Duke University Prevails at Deloitte's National MBA Case Competition

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Jan 09, 2013, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte announced that a team from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business won the third annual National MBA Case Competition held at Deloitte University's landmark campus for learning and leadership development near Dallas. The winning team received $20,000 in scholarship awards and was comprised of Sami Alami, Elise Eggart, Mike Slattery and Brendan Ward.

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Fifteen finalist student teams from top MBA programs analyzed a complex business issue for a company in the retail grocery and boutique coffee industry. Each team was provided with business case details and a ten-hour time limit to evaluate the hypothetical scenario and present their thinking and recommendations to a panel of judges.

"All the teams demonstrated an impressive combination of critical thinking, analytical skills, and leadership," says Mike Canning, national managing director, strategy & operations practice, Deloitte Consulting LLP. "Deloitte regularly advises companies on how to solve complicated business problems, and it is encouraging and inspiring to see up-coming talent do the same. We congratulate Duke University and all the finalist teams."

Student teams from the following schools were also recognized for their efforts:

Columbia University Business School, second place, $10,000
University of California Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management, third place, $6,000
New York University Stern School of Business, fourth place, $3,000

"Now in its third year, this competition continues to generate strong interest and enthusiasm," said Shaun Budnik, president, Deloitte Foundation. "By exposing these top MBA students to real world situations we help sharpen their skills and prepare them for the highly competitive global business landscape. We look forward to continuing to work with educators on programs like this to help develop some of our most promising talent."

During the case study competition, teams' work was evaluated by judges including:

Ken Crites, category director, specialty beverages, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Jordan Hooper, managing trader, Zephyr Green Coffee Importers
Melissa Merchant, independent marketing and innovation consultant
Joe Monaghan, president, La Marzocco USA
Heather Perry, director of training and consulting, Klatch Roasting
Ric Rhinehart, executive director, Specialty Coffee Association of America
Chris Ryan, editor, Fresh Cup Magazine
Ben Yoder, director, Vue Marketing, Keurig
Doug Zell, founder, Intelligentsia Coffee

For additional detail on the Deloitte National MBA Case Competition including a list of participating teams click here.

The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports teaching, research and curriculum innovation in accounting, business and related fields within the U.S. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and faculty. For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation web page at www.deloitte.com/us/df.

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

SOURCE Deloitte