MBA-SBP Students Take Third Place Win at International Case Competition

A team of four students from the MBA Sustainable Business Practices program (MBA-SBP) recently earned third place in the Aspen Institute’s 2018 Business and Society International MBA Case Competition in New York City.

MBA Sustainable Business Practices program students
From left, Michael Findley, Kelsey Aerni, Patricia Nicholson and Joseph Winkler

In the final round of competition, Duquesne’s team from the MBA-SBP in the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business finished just behind teams from New York University and the University of Denver but beat out teams from George Washington University and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Representing Duquesne were:

  • Kelsey Aerni: Strongsville, Ohio
  • Michael Findley: Ligonier, Pa.
  • Patricia Nicholson: Glenshaw, Pa.
  • Joseph Winkler: Glenshaw, Pa.

Duquesne students have participated in the final rounds of the competition during five of the last six years, including a second-place win in 2017.

As part of the annual competition, student teams from a select group of colleges and universities are given a 72-hour window to address a new and challenging business case. This year’s case focused on the luxury resort Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Students were tasked with identifying detailed, practical and actionable means to decrease the negative environmental impact of the resort through innovative sustainability solutions.

The Aspen Institute describes the International MBA Case Competition as “a singular opportunity for students from 25 business programs worldwide to reflect on the significant influence—and potential for good—that a well-managed business can have in society.”