CB Student Team wins McDonough Business Strategy Challenge 2024

A team of four undergraduate students from the College of Business emerged as champions in the McDonough Business Strategy Challenge (MBSC) 2024, competing against 17 other international universities. This prestigious business competition took place at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. from 6 to 11 February.  

The members of the winning team were:
Gisela Gwen Michelle, BBA Global Business
Hyunin Noh, BBA Global Business
Gloria Andry Putri, BBA Business Analysis
Richard Ponto, BSc Computational Finance and Financial Technology

Gisela Gwen Michelle shared their competition experience, saying, “Once the training began and we started figuring out the best way for our team to work together, a sense of responsibility appeared to bring our A-game to the table. The intense 31-hour time limit brought out all sorts of dynamics within our team. We had intense discussions, or you could even call them ‘debates’, but on the other hand, we had moments of spontaneous laughter that helped us release some of the tension.”

Hyunin Noh added, “MBSC was a very unique competition as we had the opportunity to ask questions and provide solutions that make a real impact for a non-profit organisation. This year’s case was one of the most challenging cases I had ever solved as it was very different from past MBSC cases as well as cases from other case competitions. There were many unique aspects we had to account for, such as various US state and local regulations, governance models, and fund allocations.”

Gloria Andry Putri said, “The experience of engaging with the case competition emphasised the vital importance of effective communication and teamwork. We learned the value of active listening, providing constructive feedback, and adapting our approach to craft a compelling proposal. We are grateful for CityU's unwavering support and look forward to further growth and success in our future endeavors.”

Richard Ponto said, “Being a part of MBSC 2024 and managing to emerge as the champions of the competition was a once-in-a-lifetime enriching experience. I am grateful for the opportunities to experience cultural diversity, enhance my business analysis and teamwork skills, and improve my presentation abilities.”

As the faculty advisor, Adjunct Professor Jonathan Ng Tai-sing said, “My heartfelt congratulations to our CityU Team on their tremendous efforts and monumental accomplishment to be the Champion of the MBSC 2024!

Succeeding in the MBSC requires a combination of skills, preparation, and strategic thinking, given its focus on solving real-world problems for non-profit organisations. Our Team came out on top in this prestigious competition as they possessed a diverse set of skills and demonstrated strong analytical abilities to dissect the case and creative problem-solving techniques in proposing solutions that were not only effective but also feasible for non-profits.  I was particularly impressed that the Team was able to articulate their ideas coherently in presentations, convincing the judges that their strategy was the best solution. ”

MBSC is a non-profit case consulting competition organised by Georgetown University. The MBSC is also the nation’s largest undergraduate non-profit case competition. Throughout its twenty-year history, the MBSC has brought together top business school students from around the world with consulting professionals to provide our non-profit partners with innovative solutions to real-world challenges.