MBA, MS and Undergraduate Students Team up in Unilever Supply Chain Case Competition

Smith Students Earn Trip to Unilever’s Connecticut Campus

Three students from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business have earned the opportunity to visit Unilever’s Trumbull, Connecticut research and development center.

Five teams, made up of MBA, MS and undergraduate students, recently competed in an inaugural Unilever Supply Chain Case Competition. The competitors, focused on supply chain management, were given 72 hours to solve real-life supply chain cases for Unilever. Challenges included finding cost-efficient ways to manufacture on the West Coast, reducing transportation and production costs overall and tackling global supply chain environmental issues.   

“To do what they did in two or three days would take us months,” said judge Andrew McAllister, supply chain planning director for personal care at Unilever. “The creativity and practicality was outstanding. I’m going back to the office feeling motivated as to what’s possible.”

The winning strategy, created by Emily Cobb (BA 2015), Fred Gessell (MS 2015) and Dan Levenstein (MBA 2015), focused on minimizing costs, customer service and social impact.

“Getting the chance to tackle a problem Unilever is actually facing and being able to offer their own solutions and creativity was a fantastic opportunity for students,” said Suzanne L’Amoureux, assistant director in Smith’s Office of Career Service.

Additional judges included Wendy Herrick, vice president of Customer Service and Logistics, Unilever North America; Matt Algar, logistics director, Unilever North America; and Lisa Harrington, associate director of the Supply Chain Management Center and lecturer, Smith’s Logistics, Business and Public Policy department.

Erica Bonelli, intern, Office of Marketing Communications