Winners Announced for Harvard Business School Case Contest

The Bank of Georgia and TBSC Consulting recently collaborated to organize the final round of the highly anticipated Harvard Business School case competition. Over 400 students from 12 universities participated in the initial stage, and after three rigorous rounds, the jury selected 22 semi-finalists. From this pool, the top eight teams advanced to the final round.

After completing the final task, the jury determined the winners of the Harvard Business School cases, who collectively received a prize fund of 20,000 GEL. The first-place team, The Dividend Dudes from the Free University, was awarded 11,000 GEL, while the second-place team, Goal Diggers from Black Sea University, received 6,000 GEL. The third-place prize of 3,000 GEL went to Whizz-Kids from ISET. The exceptional solutions presented by the contestants prompted the jury to recognize a fourth winner, Hold My Beer from ISET.

Throughout the competition, students tackled business cases used in leading universities worldwide, encompassing various sectors. This allowed young participants to gain international knowledge and develop vital skills in marketing, sales, business operations, and financial analysis.

Each stage of the competition focused on cases from different business sectors. The open round centered on the beverage sector, the semi-final tasked participants with analyzing the banking sector, and the final round revolved around the pharmaceutical sector. In the grand finale, students had to devise viable strategies to obtain board authorization for marketing a new drug, requiring them to excel in presenting information to consumers and outperforming competitors.

The jury evaluated not only the possible return on investment, margins, revenue, and profit projections provided by the students but also their logical reasoning and decision-making processes. Participants were expected to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the case, present well-founded solutions, and effectively articulate their logical chain of thought to the jury.

This year, in an effort to expand opportunities for students, the competition was held simultaneously in both Tbilisi and Kutaisi.

Anna Lomtadze, Head of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Department at the Bank of Georgia, expressed the institution's commitment to supporting education and fostering access to quality international-level education for young people. Lomtadze emphasized the bank's dedication to nurturing talent through various initiatives and their partnership with TBSC Consulting to host the Harvard Business School case competition in Georgia. This collaboration provides outstanding and ambitious young individuals with valuable skills and knowledge to secure future positions in leading companies. Lomtadze concluded by expressing excitement about the growing interest in the competition and the Bank of Georgia's commitment to offering more exciting opportunities in the future.