Smith News 

Smith Case Competition Tests Strategic Thinking and Teamwork

	Montezuma’s Marauders (Subho Goswami, Amy Williams, Carolina Puerto, Bankole Osimokun, and Aviral Singh) with Howard Frank, Dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business
Montezuma’s Marauders won the top prize of $1,500 for their team in the 2005 Smith Case Competition. The team, consisting of five students from India, Nigeria, Colombia, and the U.S., beat 30 others for the victory. The annual case competition is designed to assess a Smith student’s ability to apply the knowledge learned in core classes to a time-intense situation. This year, students analyzed Shiseido cosmetics, a Japanese company. The case assignment required first years to recommend a global strategy that would boost Shiseido’s sales and address competitive threats. Teams of four or five students received the case on a Friday and spent the weekend devising their strategies. Students relied on their understanding of marketing, finance, operations, economics, and human capital in order to craft solutions. On Monday, the teams submitted their reports and presented their ideas to panels of alumni and faculty. The panels judged teams not only on their solutions, but also on how well they defended them during tough questioning. All teams received feedback on their performance to help them improve for future projects. Four teams advanced to the final round, where they presented to an audience of peers and a panel that included Dean Howard Frank of the Smith school and senior level executives of local companies and government agencies. The competition ended with an announcement of Montezuma’s Marauders as the winning team at a networking reception for students, judges, administrators, and corporate sponsors Marriott, Citigroup, and Air Products.

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Seasoned Consultants Connect With Students at Annual Consulting Forum

Jim Clifton, CEO of The Gallup Organization, speaks at Smith’s Consulting Forum.

The most recent Consulting Forum lived up to its reputation as the premier consulting event for the Smith community. Sponsored by the Consulting Club, it featured industry experts from the top consulting firms who shared their wisdom on industry trends, consulting best practices, and recruiting initiatives. Jim Clifton, CEO of The Gallup Organization, presented the keynote address. Clifton helped Gallup increase its billing volume tenfold and expand from a predominantly U.S.-based company to a global organization with offices in 20 nations. Clifton spoke of his experience building and defining a consulting brand Clifton was followed by the first panel session of the day, “Emerging Fields and Trends in the Consulting Industry”. Senior directors and managers at Accenture, BearingPoint, Booz Allen Hamilton, Huron, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and others discussed the current consulting landscape. Speakers shared their personal experiences as they answered questions such as, "What types of clients have helped grow the bottom line? What are the large problem areas that firms have hired consultants to address? Which client industries are emerging now?"

The next panel focused on “Career and Managerial Insights From Consulting Professionals”. Managers with recruiting responsibilities shared their insights on securing employment at a consulting company, getting noticed during a job, and developing competencies that are crucial to early consultants. Students cited expert advice and company contacts as the main reasons the Consulting Forum has been a highlight of the Smith community for the past seven years.

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Course Focus

BUSI 698 MBA Field Project; (3 credits)
Students combine their new business savvy with prior professional experience to solve complex problems for clients. Students confront issues in areas such as finance, marketing, strategy, management and organization, logistics and transportation, human resources, and information technology. Recent projects have included: asset tracking, feasibility of electronic bill payment services, business planning for new ventures, competitive analysis and recommendations for firms or business segments, database design and development, financial analysis and workflow, employee evaluation and feedback systems, and marketing audits. Past clients include Marriott International, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Verizon, Goodwill Industries, Inc., and The Walt Disney Company.

BUMO 714 Executive Power and Negotiation; (3 credits)
Students develop negotiations knowledge and skills through readings and practice. After taking this course, students are able to achieve win-win solutions to individual, team, and organizational problems. The course enhances students’ negotiating self-confidence and improves students’ analytical skills, interpersonal skills, and persuasive abilities.

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Club Focus

Consulting Club

The MBA Consulting Club is dedicated to providing Smith students with the tools and resources necessary to begin challenging and rewarding careers in the Management Consulting industry. The club educates, prepares, and encourages members through career building and networking initiatives. They also provide personal and professional development, facilitate interaction between consulting firms and interested students, and bring to light new developments and novel perspectives from the industry. Efforts are anchored by events such as The Smith Consulting Forum, industry visits, and the Smith Strategy Challenge.

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Interviewing in person, if possible, is beneficial to everyone. By coming to campus, you exhibit your interest in the Smith School and have the ability to showcase your interpersonal skills. Additionally, a campus visit allows you to tour the outstanding facilities and resources available to Smith MBA students and it provides you with a chance to meet current students.

Even if you are unable to visit Van Munching Hall, do your research on Smith and the resources available. The Admissions Committee certainly understands that all prospective students cannot make the journey to College Park. However, there are extensive resources on-line, including the opportunity to e-mail current students who will be happy to give you insights into their MBA experiences. Visit http://www.smith.umd.edu/fullmba/vibe_main.html to read individual biographies and contact a current student.

Be ready to address any concerns you may have about your application. If you have recognized a concern in your application, the Admissions Committee will also see it. Discussing areas of improvement is not an obstacle to possible acceptance. In fact, it shows the Committee you are mature and realistic about your growth potential.

Be prepared to discuss both your post MBA goals and what you hope to accomplish during your MBA studies. Convey to your interviewer how The Robert H. Smith School of Business will fit into your plans for attaining those goals.

Finally, relax. Remember that the interview is an opportunity for the admissions committee to get to know you as an individual beyond the paper application. If you understand the value of an MBA, your individual goals, and the value you bring, the interview is sure to go well. Good luck!

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