Smith
Team Makes Final Round of National
Black MBA Association Case Competition
The stage was set in Houston, Texas,
for a spectacular showdown. The Smith
School, Michigan State University,
University of Michigan, University of
Georgia, Baylor University, and Georgia
State University teams were competing
for a $15,000 grand prize awarded to the
winner of the National Black MBA
Association (NBMBAA) Annual Case
Competition an event annually sponsored
by DaimlerChrysler Corporation since
1992. The competition stretched over two
days, and included graduate students
from 30 top business schools around the
country. A two-day Career Fair with more
than 500 employers was also hosted as
part of the conference. This year,
Smiths Office of Career Management &
Black MBA Association (BMBAA) hosted a
pre-career fair breakfast for employers,
corporate partners and alumni.
The NBMBAA Case Competitions purpose
is to increase student participation and
provide a different venue for corporate
sponsors to recruit top MBA talent.
Scholarships totaling $35,000 are
awarded to three winning teams, giving
students an opportunity to demonstrate
their knowledge, problem-solving skills,
analytical proficiency and presentation
abilities to corporate executives
judging the competition. While judging
student case competitions, corporate
sponsors are able to observe first hand
a potential employee's ability to solve
common business problems and demonstrate
leadership ability, which leads to
improved employment opportunities for
students.
This years Smith team included four
second year full-time MBA students:
Kemisola Yusuf, Torrey Lee, Malika Oyo,
and Ayotomiwa Odusote. The team prepared
a case, focusing on developing a
marketing strategy and consumer brand
awareness as part of a customer
relationship management (CRM) program
for DaimlerChrysler Services North
America. The team used extensive outside
research to prepare for the case
competition, and made a conscious effort
to quantify CRM benefits in terms of
profitability and growth. Students were
judged on their presentation and
interaction skills, ability to isolate
the key case issues while thinking
creatively, and feasibility of
implementation. The Smith teams
readiness and creativity shined they
beat MIT, UCLA, Duke and Emory for a
place in the final round!
When asked about what made Smith
stand out this year, the Smith team
replied, We worked hard and put our best
foot forward for the school. The team
prioritized the case competition work,
while balancing ongoing school and job
search pressures and depended on each
other for support and energy throughout
the experience. The team praised the
Career Fairs intensity and thoroughness,
citing the presence of senior management
and the diversity of employers as key
success factors. Employers such as
Disney, Sony, Pfizer, Dell, Microsoft,
Ford, DaimlerChrysler Corp., Proctor &
Gamble, Deloitte Consulting, and many
others were actively recruiting MBA
candidates the team managed to squeeze
in several interviews and networking
opportunities on their way to the
finals!
Though Michigan State University took
first place, Brent Black, senior manager
at DaimlerChrysler Services Philadelphia
Customer Contact Center was so impressed
with the Smith teams presentation that
they offered the team an extended visit
to the Philadelphia Center to discuss
their ideas further.
On a final note, the team imparted
some advice for first-year MBAs thinking
about attending the conference in New
Orleans next year:
- There is a heavy corporate
presence of management and
recruiters that may not come to
campus / have offices in this area.
- Research companies beforehand,
ask good questions, and send follow
up thank you notes.
And for the case team next year:
- Start early its a lot of work!
- Put together a diverse team with
a variety of skills.
- Get a faculty advisor to help
guide the teams efforts.
- Try to get sponsorship as early
as possible.
Good Luck!
▓ Smith Media Group, Monisha
Banerjee, MBA Candidate 2006
