NANYANG MBA

Runners-up in the Asia Pacific Challenge 2016!

By Narendra Pingale 
Nanyang MBA Class of 2017

When we landed in Sydney on the 5^th of December, little did we know that the next few days would be such an intense but fun days of our lives. It was the inaugural case competition – ‘APAC Challenge’ organized by AGSM Sydney and the 11 renowned Business schools that were competing for the prize were amongst the best in the region.

The first day was about getting to know each other and it was rather difficult to not be intimidated by the wealth of knowledge and experience all the participants brought to the table. However, the organizers and the volunteers were extremely helpful and friendly, and made us feel at ease.

L to R: Christoph, Narendra & Martin

Format: There were 3 rounds in the competition. Teams were split into 3 groups of 4 teams each. They would compete amongst themselves but the teams in each group will rotate after each round, thereby allowing all teams to compete against every team. Each round had separate weights attached to them and the top 3 teams would proceed to the finals whereby they would have to present the same case as the 3^rd round.

A case competition is intense and it takes a toll on you both mentally and physically. You are presented a case about a company with real life problems and within 3 hours you are expected to come up with strategic solutions that are: feasible, structured, innovative and well-presented. It is a difficult task and requires a lot of teamwork and analysis. Teamwork is extremely important in this and we were glad we could work with each other so well. Because we knew each other’s working style, we could pitch in for each other and help whenever required.

Winning all the 3 rounds, especially against very tough competition was a very satisfying feeling. We could not get over the line in the finals but it was still a great experience to prepare and present in front of CEO, CFO and a lot of high ranking executives of Master Card Asia Pacific.

Though the competition was intense, it was a lot of fun and learning. We will always remember the time we have had and we are sure the people we met here will always stay in touch. Organising a case competition of this scale requires a lot of effort, especially if it’s an inaugural one. It’s a great effort by the organising team who took care of all the details to the T. We never had to wait for anything and everything we needed were provided in time. The organisers and the volunteers worked tirelessly and were there for us all the time. The cookies they used to give us when we were locked in a room preparing for the case used to be a much needed break for us.

A week felt too short and time flew when we were there. We wish we could have spent more time with the people there but all good things have to come to an end at some point. It was a great learning experience for us and we hope the participants in the years to come will have memorable moments as well.