School of Business

Congratulations to Sara Baxter, Caroline Lauder, Daniel Luton, and Candace Mosher, who are the first-place winners in the 2015 Shaw Group Business Case Competition for second-year CORE students. Teams are given 24 hours to analyze a current business case and then present solutions to a panel of industry judges. The case this year examined Theo Chocolate, a company that sold an organic, environmentally friendly, GMO-free product while consciously trying to respect fair trade, sustainability, and human rights—only to run into charges of union busting at home.

Speaking for the competition judges, Adam Randell (Shaw Group) said of the winning team: "One of the main differentiators for the team was the time they spent on an implementation plan. They thought through their chosen approach and their approach with different stakeholders. Their presentation was clean, concise and professional." Other judges were Sue Payne (WF Investments), Rachel Brickner (AUFA), Holly Wheaton (Just Us!), and Roger Wehrell (Acadia University). The competition was organized by Dr. Jim Grant and Professor Martha Cheney. Sara, Caroline, Daniel, and Candace win $1,000 dollars and luncheon with Shaw Group executives. Business case competitions provide students with collaborative learning experiences, networking opportunities, and knowledge of real world business challenges. The Fred C. Manning School of Business acknowledges the generous support of The Shaw Group in funding this popular competition.