Case Competition Team Returns from Hong Kong

A team of four BGSU students was the only U.S. representatives to compete in the final round of the 2013 International Institute for Business Development (IIBD) Case Competition held at Hong Kong Baptist University in November. The BGSU team of Ashley Lochtefeld, Luke Zemanek, Amanda McAuley, and Bryant Sheppard competed against collegiate teams from Canada, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

During the final round, the teams were given six hours to analyze a case and develop a presentation. The case was on Green Ladies, a second-hand trendy fashion shop in Hong Kong that is positioned as an eco-social enterprise. The founder of Green Ladies, Wendy Cheung, served as one of the case judges.

Although the BGSU team was not selected as the winner, this was a great opportunity for BGSU to showcase the outstanding talent we have in our business program. It is an honor for our University team to be the only representatives from this country to compete in this annual prestigious competition.

Luke Zemanek describes his fantastic experience. "Traveling to Hong Kong was a once in a life time experience... Not only did we get to compete in an international competition, but we got to experience a very different and diverse culture! As exciting and awesome as it was to compete against schools from around the world, putting our knowledge and business analytics skills to the test, I think the more important part was the friendships we took away, the bonds with our teammates, and the opportunity to see a completely different side of the world. It was a priceless and memorable event that I will never forget!"

The case competition team coach is Dr. Janet Hartley, professor and director of the Supply Chain Management Institute.