School of Economics and Business Administration students Daniel del Pozo, Eric Laqueche, María Alexandra Raffo and Mercedes Trejo, together with coach and Professor Ian Kwan, come in fourth place in the final round of the SDS International Business Case Competition in Queenstown, New Zealand.

The School’s case competition team was the only European representative in New Zealand and competed against 11 universities from Australia, Canada, the United States and New Zealand. Coach and Professor Ian Kwan highlighted the students’ progress throughout the cases. He said, “They demonstrated excellent competence in spoken English among native speakers and also stood out for their analysis, critical thinking, summarizing and presentation skills. This shows that our students are among the best in the world.”

The SDS International Business Case Competition in Queenstown, organized by the University of Otago, is the fourth competition for the Case Competition Club this year. The School’s team gained competition experience and training at Concordia University, the University of Florida and UNICC, the University of Navarra’s own case competition. Mercedes Trejo, a team member and student in the sixth year of the bilingual Double Degree in Management and Law, also highlighted the training received in the classes. She said, “Being able to take part in a case competition is an opportunity to put everything we’ve learned in the degree program into practice in an unfamiliar environment like the New Zealand market. Competing in a different environment was a real challenge, but the hard work in the program and the preparation for the competition really paid off.”

Throughout the week, the four students worked on two five-hour cases and an Elevator Pitch. The students were ranked first in their division for their Elevator Pitch. Professor Kwan said, “We earned enough points to enter the final and compete against Ivey Business School, the University of Canterbury and Auckland University of Technology. It was amazing to get to the final.”

Students value the SDS International Business Case Competition because it provides a chance to get to know other cultures and gain new skills. Daniel del Pozo, a fourth-year student in the bilingual Double Degree Program in Economics and Law, said, “The experience was totally rewarding both academically and professionally. You learn a lot about things like working under pressure, teamwork and dealing with the audience. It helps you develop a lot of the skills needed in consulting and just about any other profession.”

Eric Laqueche, a team member and student in the sixth year of the bilingual Double Degree in Management and Law, highlighted the chance to meet new people through the competition. He said, “We came here as four students and a coach, and now we’re going home with friends from all over the world. At the end of the day, we’re competing with students from the best universities, but we’re also learning from them and having fun together.” Meanwhile, María Alexandra Raffo, a fourth-year student in the bilingual Double Degree Program in Economics and Law, emphasized the opportunity to experience another culture in a professional environment. She said, “After four days in Queenstown, I’m convinced that a case competition is a unique experience where you really get to live in the world of business and acquire skills that will help you in your professional career.”

Mercedes, Daniel, Eric and María Alexandra will continue classes at their next destination: their exchange programs at universities in Shanghai, Sydney and Santiago, Chile.