May 24, 2019

Wilfrid Laurier University Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students can certainly make a case when it comes to offering solutions to business problems.

BBA students from Laurier's Lazaridis School of Business and Economics celebrated success at international case competitions during the 2018/19 academic year, winning first place at two competitions and enjoying strong finishes at two others.

Case competitions are experiential learning opportunities that challenge students to create solutions to real-world business problems in a limited amount of time. Teams present their solutions to a panel of judges, who evaluate teams based on the innovation and feasibility of their ideas brought forward, as well as the team's overall presentation.

Lazaridis School students have the opportunity to participate in curricular and co-curricular case competitions throughout their undergraduate studies.

"Case competitions help students develop critical thinking skills that will be required to adapt in a world of ever-growing complexity,” says Micheál J. Kelly, dean of the Lazaridis School. “They also present a unique opportunity for students to learn about the role technology plays in the changing business world. As students tackle real-world problems faced by companies, they begin to understand how technology integrates into the solution, which becomes a competitive advantage.”

Lazaridis School 2018/19 Case Competition Results

Gold at Belgrade International Case Competition

The Lazaridis School team took first place at the Belgrade International Case Competition, held at the University of Belgrade in April. The team was one of 20 top business schools to compete at the invitation-only event in Serbia.

BBA student teammates Melissa Donato, Matthew Donovan, Stephen Kingston and Kathryn Porretta conquered three separate strategy-related challenges and received high praise from judges for their comprehensive strategies and professional presentations.

Silver at the Heavener International Case Competition

In February, a team of fifth-year BBA students competed against 19 other internationally recognized business schools at the University of Florida’s Heavener International Case Competition.

Teammates Samantha Sells, Daniel Roytman, Ruslan Nikolaev and Stephany Desroches claimed second place overall and first in their division for their final presentation, in which they were allowed just five minutes and 15 slides to present a comprehensive case solution.

Fourth Place at Family Enterprise Case Competition

In January, BBA students Josh Kravitz, Sloane Keilty and Quinn Robinson teamed up to represent the Lazaridis School at the Family Enterprise Case Competition, hosted by the University of Vermont’s Grossman School of Business.

The team placed first in its division and fourth overall of 13 teams at the invitation-only event. A Lazaridis School team has competed at the Family Enterprise Case Competition the past five years, winning first place in 2017 and receiving the award for best presenter for four consecutive years.

Victory at 2018 Solvers' Cup

BBA students Matthew Donovan, Ruslan Nikolaev, Mike Ross and Samantha Sells kicked off the fall 2018 term with a first-place finish at the Solvers’ Cup in Budapest, Hungary. The team was one of 12 from around the world to compete in the event’s four- and 10-hour competitions, which required students to develop a strategy to attract and retain the Generation Y demographic as clients of financial services.