The only combined business case/skiing competition in the U.S. offers a “one-of-a-kind experience”
It was one of those ideas that certainly had people thinking: “…what?!”
But, as is often the case, it’s the unconventional, out-of-the-box and sometimes crazy ideas that transmute into pure gold.
Andre Janusz (MBA 2005) had one of those ideas when he conceived Race and Case in 2004. Now, as Race and Case celebrates its 20th anniversary, some 1,500 graduate school alumni from the Daniels College of Business and other universities—inside and outside the U.S.—can look back on the singular brilliance of his idea, which combines a rigorous business case study team competition (90% of a team’s score) with the fun of a ski race (the remaining 10%).
“Andre was a member of our Graduate Business Student Association and identified an opportunity to leverage what Colorado has to offer—which is the Rocky Mountains—with a traditional business case competition,” said Cody Sherrod, director of alumni engagement at Daniels.
“What makes Race and Case truly special is how it involves current students, alumni and corporate partners,” she added. “It checks every box in terms of providing value for our students through live case experiences, connecting with corporate partners to solve real business problems, and engaging with alumni as judges and mentors. The backdrop of the Rocky Mountains helps make it a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Race and Case was introduced as a competition among Daniels and other select graduate business colleges in the U.S. Past participants include other top-ranked business programs, such as University of California, Berkeley (Haas), University of Southern California (Marshall), University of Washington (Foster) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Scheller).
London Business School and Simon Fraser University (Beedie) in Vancouver have also participated.
Sponsors have jumped on the bandwagon, too. This year’s sponsors are led by Boeing, which also provided the business case, as well as Vail Resorts and Christy Sports. Past sponsors have included Toyota, Newmont, CenturyLink and Western Union.
Strong alumni reaction
Daniels alumni tend to think fondly of their Race and Case experiences, as does two-time participant Alex Robb (MBA 2017), medical director at Denver’s Goodheart Animal Health Center.
“It was a fun opportunity to work with my classmates in a different setting and a practical way to put the skills and knowledge that we had gained from our business school education to use,” Robb said. “Going into the second year Race and Case, I felt even more confident, especially in the presentation. It was something that we knew we had nailed and walked in with a lot of positivity and confidence. We performed well, and we won!”
Robb also said that he and his three Race and Case team members developed a very tight bond and remain close friends today.
The business case
Business case competitions emerged from the widely-used business case method of teaching, which exposes students to real-world situations and fact-based decision making.
“You can have excellent discussions and more in the classroom when you use a case,” said Vijaya Zinnoury, associate professor in the Daniels Department of Management, who wrote the business case for this year’s Race and Case competition, as well as several previous cases.
“It’s not just a business story; it can be a decision point where students explore the context in depth or different, perhaps, competing contexts,” she added. “It is a very engaging method of involving students and enhancing their critical thinking skills.”
Zinnoury believes the best business cases—for classroom discussion or competition—involve multiple perspectives and competing priorities.
“I have a very eclectic background, so my cases tend to be multidisciplinary and integrative,” she said. “That’s what makes me so enthusiastic about teaching courses like strategy or global management. A multidisciplinary perspective infuses more depth and breadth into the discussion.”
Oftentimes, Zinnoury said, companies that are the subject of business cases participate in writing their case, as Boeing has done for this year’s Race and Case. These companies can derive significant value when their strategic challenges are the subject of a case.
“This year’s Race and Case involves Boeing’s Digital Aviation Solutions division (BDAS), which is headquartered here in the Denver area,” Zinnoury said. “They have a unique suite of software products for the aviation industry, and the focus of this year’s case is how BDAS can increase market share in Europe.”
The judging
Teams are typically made up of four or five students. Each team presents its analysis and conclusions to a panel of judges consisting of alumni and corporate partners in a variety of industries, including finance, marketing and corporate strategy. Judges from the subject company often participate, as well.
“Judges typically evaluate a team on its application of theoretical frameworks in developing an in-depth view of the company,” Zinnoury said. “Does the team really understand what the organization is all about and how it operates? Do they understand its strategy? Do they understand the external factors, including the competitive landscape and the industry environment?”
The creativity of recommendations proposed and students’ ability to support them are critical to impressing the judges.
Then, the skiing
While teams aren’t required to ski and have an opportunity to make up those points in another format, the skiing component of Race and Case is a signature feature. Snowboarders participate, too. This year’s race takes place in Breckenridge, with its owner, Vail Resorts, providing lift tickets. Christy Sports is providing skis and snowboards for participants lacking equipment.
The focus of the race is fun. And despite its small value in total scoring, Sherrod said there’s still plenty at stake. After all, who from Denver would ever want to lose a ski race to someone from a snowless state like Georgia?
Sherrod stays in touch with Race and Case alumni through a Race and Case LinkedIn group, which has more than 100 members. It serves as a resource for current students and a way for alumni to stay connected.
“In the final preparations for this year’s competition, I was deeply reminded of the profound significance this event holds,” Sherrod said. Alumni shared stories of how the skills they gained, the prize money they won and the relationships they built lasted well beyond the weekend event. “The collective experiences and successes of alumni, coupled with the camaraderie forged over the years are what make this competition so special.”