For immediate release

Kwantlen School of Business team wins prestigious global competition

Metro Vancouver, BC – (February 9, 2012) – Competing before a panel of industry judges, the Kwantlen School of Business team took first place and a cheque for $1200 in the 2012 CaseIT Undergraduate Business Case Competition. The team composed of Kwantlen's Steven Vu (Surrey, BC), Larisa Gorodetsky (Richmond, BC), and Anny Chen (Richmond, BC) faced stiff competition. Nearly 80 university teams entered the preliminary competition with the top sixteen—including Indiana University, UBC, Queens, Carnegie Mellon and National University of Singapore—invited to Vancouver to compete.

CaseIT is an annual international undergraduate business case competition focused on Management Information Systems (MIS) and designed to find the best and brightest in strategic case analysis. Students from various backgrounds in information technology and business showcase their skills in teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking to a panel of industry professionals. This year's competition dealt with security, its role in business success, and the obligations to protect a company's stakeholders, bottom line and future. The panel of judges included representatives from companies such as Coast Capital Savings, CGI, Orbis Financial Planning, SAP, and CIOVAN.

Team member Steven Vu said, "Identifying information is hidden, so the judges don't know where you're from—they simply choose the team that's best." Once you level the playing field like that, it's about skill and what you know." School of Business faculty and team coach Robert Wood echoed that sentiment, saying, "The team truly turned in a first-class performance."

According to School of Business Dean Dr. Arthur Coren, "Case competitions enrich the undergraduate experience. They blend theory with practice and give students an opportunity to apply their learning. It's one of the many ways we develop students who are ready to work and ready to lead."

"The competition makes it all very real," said team member Larisa Gorodetsky said, "Working under pressure really makes you think and perform."

This year's CaseIT competition was the largest yet, with 80 teams representing universities from all over the world, including Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, Lebanon, Indonesia and others. In the words of B.C. Premier Christy Clark, the competition "is a great way for the brightest minds to apply their skills, expand their horizons and network, as they prepare for their future roles in our society."

The next stop for the award-winning team? In April they'll be packing their suitcases to participate in the APEX Business-IT Global Case Challenge in Singapore where they'll compete to repeat their success.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region for more than 30 years, and has opened doors to success for more than 250,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs, including business, liberal arts and science, design, health, trades and technology, apprenticeships, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 17,500 students annually have a choice from over 200 programs, including bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations.

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For more information about Kwantlen, contact:
Joanne Saunders
Director, Marketing and Communications
604.599.2243
joanne.saunders@kwantlen.ca