UB MBAs take second in invite-only Illinois case competition

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A team of four MBA students from the University at Buffalo School of Management won second place and $1,500 in the Illinois MBA Strategy Case Competition on Feb. 7.

Eveeta Bajracharya, MBA ’16, of Kathmandu, Nepal; Siddhartha Parepally, MBA ’16, of Mancherial, India; Ashith Shetty, MBA ’15, of Mangalore, India; and Aditya Yellapantula, MBA ’15, of Visakhapatnam, India, represented the UB School of Management.

Twelve universities nationwide were invited to compete in the annual competition, held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Baylor University took first place, while Purdue University finished third.

Participants were given 24 hours to analyze a business case about Square, a mobile payment company, and develop a strategy to continue or accelerate the company’s growth despite the entrance of other mobile services into the market. Teams delivered their presentations to a panel of judges from AT&T, Bosch and E. & J. Gallo Winery.

Christopher Maugans ’10, JD/MBA ’14, legal assistant at Erie Community College, served as coach and mentor for the UB team. Maugans won several national competitions while studying at the School of Management.

“The competition was a close simulation of what is expected by top management in the corporate world,” says Shetty. “We worked well as a team under strict deadlines to develop our recommendations and defend them in a professional manner. Our School of Management courses in strategy, data modeling and communications, as well as our session with Chris, were invaluable in building an effective presentation.”

Expenses for the UB team were funded through a donation by alumnus Steven C. Verney ’80, MBA ’81, executive vice president and chief risk officer at Allstate Insurance Co., and a grant from Allstate.

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, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report 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, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB’s nearly 30,000 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.