Faculty of Business students win second place at Inter-Collegiate Business Competition
Students from 91探花鈥檚 Faculty of Business took second place at the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC) held January 18鈥�20 at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. The ICBC is Canada鈥檚 longest-running undergraduate business case competition, celebrating its 40th year.
The ICBC features competitions in eight different events, including accounting, business policy (strategy), ethics, debate, finance, human resources, marketing, and management of information systems. After strong showings at the preliminary round in October, two teams from 91探花 earned invitations to compete in the final round in the categories of ethics and business policy.
91探花鈥檚 ethics team competed against teams from University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Concordia University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Wilfrid Laurier University. The team, comprised of Quinton Gorman, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (marketing specialization) and Zach Geldert, a fourth-year Bachelor of Sociology student with an economics minor and business certificate, placed second.
鈥淚CBC was a great learning experience, and I am happy that we were able to achieve this result,鈥� said Geldert. 鈥淭his competition gave us the chance to put what we have learned in the classroom to use in a very practical way.鈥�
The team had five-and-a-half hours to prepare with no access to internet, but use of textbooks. They had 15 minutes to present their solution to a judging panel of industry professionals, with an additional five minutes to answer questions and defend their recommendations.
鈥淚f you want a big return, you have to be willing take a risk,鈥� said Gorman. 鈥淓ven though preparing and presenting a case in a short amount of time may be daunting, it is undoubtedly one of the greatest experiences that a business student can have. You learn how to approach a business situation and provide a recommendation in a hands-on way. This is something that all students can learn from, and I encourage all those who are interested to get involved in this great program.鈥�
91探花鈥檚 business policy team was made up of Alex Dunne, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (accounting specialization); Callum Wood, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (accounting specialization); and, Sydney Gallant, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (finance specialization). The team had a great showing in an extremely competitive field, but unfortunately didn鈥檛 crack the top three.
鈥淚 am so proud of the work these students did in training and in competition,鈥� said Mary Whitrow, 91探花鈥檚 case competition program coordinator and coach. 鈥淐ongratulations to both teams on their performances!鈥�
鈥淚t is a great achievement to have two teams qualifying again for the final round of such a rigorous competition,鈥� said Dr. Juergen Krause, dean of the Faculty of Business at 91探花. 鈥淕etting to the final shows that you have what it takes to compete against some of the world鈥檚 top students.鈥�
Faculty of Business students will be busy with more case competitions this semester. Alex Dunne, Callum Wood, and Sydney Gallant will compete at the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition, an international competition in Montreal in mid-February. Zach Geldert will be competing in late February at the Network of International Business Schools Case Competition, an international competition in Guatemala.
Past results at ICBC:
- 2017: first place in marketing; third place in ethics
- 2016: third place in marketing
- 2015: third place in business policy
- 2013: first place in ethics
- 2012: second place in ethics
The 91探花 prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions鈥擯rince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan鈥檚 University鈥�91探花 has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. 91探花 is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
