First ever Asper Leadership Case Competition kicks off in February
Participants from top business schools gather in Winnipeg to test their leadership knowledge and skills in Asper’s first national case competition, presented by the Stu Clark Graduate School.
The I. H. Asper School of Business is proud to host the inaugural Asper Leadership Case Competition (ALCC), presented by the Stu Clark Graduate School. This event is the first ever national, graduate case competition hosted by the Asper School of Business alongside the Stu Clark Graduate School and will welcome graduate teams from top Canadian business schools to tackle contemporary organizational challenges through two rounds of fierce competition.
Case competitions are a hallmark of experiential learning in business education. Acknowledging the importance of training future business leaders, Dr. Bruno Silvestre, Dean of the I. H. Asper School of Business and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership, emphasizes the role case competitions play in the professional development of graduate students. “I am thrilled to welcome participants to this inaugural event. As a part of experiential education, case competitions offer a compressed version of what business is, giving students an early opportunity to practice working under pressure in a dynamic environment. Teams must engage not only their critical thinking and leadership skills, but also their ability to respond, adapt and maintain momentum in the face of change.”
Dr. Stu Clark [B.Comm.(Hons.)/76, LL.D./2011], benefactor and namesake of the graduate school at Asper, also recognizes the value of case competitions, highlighting the collegiality and connection that these events facilitate.
“I am a huge supporter of this method of experiential learning, particularly at the graduate school level. The face-to-face, peer-to-peer, competitive nature of these events presents a real life, out-of-classroom opportunity for students to engage with peers from graduate business schools across Canada, and to build their confidence as they prepare to face the myriad of complex problems in their future business careers.” – Stu Clark
Cases for this event will be crafted around the theme of leadership. As a centre for excellence in case competitions and business education, Asper is a fitting host for what promises to be a dynamic two-day exchange of strategy, camaraderie and creativity.
Bolstered by the expertise emerging from the James W. Burns Leadership Institute, housed in the Asper School of Business, the ALCC represents an exciting opportunity for graduate students to engage their leadership knowledge and competencies to solve the complex problems that organizations face today.
The theme of leadership reflects a key element of the Asper and Stu Clark Graduate School experience, emphasizing a critical skill for any business student. During the competition, teams will use their leadership knowledge to prepare cases and present solutions —all while putting their own individual and collective leadership skills to the test.
This idea of collective leadership defines academic and professional excellence in business. The success of teams in this competition will be as much a result of their individual leadership skills as they are a result of their ability to collaborate as leaders: recognizing, supporting and calling upon excellence in each other.
In that spirit, this landmark event is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors: community business leaders and alumni who see the value in uplifting future leaders in our MBA program by helping to facilitate experiential learning opportunities like the ALCC.
The Asper School of Business and the Stu Clark Graduate School are proud to highlight the vibrancy of Winnipeg during this two-day competition. Participants from business schools across the country will have opportunities to partake in planned activities that showcase this great city: from The Forks, a meeting place for over 6,000 years, to winter festivities at the annual Festival du Voyageur.
We welcome members of the business community, alumni and students to join in the excitement of the first ever Asper Leadership Case Competition. Come watch future business leaders from across Canada present creative solutions to complex organizational concerns during the public finals on Saturday, February 25, join the conversation and follow the competition on social media, or contribute to this landmark event as a volunteer.
The Asper Leadership Case Competition is the first in an annual series that represents the momentum, dynamism and educational excellence of the Stu Clark Graduate School and the I. H. Asper School of Business.
For more information or to get involved, please visit the event webpage: https://umanitoba.ca/asper/asper-leadership-case-competition