Faculty of Business students win second place at Inter-Collegiate Business Competition
Students from UPEI’s Faculty of Business took second place at the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC) held January 18–20 at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. The ICBC is Canada’s longest-running undergraduate business case competition, celebrating its 40th year.
The ICBC features competitions in eight different events, including accounting, business policy (strategy), ethics, debate, finance, human resources, marketing, and management of information systems. After strong showings at the preliminary round in October, two teams from UPEI earned invitations to compete in the final round in the categories of ethics and business policy.
UPEI’s ethics team competed against teams from University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Concordia University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Wilfrid Laurier University. The team, comprised of Quinton Gorman, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (marketing specialization) and Zach Geldert, a fourth-year Bachelor of Sociology student with an economics minor and business certificate, placed second.
“ICBC was a great learning experience, and I am happy that we were able to achieve this result,” said Geldert. “This competition gave us the chance to put what we have learned in the classroom to use in a very practical way.”
The team had five-and-a-half hours to prepare with no access to internet, but use of textbooks. They had 15 minutes to present their solution to a judging panel of industry professionals, with an additional five minutes to answer questions and defend their recommendations.
“If you want a big return, you have to be willing take a risk,” said Gorman. “Even though preparing and presenting a case in a short amount of time may be daunting, it is undoubtedly one of the greatest experiences that a business student can have. You learn how to approach a business situation and provide a recommendation in a hands-on way. This is something that all students can learn from, and I encourage all those who are interested to get involved in this great program.”
UPEI’s business policy team was made up of Alex Dunne, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (accounting specialization); Callum Wood, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (accounting specialization); and, Sydney Gallant, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student (finance specialization). The team had a great showing in an extremely competitive field, but unfortunately didn’t crack the top three.
“I am so proud of the work these students did in training and in competition,” said Mary Whitrow, UPEI’s case competition program coordinator and coach. “Congratulations to both teams on their performances!”
“It is a great achievement to have two teams qualifying again for the final round of such a rigorous competition,” said Dr. Juergen Krause, dean of the Faculty of Business at UPEI. “Getting to the final shows that you have what it takes to compete against some of the world’s top students.”
Faculty of Business students will be busy with more case competitions this semester. Alex Dunne, Callum Wood, and Sydney Gallant will compete at the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition, an international competition in Montreal in mid-February. Zach Geldert will be competing in late February at the Network of International Business Schools Case Competition, an international competition in Guatemala.
Past results at ICBC:
- 2017: first place in marketing; third place in ethics
- 2016: third place in marketing
- 2015: third place in business policy
- 2013: first place in ethics
- 2012: second place in ethics
The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
