Management Students to Compete in IBM Business Simulation

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Students in the University at Buffalo School of Management will get a taste of the real business world when IBM professionals come to campus on Oct. 15 to run a business simulation exercise. The event will be organized by the school’s Financial Management Association.

Thirty-two undergraduate and graduate students will participate in the daylong event, competing against each other in teams.

Each team will be given a packet of information outlining the strengths and weaknesses of a mock technology company. Using this information, students will create and execute sales strategies and go on several “sales calls,” trying to sell their product to the competition’s judges.

“The simulation is a negotiation in which students use market intelligence and handle quickly changing industry conditions to persuade the IBM manager to make a deal,” says Charles Lindsey, assistant professor of marketing in the School of Management, and a competition judge. “Participants need to demonstrate strategic thinking, marketing and sales expertise, ethical decision-making, leadership skills and a winning attitude.”

In addition to Lindsey, six IBM professionals will serve as judges for the competition. They are: Samuel Barbera, Cognos account executive; Anthony Carubba, ITS contract financial analyst; Bill Deck, business transformation manager, finance; Christine Mackay, university recruiting and new hire education manager; Erin O’Brien, open infrastructure offering, business development executive; and Rachel Weissfeld, software sales specialist.

The top two teams will prepare a presentation documenting team dynamics, strategic thoughts, leverage of competitive positioning and adaptive techniques used during the simulation. An overall winner will be selected based upon presentation content, quality and effectiveness.

The day will conclude with remarks from Arjang A. Assad, dean of the School of Management.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.