Smith Alumni Participate in 23rd Annual MBA Case Competition

Smith's 23nd annual full-time MBA Case Competition brought students, alumni, faculty, and administrators together for a week of intense competition. Four teams presented strategies for the diamond industry and the De Beers Company to a distinguished panel of judges on Saturday, October 7, 2006. Alumni were invited to give feedback and judge the student teams during each of the three rounds of competition.

Undoubtedly the most anticipated event of the Smith MBA program, the case competition is a comprehensive test of strategic thinking and analytical skills for second-year MBAs. The judges selected Elysian & Associates as winners of the case competition. Each of the five members of Elysian & Associates won $1,000 and glory for their efforts. Team members were Christopher Mandozzi, Mark Slusser, Mauricio Klecky, Susannah Campbell, and William Graf.

The audience also awarded a People’s Choice award, which went to Ascension Consulting. Team members were Avraham Lerner, Daniel Mantell, Demetris White, Greg Dell’Orto, and Sachin Agarwal. Two individual honors also were presented. Most Consulting Potential and the “Bull Smith” award went to Susannah Campbell of Elysian & Associates.

Elysian & Associates presented a thoroughly supported strategy that involved taking De Beers into the retail market, movement into India and Canada, and sustainable business practices. Several other teams shared elements of Elysian’s strategy. The judges saw the depth of Elysian’s arguments and the group’s ability to support their argument as cause for their first place finish.

Final round judges were Howard Frank, dean of the Smith School, Lemma Senbet, William E. Mayer Chair Professor in Finance, and Smith alumni Eric Becker and Frederic Kline. Logistics, Business and Public Policy Professor Charles Olson was the faculty leader on the case competition project.

Mainly strategic in its nature, the case presented a broad representation of information about the diamond industry including but not limited to financial data, market trends and political background. Groups were charged with the difficult task of presenting a cogent strategy in 15 minutes and responding to questions on the case from a knowledgeable panel.

Groups had the opportunity to receive coaching on their presentations in previous rounds, but had not fielded questions from the final round’s panel previous to Saturday. Smith alumni, employees, faculty, students and friends came to support the competitors.

Smith alumni offered feedback to the MBA students throughout the three rounds of competition. (pictured, first round alumni participants)