The recent KPMG Management Case Competition, a University of Lethbridge intercampus competition, gave students the chance to test their teamwork skills and exercise their analytical abilities.
The competition, sponsored by KPMG and hosted by the Management Student Professional Development Program, is open to U of L management students in any year on any campus. Out of the 21 teams that registered, four teams moved into the final round. On competition day, each team had five hours to examine a report that outlined the operations of a national home improvement store, come up with a plan that would ensure the company retained its success, and present its strategy to a panel of judges made up of industry experts.
The winning team, consisting of Katherine Colburn-Swartz, Alex Glydon and Jacquelyn Walker, brought together a diverse set of skills and solid teamwork to capture first place. Their industry advisors were Erin Crane, director of Meeting, Event and Partnership Development at Economic Development Lethbridge, and Matt Calnan (BMgt ’12), operations director at Avison Young.
“We played the role of judges and tried to help the students prepare and fill any gaps in their plan,” says Crane. “They were a fantastic team and they would have been winners without us.”
However, students found their help invaluable; Walker says, “Our advisors were key to our success.”
With Glydon being in accounting, Colburn-Swartz in human resources and Walker in marketing, their plan heading into the competition was to use each team member’s perspective and skill set to the team’s advantage.
“We all look at it in a different way and find important parts in the case. We kind of knew going in what parts we wanted to look at and how we would divide up our sections,” says Colburn-Swartz.
“Our recommendation was similar to a lot of the others but we really broke down the company’s current position. Before you take the next step, you should know where you are right now, so we did a really clear breakdown and made it very visual for the judges,” says Walker.
They all speak positively about the benefits that come with doing case competitions, including managing their time efficiently, staying focused and learning to work together.
“It builds your analytical skills for sure. You don’t run into that type of case in the classroom setting and you don’t get exposed to industry experts like you do in a case competition,” says Glydon.
“With cases, there’s no right answer. You can present whatever you feel is the best solution but you have to make sure you can back it up and present it well,” says Walker. “It teaches you the importance of doing your research and looking into the case and seeing everything that’s happening.”
“It was a great opportunity to see the amazing things that are happening at the U of L and the quality of the students,” says Crane. “I would strongly encourage everyone to volunteer to be an industry advisor.”
“The students that Erin Crane and I had the fortune to coach, and all of the students in the competition for that matter, performed brilliantly. Their ability to handle such a large case in such a short period of time and turn it into feasible solutions was incredible,” says Calnan. “When they enter the work force, I am sure they will be ahead of their peers who were not immersed in these opportunities.”
Sean Annis was chosen as this year’s winner of the Best Overall Presenter award.
The organizers extend their thanks to KPMG for its generous sponsorship and for providing such a tremendous opportunity for U of L students.