UW takes second MBA 'Rose Bowl'

Four UW masters of business administration students swept a second- place win to USC, who won first, in the "Rose Bowl" of MBA case competitions at the W.P. Carrey School of Business at Arizona State University.

The UW team members Elisabeth Bykoff, Theo Iaponas, Ben Lower and Kelly Schermer were given a case about the Rayovac Corporation on Friday morning of the competition and had 24 hours to solve the company's problems and assemble a power point presentation for the judges.

They were required to complete slides and an executive summary by 7:15 a.m. Saturday morning, presenting 15 minutes later.

"Our strategy was to stay focused and efficient," Bykoff said. "We probably worked on the case from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m."

Most teams wrap up around 2-3 a.m. so they can get at least a little sleep, said faculty sponsor Dan Poston in an e-mail.

"Everyone is very focused, and as day wears into night people get very tired," Poston said.

While other teams are formed through a selection process, the UW team was formed by its members.

It began with one student who initiated the process and then asked around to recruit interested MBA students.

The UW team brings in experience with case competitions, since first-year MBA students are required to complete two.

"Our strengths as a team were that we had thorough analysis, recommendations, and solutions," Lower said. "The judges said that we had the best team dynamics and were the most creative."

Besides scoring high in the competition, team members said there were other benefits to being involved.

"The friendships that come out of this are the most rewarding thing," Schermer said. "There's intense pressure, and it's great when people can come through."

Lower agreed.

"When all is said and done, it's the bonding experience," he said. "It's something you can draw from."

The UW has qualified every year since the program began in 2004.

Poston said UW has had a consistent record in MBA competitions, and the team is determined to capture a win.

"This year they said, 'Second place is not bad,' but we need to help coach the UW MBA team next year so that they come back with first place in 2008," he said.

Reach reporter Genea Paras at news@thedaily.washington.edu.