Winners Named in Target Club Case Competition

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A team of three seniors and one junior in the UB School of Management was named the winner of the annual On Target Undergraduate Club Case Competition.

Matthew Prok of Rush, Jaclyn Rusello of Rochester, Christian Nole of Grand Island and Arica Ruppenthal of Orchard Park comprised the winning team. They represented the American Marketing Association student club.

The team and the club will share a $3,000 prize. Each student will receive $250 and the American Marketing Association will receive $2,000.

The competition, sponsored by Target Corporation, is intended to help undergraduate students hone their analytical, problem-solving and teamwork skills by proposing solutions to a real-world business challenge.

Eighteen teams representing 71 students and 16 students clubs in the School of Management entered the competition. This year’s case focused on how Target can better use technology to innovate their food strategy so their guests think of Target first for food. In the final round of the competition on Feb. 25, the top-five teams presented their analyses and recommendations.

Three individuals from Target served as judges for the final presentations: Peter Firestone, district facility operations manager; Randy Joseph, district team leader; and Amy Lauricella, senior field campus recruiter.

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,750 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information, visit target.com.

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 has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, 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.