A 5-member team of Masters in Finance (MiF) students from London Business School (LBS) has won a Harvard Global Case Competition, beating 126 rival teams from top business schools including INSEAD, Harvard, Wharton and HEC Paris.
The competition, held at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, brought together students with finance and business backgrounds from across the world to compete on a finance case involving strategic management.
The competition begins with the distribution of a digital copy of the case to all participants that can be completed even before they land up on the campus. The top 10 teams are given the opportunity to make a short case presentation to a select panel of distinguished professors and industry professionals. If a top 10 finalist is not able to come to Cambridge, MA for the live final competition then a video presentation will need to be submitted.
Participants were also invited to a 3-day networking event on Harvard’s campus with some of the top minds in the financial and management industries from April 7 to 9. Activities during the weekend included the final competition event with special guest judges, a cocktail party with representatives from various companies, an awards gala, a tour of Harvard, excellent speakers, etc.
The winning team, comprising full-time MiF students Chin Ta Sim, Adrian Ho, Marston Litvinsky, Salman Alam and Lucas Servido, received a cash prize worth approximately US$10,000 (£7,796).
The winning team, comprising full-time MiF students Chin Ta Sim, Adrian Ho, Marston Litvinsky, Salman Alam and Lucas Servido, received a cash prize worth approximately US$10,000 (£7,796).
“This was a great opportunity for us to learn, interact with other international students, grow our network and meet professionals within the finance industry,” says Chin Ta, speaking on behalf of the team.
The two-day event was organised by the Harvard Extension Business Society and the International Finance Student Association. The LBS students also attended a networking event and leadership conference in Boston, Massachusetts, with some of the best finance and economics minds from across the globe.
The team faced an unexpected challenge at the final presentation. Lucas Servido’s flight to Boston was cancelled the night before, threatening the group’s chances of delivering a polished performance.
“When Lucas’s flight was cancelled, we all scrambled to include his section of the presentation. With just 12 hours to go, we managed to pull through and emerged victorious,” Chin Ya says.
“We travelled to Boston to present after emerging as one of the top 10 teams in the preliminary round and felt extremely proud to eventually be declared the champions, particularly as the other teams from top US and Europe business schools were impressive,” she adds.
The students were honoured at an awards gala at the Prudential Tower in Boston following the competition.
Masters in Finance (MiF) at LBS is available in 10 or 16 in full time and 24 months as a part-time program. Aimed at professionals with 3-8 years work experience, the program claims to inculcate in students a truly global view of finance.
A wide range of electives, practitioner courses, industry-focused events and international experiences are available to suit individual professional goals.
The next batch gets underway on August 14, 2017. The fee is pegged at £43,100.