University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School Takes Top Honors at Seventh Annual MBA National Case Competition

WESTLAKE, Texas, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Deloitte Foundation announced that the team from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School won the seventh annual MBA National Case Competition, based on their innovative approach to a defined project to draw more juniors to the game of golf. It marked the UNC team's first No. 1 finish in the competition.

The winning presentation provided an analysis of a complex, issues-driven business case, offering insights into product development and distribution, risk assessment, financial considerations and clear metrics. UNC team members Luis Carrera, Bradley Keller, Kelly Lynch and Katherine Wolfenden earned a combined scholarship of $20,000 for their winning presentation, titled, "Golf Your Way: Bringing the Love of Golf to Every Child, Everywhere."

The submittal features an at-home kit that gets beginner golf tools into the hands of youth, and a simple app that allows them to track their success.

Emory University Goizueta School of Business took second place; The University of Virginia Darden School of Business and University of Michigan Ross School of Business followed in third and fourth place, respectively.

The competition was held Jan. 5-8 at Deloitte University, Deloitte's leadership center near Dallas, Texas. 

More than 1,100 students from leading MBA programs entered regional competitions, with 64 advancing to the national finals. At the national finals, these 64 students, making up 16 teams of four, developed a strategic proposal and presentation to answer a business challenged posed by the United States Golf Association (USGA) to increase engagement among junior golfers. The teams presented their recommendations to a panel of 27 judges that included a combination of top industry and Deloitte leaders.

"This was an exceptionally strong field of competitors, and UNC and other finalists should be proud of their achievements," said Amy Feirn, national managing director for Deloitte Consulting LLP's strategy and operations practice and a competition judge. "Given the complexity of the case, and the challenge presented by the USGA to the teams, I was impressed by the students' ability to develop creative, insight-driven solutions. I have no doubt they will play key roles in shaping the future of business."

"The Deloitte Foundation understands the vital need to better prepare future leaders to solve tomorrow's increasingly complex business challenges," said Tonie Leatherberry, president, Deloitte Foundation. "The MBA National Case Competition, as well as our other education programs, are designed to complement classroom learning, provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and ultimately grow the pipeline of future talent. We continue to be inspired by the exceptional skills each student team brings to the competition."

In addition to the winners, this year's finalists included teams of students from the following MBA programs:

• Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
• Columbia University Business School
• Cornell University (Johnson)
• Dartmouth College (Tuck)
• Duke University (Fuqua)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
• New York University (Stern)
• Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• University of Texas (McCombs)
• University of California, Los Angeles (Anderson)
• University of Chicago (Booth)
• Yale University School of Management

About The Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the talent of the future and their influencers and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefitting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and educators. For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation website at www.deloitte.com/us/df.

About Deloitte
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SOURCE Deloitte