Smith Students Earn Trip to Unilever’s Connecticut Campus
Five teams made up of MBA, MS and undergraduate students from the Robert H. Smith School of Business recently competed in the inaugural Unilever Supply Chain Case Competition. A unique competition that brought students of all educational levels together, the competitors were given 72 hours to solve real-life supply chain cases for Unilever, an Anglo–Dutch multinational consumer goods company co-headquartered in London, England and Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Its products include food, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. These challenges facing the teams included finding cost-efficient ways to manufacture on the West Coast, reducing transportation and production costs overall and tackling global supply chain environmental issues.
Now, three students representing the winning strategy– Emily Cobb (BA ‘15), Fred Gessell (MS ‘15) and Dan Levenstein (MBA ‘15)– have earned the opportunity to visit Unilever’s Trumbull, Connecticut research and development center.
The solution they came up with for the competetion was focused on minimizing costs, customer service and social impact
“To do what they did in two or three days would take us months,” said judge Andrew McAllister, supply chain planning director for personal care at Unilever. “The creativity and practicality was outstanding. I’m going back to the office feeling motivated as to what’s possible.”
“Getting the chance to tackle a problem Unilever is actually facing and being able to offer their own solutions and creativity was a fantastic opportunity for students,” said Suzanne L’Amoureux, assistant director in Smith’s Office of Career Service.
Additional judges included Wendy Herrick, vice president of Customer Service and Logistics, Unilever North America; Matt Algar, logistics director, Unilever North America; and Lisa Harrington, associate director of the Supply Chain Management Center and lecturer, Smith’s Logistics, Business and Public Policy department.
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Max Pulcini
Max Pulcini is a Philadelphia-based writer and reporter. He has an affinity for Philly sports teams, Super Smash Bros. and cured meats and cheeses. Max has written for Philadelphia-based publications such as Spirit News, Philadelphia City Paper, and Billy Penn, as well as national news outlets like The Daily Beast.
