Laurier Case Team emerges triumphant at JDC Central, bringing home Academic Cup

Feb. 6, 2024

The Laurier Case Team, representing the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University soared to victory at the 2024 JDC Central (JDCC) competition, leaving with an impressive array of awards. The team not only secured top honors in several key categories but also walked away with the highly coveted Academic Cup, solidifying their standing as a powerhouse in the world of business competitions.

JDCC is a multi-disciplinary competition hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students (CABS). It is the largest undergraduate business school competition in Central Canada, and brings over 600 student delegates together from Ontario, Québec, and the Maritimes. Lasting three days each Winter, JDCC is comprised of the following events:

1. Eight academic case competitions: accounting, digital strategy, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, international business, marketing, and strategy.
2. Debate competition.
3. Social competition where delegates showcase spirit in various skits and improv shows.
4. Sports competition – the sports change each year with this year's sports volleyball and pickleball.
5. Charity competition where schools compete to raise money for a charity.
6. Overall school spirit.

Congratulations to the Laurier Case Team, whose exceptional performance was highlighted by their triumph in the following categories:

Academic Cup: First Place

This award recognizes the Laurier Case Team’s success in earning the top academic track results from all competing schools. This is the seventh time in the 11 years that the Academic cup has been awarded that the Laurier team has secured first place, and the team has celebrated second or third place for many of the other years.

School of the Year: Second Place

In a fierce competition among esteemed institutions, Laurier secured second place for the School of the Year award, underscoring the collective strength and achievements of the university's business program and highlighting the well-rounded nature of the competition and our students, incorporating the non-academic standings into this award.

All-Star Awards: Third Place

Alex Bancea, 4th year BBA/BA; Royal Kumar, 3rd year BBA; Jimmy Zhan, 4th year BBA/BMath Double Degree; Harmeet Gill, 4th year BBA.

Each school sends four all-stars, representing each of the four types of competition: academic cases, debate, social, and sports. These 4 individuals compete In a series of ad hoc challenges that culminate in the All-Star cup being awarded.

Academic Awards:

Finance: 1st Place
Nikolas Kotsovolos, 3rd year BBA; Ansh Patel, 2nd year BBA; Anna Turkstra, 4th year, BBA.

Human Resources: 1st Place
Layla Salyani, 3rd year BBA; Jozef Magolon, 2nd year BBA; Saad Khan, 3rd year BBA.

International Business: 1st Place
Annette Schiller, 5th year BBA/BA Double Degree, Elizabeth Robbins, 4th year BBA; Victoria Kreinin, 3rd year BBA/BSc Double Degree.

Marketing: 2nd Place
Joseph Bath, 2nd year BBA/BSc; Hiba Farooqi, 4th year BBA; Claire Shen, 3rd year BBA/BCS (UW) Double Degree.

Business Strategy: 3rd Place
Kushi Padala, 3rd year BBA; Justin Moffatt, 3rd year BBA; Michael Ye, 4th year BBA/BCS (UW) Double Degree.

Entrepreneurship: 3rd Place
Adam Izumi, 2nd year BBA; Emily Liu, 3rd year BBA; Nicolas Amaya, 2nd year BBA.

Accounting:
Harmeet Gill, 4th year BBA; Jacqueline Lam, 3rd year BBA/BA; Mailon Kengeswararajah, 4th year BBA.

Digital Strategy:
Nada Elhossiny, 3rd year BBA/BCS (UW) Double Degree; Kevin Cui, 3rd year BBA/BCS (UW) Double Degree; Jessie Peng, 3rd year BBA/BCS (UW) Double Degree.

Debate: 2nd Place

Alex Bancea, 4th year BBA/BA; Guo Chen, 2nd year BBA/BCS (UW) Double Degree; Alexander Nagy, 4th year BBA/BMath Double Degree; Daniel Nucci, 4th year BBA.

Social: 2nd Place

Royal Kumar, 3rd year BBA; Jordan Francis, 3rd year BBA; Cassandra Howse, 3rd year BBA; Akshaan Jando, 3rd year BBA.

Sports:

Jimmy Zhan, 4th year BBA/BMath Double Degree; Ivy Yu, 4th Year BBA/BMath (UW) Double Degree; Colin Hum, 1st year BBA/BA Double Degree; Tailai Wang, 5th year BBA/BCS (UW) Double Degree; Clark Vlasman, 3rd year BBA; Ella Giannantonio, 1st year BBA.

Congratulations as well to the leadership team:
Course instructor Brandon Van Dam; JDCC Faculty Advisor Michael Blair; Co-Captains Kyle Chang and Imaad Mian; Godparents Sia Bhaskar and Duncan Spizzirri; and the executive team Charlie Fletcher, VP Case; Emma Robson, VP Corporate; Simon Tan, VP Finance, and Maddie Edgar, VP Marketing.

"I am so proud of this team,” said Van Dam. “Their dedication and commitment week after week was what allowed them to see such resounding success at the competition. Not only is it clear that we have the best and brightest students here in the Lazaridis School, but we also have some of the most well-rounded and kind-hearted."

Co-captains Chang and Mian shared: “With Sofy Carayannopoulos on sabbatical this year, we were grateful to have Brandon Van Dam and Michael Blair as our faculty advisors for JDCC. Both played pivotal rules in supporting the Laurier Case Team throughout the season. Through course curriculum, practice case selection, and helping to build strong team dynamics. They also helped coordinate our extensive alumni network, inviting them to coach and empower all of our teams throughout the training process. We were incredibly grateful for their support throughout the entire term.”

The Laurier Case Team's triumph at JDC Central serves as an inspiration for aspiring business leaders. Their outstanding achievements in multiple categories and the acquisition of the Academic Cup reflect the team's commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Congratulations to the entire team on their remarkable journey and well-deserved victory!