Ivey MBA Case Competition Gives Students Real World Experience

The sixth annual Ivey MBA Case Competition, sponsored by Accenture Strategy, wrapped up on June 24. The three-day competition challenged students to devise creative solutions for real-life business problems. 25 teams of Ivey MBA students participated, working on a case a day.

The competition was more than a game; it was an experience. Tight deadlines and high expectations challenged each team. They had just five hours to prepare their solutions each day and had to present their findings before a panel of 34 different judges made up of faculty, staff, alumni, and representatives from Accenture.

In the end, just three finalist teams were chosen to present their case to their classmates and Accenture executives.

MBA Case Competition Details

The results of each day’s case study determined the finalists. The days were broken down as follows:

• Day One: Create a marketing strategy case for Beyond Meat’s The Beyond Burger, a vegan burger than mimicked real meat.
• Day Two: Students worked with Spin Master, a Canadian global toy and entertainment company, to recommend whether or not they should go public through an initial public offering.
• Day Three: The final day tackled the company Me to We, a social enterprise that provides socially responsible products and services. Teams discussed how the company might enter the consumable goods space.

The internal case competition gave students a glimpse into life as consultants. Students were given real feedback and coaching throughout the event so that the participants could learn, test themselves, and hone their problem-solving capabilities.

Student Thoughts

“It went from something I dreaded because I didn’t know what to expect, to something I became really excited about. It was a capstone exercise that helped to drive home all the points we’ve learned in class to date, see the practicality and applicability of them, and apply them to real-life situations,” MBA student, Keji Olaleye, said in a University news release. “Getting a peek into other people’s thought processes and work flow was a huge privilege and opportunity. It added to my learning experience and enhanced the way I think about problems.”

regions: Toronto

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