Chicago GSB Students Ready to Run a Multi-Billion Dollar Business

A team of five MBA students took second place in a competition to run the most successful multi-billion dollar corporation via a simulation. Held April 11-12 in Chicago and sponsored by global consulting firm BTS, the BTS University Challenge pitted teams from Chicago GSB, Northwestern, Michigan, Indiana, and Notre Dame against each other.

Chicago GSB team members were students in the Evening MBA and Weekend MBA program, Abhijit Dharia, Ajay Kumar Jain, Bharat Kapoor, Subbu Palaniappan, and Jacob Plummer.

The GSB team beat teams from the University of Michigan, Northwestern, and Notre Dame and came within two points of the winners, Indiana University, in the intense and realistic simulation. The competition challenged students to “take over” the management of a multi-billion dollar company, giving teams a taste of how C-level Fortune 500 executives today improve their ability to deliver results. All teams had to balance revenue growth, market penetration, and stakeholder satisfaction to get the highest return on assets, operating profit, cumulative cash flow, and product pipeline by the end of the competition.

Students had to respond to such simulated market conditions as an increase in regulatory oversight of their products, customer satisfaction, and recruitment of key employees. Perhaps the most important indicator of success was the ability of a team to keep a balanced scorecard of all their company’s stakeholders and performance metrics — something even seasoned corporate executives struggle to maintain.

“These students performed extremely well in an experience that is far more intense than what most simulations in business schools offer,” said BTS Chicago managing director Steve Toomey. “Student competitors displayed extraordinary talent, passion and professionalism. The competing teams were so close that it was anyone’s to win in the last round.”