together undergraduate student teams from 16 top-ranked business schools from around the world for a six-day, immersive case experience. Participants are given cases that cover a broad range of interdisciplinary business problems with a strong focus on sustainability, leadership and other shifts in the present-day economy. Teams present their business recommendations to a panel of expert judges from leading companies.
2020: First place
Team members: Megan Corbett, Leanne Hirabayashi, Kathryn Porretta, and Angela Zhou
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: A team of undergraduate business students won first place in Dublin, Ireland at a competition hosted by the Technological University, Dublin (TU Dublin). They earned the top spot for their recommendations for Irish whisky company, Tullamore D.E.W., who asked students to assess the value of adding a new product. The solution identified the ideal target market for this new product, as well as campaign strategy and tactics that could be used to reach that market.
2024: Third place
The University of Guelph’s Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition (URECC) is a student led organization that began in 2015. The competition is designed to challenge undergraduate students to collaborate with their team and prepare a full-scale development proposal on a site selected in Toronto/GTA.
Delegates are challenged to create an analysis that considers all aspects of development feasibility including market analysis, sustainability, physical constraints, financial viability and government regulation. Students will then proceed with a recommendation to the judges based on their analysis.
Team members: Daniel Brokhman, Adrien D’Silva, Yanni Karos, Sebastien Rojas, and Owen Varkey
Coach: Anne Domurath
Highlights: The team was tasked with redeveloping an existing site at 110 Sheppard Ave E, located in North York. They proposed demolishing the existing building and building a 496-unit apartment building, with a grocery store and coffee shop on the first floor, and 2 floors of coworking space above the grocery store. The residential portion was 30 floors. During the project, the team did the planning, zoning, cost analysis, financial modeling, market analysis, and land valuation.
2024: Second place
2023: First place
2018: First place
The University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC) is an annual international case competition that brings together undergraduate university students from different countries to compete in a fast-paced and challenging business cases study.
Team members: Joseph Bath, Sia Bhaskar, Annette Schiller, and Duncan Spizzirri
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Team members: Hassan El-Essawi, Georgia Bryson, Vivek Bhardwaj, and Kyle Chang.
Coaches: Soft Carayannopoulos and Samantha Sells.
Highlights: Four students from the Lazaridis School were awarded first place at the 2023 University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC). As part of the Laurier Case Team, Hassan El-Essawi, Georgia Bryson, Vivek Bhardwaj, and Kyle Chang travelled to the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain for the competition. They were supported by Lazaridis School’s Associate Professor Sofy Carayannopoulos and alumna Samantha Sells (BBA/BMath ’19).
During the competition, which ran March 26 to 31, 2023, the team took part in two three-hour business case studies, followed by a larger and more complicated 12-hour case. Case study subjects included improving talent acquisition for Certest, a bio-technology diagnostic tool company; integrating luxury wines with high-quality art with a mission to increase sales through an international expansion strategy at a local winery; and identifying an expansion strategy with new product offerings for a telecom company in Latin America.
Team members: Samantha Sells, Matthew Donovan, Isaac Fisher-Jhirad, and Ruslan Nikolaev
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: From March 11-17, a team of four Lazaridis School of Business and Economics students travelled with Dr. Sofy Carayannopoulos to Pamplona, Spain to participate in the sixth annual University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC). Over the course of six days, the team participated in the two three-hour and one 24-hour case competition, winning their division in each stage, and eventually going on to take gold.
The UNICC is a prestigious, international case competition that attracts top business schools from around the globe. While numerous schools apply, annually only 16 schools are invited to participate.
2022: Second place
The Sydney International Business Competition is coordinated and managed by Sydney Consulting Club, the University’s premier consulting society on campus. From the amazing events and social gatherings to the challenging and mind-stimulating competition they have planned, the team is dedicated to creating an unmatched experience for all competitors.
Team members: Abigail Leu, Allison Sutherland, Connor Sinclair, and Imaad Mian.
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: A team of Lazaris Schoool undergraduate students won second place in the 2022 University of Sydney Business School Case Competition (USCC). The international competition was held remotely and brought together 11 teams from leading universities around the world.
This year’s business challenge was to create and present a new business model for electrification and public transit. The pitches were presented to a team from JOLT, an electric vehicle charging company with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
2023: Second place
2018: Second place
The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) allows students to immerse themselves in the role of venture capitalists and demonstrate their abilities in planning and execution while gaining valuable real-world insights.
The competition evaluates participants based on their thorough preparation and strategic implementation and offers a dynamic platform for students to delve into the nuances of venture capital investment. By engaging in simulated investment scenarios, students are challenged to make crucial decisions under pressure, replicating the scenarios faced by actual venture capitalists.
Team members: Nicholas De Sario, Lara Unal, Mitchell Switzer, Daniel Frank, Umar Kapadia, and Thomas Dixon
Highlights: Competing with schools from across Canada, students were provided information on three early-stage companies seeking financing and given an opportunity to interview the company founders before presenting their recommendations to judges serving in the role of venture capital partners.
Team members: Henry Baulier, Pietro de Bottis, Joon-Woo (John) Lee, Raymond Haffar, and Marcus Monocha
Highlights: Lazaridis MBA students put their classroom theory to the test, winning silver at the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), which was held at St. Mary’s University on March 2. This Canadian competition is based on the international VCIC, which sees more than 75 universities from around the world compete annually in North Carolina.
The VCIC prides itself on its unique style. It is unlike any other case competition business students can compete in, and is the only place students immerse themselves as venture capitalists. At VCIC, community-based startups pitch their businesses to groups of students who, working as angel investors, choose not only which business they would fund, but also the terms of the funding and their reasons for their support. Students are judged by industry professionals on their analysis, insights and rigour over the course of the competition.
Demonstrate incredible entrepreneurial spirit and "fall in love with the problem, not the solution."
In the fall term of first year, BBA students work in teams to generate ideas for a new venture. Then, in the winter term, they develop a business plan and present it to their peers. Scholarships are awarded to the winning team, as judged by a panel of entrepreneurs and external business community members.
Some past venture ideas include:
Read about our past BDO New Venture case competitions:
The Lazaridis School’s Business Technology Management (BTM) program is a specialized kind of business education. We believe that being immersed in the world of technology is key in preparing our future leaders for success in companies where understanding technology is a competitive advantage.
Faculty-led case-based learning and skills development workshops are designed to enhance students’ academic program, develop critical thinking skills, and build confidence in formulating and presenting solutions to complex problems facing real-world organizations.
Students test their learning by participating in a 24-hour case competition in the winter and a four-hour case competition in the spring.
MetOcean Telematics is a leading global provider of innovative full-spectrum telemtry products and solutions for environmental, marine, defence and security clients.
The challenge was for students to understand the company's path towards doubling its revenue and to recommend innovative solutions to improve efficiency and agility in their operations in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The teams were to find solutions and make recommendations on how the Vancouver International Airport can recover after the airline industry collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read stories of students in the BTM program and how they prepare for meaningful participation early in their career through case@BTM:
Be a part of a tradition that faces challenges with innovation.
The Integrated Case Exercise (ICE) takes place in the third year of the BBA program. A real business presents a problem it is trying to solve, and students must apply what they have learned in all of their classes for each functional area – from Finance to Marketing, Operations to Accounting.
Throughout the week, teams prepare their proposed solution to a business problem and present it with their group members.
Symcor provides client-centric business solutions to enable secure data exchanges and support businesses' digital transformations. The company has expertise in payment processing, customer communications and fraud analytics.
The Symcor case required studies to evaluate and recommend opportunities to use Symcor's producst and expertise to enhance operations and streamline information flow in new industries, both in Canada and internationally.
RWI is a proudly Canadian, women-led, Certified Aboriginal Business based in Edmonton, Alberta. They enable their clients to tackle complex and critical issues by using 3D synthetic models where they provide different scenarios, calculating impacts and outcomes for decision-making.
The RWI Synthetics case asked students to find ways for the company to grow to $10 million in revenue in the next three years while continuing to attract new talent and preserving its entrepreneurial culture.
Read stories of past ICE Week Competitions to learn about one of the most anticipated and memorable experiences of the Business Administration programs:
Develop creative solutions to a real problem faced by a real company to hone critical problem-solving and communication skills.
In the very first semester, students work in groups to answer a strategic business question posted by a real company. Students study the situation and develop a detailed recommendation and implementation plan.
A panel of industry experts evaluates the proposals and awards cash prizes to the top six teams.
Wealthsimple is one of Canada's leading financial technology companies. The challenge for the Wealthsimple case was to look at how fintech companies can leverage technology to better address Generation Z's (Gen-Z) needs using their various products and services.
Team BU Consulting suggested gamification to encourage Gen-Z to engage with Wealthsimple products. They outlined how the gaming aspect would be complemented with lessons and learning apps for customers to expand their knowledge of financial concepts.
Read past competition stories: