Students at the Texas A&M University – Mays Business School recently represented the United States at the inaugural BI International Case Competition 2016 in Oslo, Norway, winning third prize.
The only school from the United States, the team of four Mays students- Andrew Winker ‘16, Layeeka Ismail ‘16, Hope Miller ‘17, and Nathan Shaub ‘17- competed against 11 other teams from around the world, with just 32 hours to both solve a real-life business case and present to a panel of corporate judges.
The competition took place in Oslo on February 18th, with the case revealed on Tuesday morning, giving students the opportunity to work together until Wednesday evening, ultimately presenting their solutions on Thursday morning.
The success of the Mays team was the result of many months of preparation by the students, along with the help of Mays faculty, such as director of Undergraduate Programs Peter Drysdale. Along with Drysdale, several faculty members offered feedback to the students as they practiced with multiple cases in the fall semester.
Although the BI International Competition is only in its first year, competitors came from schools across the globe. Competitors who made it to the finals in Oslo included teams from Ireland, China, Serbia, Quebec and Australia.
Interim Director of Innovation and Strategic Planning and Accounting Professor Mary Lea McAnally commented on the student’s drive and hard work in reaching such an accomplishment. “Their advance preparation, the travel and the competition itself were so intellectually and emotionally intense that the experience created memories that will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I am also grateful for the Mays faculty and staff who came together to support the team as they trained and prepared themselves,” she added.