Author: Viscomi, Sabrina

COVID-19 has changed the business landscape in more ways than one. Now a year into the pandemic, organizations are looking to the future, planning and preparing for a post-COVID world. JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking, the presenting sponsor for this semester’s Live Strategy Case Competition, is no exception.

JPMorgan Chase has provided the business cases for both the fall and spring competitions this year. The challenge issued to spring students was to develop a strategy that will allow the firm’s commercial banking business to adapt and thrive in a post-COVID world.

A total of 12 teams presented their strategies to JPMorgan Chase representatives over Zoom on Friday, April 30^th. Executives were impressed with all of the student presentations. “They mentioned that it was really difficult for them to pick the winners this semester because there were so many good strategies to choose from” said Dr. Filiz Tabak, chair of the management department.

However, the judges ultimately selected Captains of Industry, with John Milchling, Alexis Provenzano, Eric Weisberg, Jeffrey Aumiller, and Charlies Gilbert from Dr. Obedkova’s section for first place. The JPMorgan Chase executives “liked the fact that the team came up with multiple strategies” said Dr. Obedkova.

She continued, “They particularly liked idea of partnering with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation because it aligns with JPMorgan Chase’s current priorities to promote involvement in the community.”

Team Tune, with Maxmillian Miller, John Blevins, Jeffrey Binder, and Andrew McBee from Dr. Brannon’s section came in second place.

Finally, team Juliett, with Kaylin Feeney, Tzvi Herman, Samantha Meiskin, Colin Moerman, and Hanna Zarihun from Professor Zuccaro’s class, took third.

About the Live Case Competition: Each semester, CBE hosts the Live Strategy Case Competition, a requirement for all graduating business students enrolled in the MNGT 481 capstone course. The competition features a case study, provided by a business partner, which students analyze throughout the semester. While over 400 students participate in the experience, only the winning team from each section earns the opportunity to present their recommendations to the sponsoring firm’s representatives.

About our Sponsor: JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking serves emerging startups to midsize businesses and large corporations as well as government entities, not-for-profit organizations, and commercial real estate investors, developers and owners. Clients are supported through every stage of growth with specialized industry expertise and tailored financial solutions including credit and financing, treasury and payment services, international banking and more.

Authors: Nhan Nguyen and Alex Parker

Five teams from top ranking universities in Maryland and Pennsylvania participated in the 7th Annual Weinman Cup Regional Supply Chain Case Competition hosted virtually by Towson University on April 15, 2021. Students from Towson University, Kutztown University, Shippensburg University, Morgan State University and Stevenson University had the opportunity to present to a panel of judges from three major supply chains – Shapiro, McCormick, and Cava.

The judges had a difficult time determining the top three teams because all their performances were excellent and insightful. After much deliberation, the Towson University team took the first prize, Kutztown won second place, and Morgan State won third. TU‘s team members Lauren Hege, Danielle Cornelius, Allison Rybalnik, and Matthew Taylor, advised by Professor Dong-Qing Yao, were praised by the judges for their impressive data analytics skills and actionable recommendations.

The business case was developed by Dr. Chaodong Han, Chair of the Business Analytics and Technology Management department, and Professor Cindy Buschman from the Supply Chain Program at TU. It reflected a real business problem in procurement and sourcing in which contestants were asked to propose and compare options for shipping new products from suppliers in China and Mexico, or contract with a local supplier in Baltimore. Students were also asked to evaluate the tradeoffs for each option.

The case was distributed to each team one month prior to competition finale. It required students to apply data analysis skills and challenged students to use creative ideas and business mindset to resolve the case.

“I feel I gained meaningful connections and an educational experience that I can build off of in my future career” said TU team member Danielle Cornelius.

Sh’ton Pickering from Morgan State University’s team added, “I learned about what it truly takes working in the Supply Chain field. I learned about calculating and estimating costs as precisely as one can. I also learned about managing and mitigating risks when dealing with long distance suppliers.”

Congratulations to all of the student participants! Their leadership and devotion to excellence continues to make this annual competition truly meaningful and successful.

TU’s Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) successfully hosted its first Mock Interview Competition on April 27, 2021. The competition, comprised of two rounds, began with students across campus submitting their resumes for a Human Resource Generalist position. Four finalists, selected from the first round of resumes, were invited to a semi-structured interview, conducted by a hiring panel of four industry leaders from both the private and public sectors. Three of the four finalists were awarded at a virtual ceremony held on April 27^th.

The first place winner was Amanda Margkrathok, CBE graduating senior with a double major in Business Administration (Human Resource Management concentration) and Business Systems and Processes. Amanda thought the interview was not as stressful as she expected. She said the interview felt more like a conversation than the interrogations she had experienced with other hiring panels during her previous job interviews.

Saron Alemseged won second place and Emily Eichele won third place. Both were graduating Business Administration seniors with concentrations in Human Resources Management. When asked about their takeaways from the Mock Interview Competition, Emily expressed that it was a great opportunity to practice interviewing. Saron’s advice to other student interviewees is to “Give yourself affirmations and present it.” These winners received cash prizes in the amount of $100, $60, and $40 respectively from the Department of Management.

Mr. Jimmy Lien, Regional Business Director for Cintas and competition judge, said of the winners “I would have no problem hiring all three of you at my organization.” Associate Professor Nhung Hendy, who organized the competition on behalf of the Department of Management and the TU Society for Human Resource Management student chapter, said that she hoped this would be an annual event open to students from all majors and disciplines, as human resource management is relevant and applicable to all disciplines and organizations.

Credit: Jacob Dunham, ‘21 and Hanna Cogar, ‘22

Now in its third year, the Big Give is an annual one-day event celebrating the generosity of the TU community. This year’s participation was the best yet, with a record 1,450 donors giving more than $140,000. Contributions benefit key projects on campus across all seven colleges, including the Honors College, Albert S. Cook Library, Athletics, TU Student Emergency Funds, unrestricted funds, BTU- Partnerships for Greater Baltimore, Student Affairs and the Office of Inclusion & Institutional Equity.

CBE is especially proud to have earned first place in dollars earned among TU’s colleges, with nearly 100 gifts totaling more than $15,000.

“We are very thankful to have received 94 gifts totaling $15,348” said CBE major gift officer Frank Sneeringer.

One of the special projects supported by this year’s Big Give contributions is the Tigers Well-Suited for Tomorrow fund. The fund, started in 2019, helps students find professional attire.

During these changing times, many of our students are preparing to enter the workforce. This period is even more stressful for those students who lack the professional attire needed to make a positive first impression in a critical job interview. Tigers Well-Suited for Tomorrow is a fund that helps address this often-overlooked student need by supporting CBE’s career closet, The Well-Suited Wardrobe.

The Well-Suited Wardrobe offers new and lightly worn items so our students can look their best while showing future employers their skills and giving them confidence to succeed in the workplace. Funds raised help increase the career closet’s range of inventory and items that will help our students land their first internship or job.

Learn more about the Well-Suited Wardrobe or be a part of our students’ success stories by making a gift today.

Starting a career in finance might seem intimidating, but networking is a great first step. On April 9, the College of Business and Economics hosted its second Finance Meet & Greet, bringing experienced professionals and students together in an intimate and unique industry event. The goal of the program is to provide students with valuable perspectives from practitioners within the broad field of finance and provide them with an opportunity to ask questions and network.

Chinedum Nwadiora, a lecturer in the Department of Finance who hosted the event, said it succinctly: “A grade isn’t enough. You need to make industry contacts.”

The virtual event, which drew more than 50 attendees featured keynote speakers Michael S. Harris, director of family office and partner at Verdence Capital Advisors; recent CBE alum, Jeffrey Niedzwiecki ’19 (financial advisor; vice president of Crossland Financial Group) and Seth Vittori ’18 (associate at Morgan Stanley), all who shared key insights from their professional experience.

Harris advised students to have an understanding of the marketplace at large, like understanding the different roles and the different types of firms. While a lot of research can be found online, the speakers recommended conducting informational interviews. However, they cautioned that the point of these is to pick professionals’ brains, not to ask for a job.

The panelists also encourage students interested in pursuing careers in finance to start preparing for their professional licenses now. There are several designations that can be earned while an undergrad, such as Bloomberg certifications, which are embedded in the finance curriculum in CBE.

Niedzwiecki and Vittori noted the advantages of pursuing the financial planning track, which helped hem professionally and personally by saving time and money once employed in the industry.

Neither hesitated to answer whether the CBE curriculum prepared them for their careers.

“I think it was perfect,” says Niedzwiecki.

“I couldn’t agree more. The curriculum really does prepare you well for the material you’ll study for the next 1-2 years in the CFA program,” says Vittori.

Regardless of which finance track students pursue, the speakers also agreed that another great way to prepare is through internships. Harris called them “super important,” and Vittori says he believes the experience he got through two internships helped him secure a job when he graduated.

Niedzwiecki called communication skills critical. Understanding financial concepts is not the end of the job – you have to be able to explain that knowledge, he says.

“You need to learn how to explain what you’ve learned at a college level at a fifth grade level,” he says. “If you can show you have better communication skills than the next guy, that’s the key.