Ateneo wins Silver at 2024 IIBD International Business Case Competition

A team of four students from Ateneo de Manila's John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) won the Silver Prize in the annual IIBD International Case Competition, co-organized by the School of Business of Hong Kong Baptist University and the Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, held last 7 November in Zwolle, the Netherlands.

The team from Ateneo was composed of fourth-year students Sofia Marianne So (BS CTM), Maria Daniela Sofia Pedrosa (BS ITE), Aiji Umemori (BS ME), and Paolo Nicolo Opeña (BS MGT-H). They were mentored by coaches James Soriano, Monica Sugay, Trina Hombre and Bea Cuizon. As first runner-up, the team received a trophy and a cash prize.

Ateneo was joined on the podium by teams from the University of the Philippines Diliman and the University of New South Wales, who bagged the Gold Prize and the Bronze Prize, respectively. The other finalists were teams representing Thammasat University, Hong Kong Baptist University, and the Windesheim School of Applied Sciences.

The theme of the competition was “Water for the World,” with a total of 51 universities from 20 countries participating this year. 

The first-round case was on what role a market-leading Mexican water products and services provider could play in helping solve Mexico’s water crisis by offering wastewater treatment solutions, while the final round case was on an American-based producer of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables determining whether it should pivot into controlled environment agriculture (CEA), whether via greenhouse, container farms, or vertical farms.

Since 2011, Ateneo has never missed a final-round appearance in the competition and has always placed among the top three teams. 

About the IIBD Case Competition

Established in 2008, the IIBD International Case Competition is a competition for IIBD member and non-member universities worldwide. Students will have the chance to gain hands-on experience to tackle real-world business problems, which highlight the strategic challenges and managerial dilemmas, and to network with peers and industry professionals from across the globe.