Smith MBAs Win $12,000 Grand Prize

A team of MBA students from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business outperformed finalists from Northwestern, Georgetown and Carnegie Mellon Universities to win the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s inaugural MBA Case Competition on Nov. 3, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

“Congratulations to the Smith School team for its first place finish in our inaugural MBA Case Competition,” said foundation president Carolyn Cawley. “At the Foundation we believe that business is part of the solution, so it was rewarding to see the team bring that to life.”

The event challenged students to explore the connections between profit and corporate social responsibility. Smith winners included Shishir Bhargava, Alison Scharman, Anna Holland and Emily Robichaud.

“They worked hard as a team, and it showed,” Cawley said. “Their presentation was detailed and thoughtful, and they had great poise in front of our panel of judges.”

Scharman, a 2017 MBA candidate, said the most valuable part of the experience was having the opportunity to work with her Smith teammates. “We had never worked together this closely prior to now, and I continually find myself in awe with how talented they are and how well we work together,” she said.

The team shared $12,000 in prize money. Runners up from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management received $7,500.

The event, organized in partnership with FedEx Freight, included 34 teams from 12 universities. “FedEx Freight is proud to play a key role in making this competition possible,” said Sean Healy, senior vice president of strategic planning and engineering for FedEx Freight. “FedEx truly believes that when we support communities where we operate and serve, those communities flourish and thrive.” 

Photos by David Bohrer, courtesy of U.S. Chamber Foundation.