Memorial University has kept its standing as the top business school in the John Molson MBA International Case Competition, thanks to ongoing support from the business and alumni community.

 

The competition is the largest of its kind and open only to leading business schools worldwide.

 

The format is a round-robin tournament in which teams of four students must analyze and evaluate six unpublished business cases and one real-life case presented by a major company.

 

With no access to the internet, the graduate students must conceive of and present a detailed plan of action to a panel of judges. More than 300 business executives serve as judges. Teams are evaluated on creativity, insight, substance and plausibility of implementation.

 

Memorial University master of business administration students Haris Ansari, Allison Hiscock, Jillian Oldford and Yuserah Shahzeb placed second in this year’s prestigious competition, also known as the Concordia Cup.

 

Memorial has won the cup five times and has 11 finishes in the top three — more than any other business school in the world.

 

Thirty teams from 15 countries participated in the 2025 Concordia Cup this month in Montreal. HEC Montreal was the eventual winner.

 

Ms. Oldford says Memorial’s record of success added some pressure, but the team felt well prepared.

 

“We felt confident in each other and leaned on each other for different cases that were in each other’s wheelhouse,” she said.

 

Ms. Oldford credits coaching from Dr. Peggy Coady, associate professor at the Faculty of Business Administration, for the team’s preparedness and strong result.

 

Dr. Coady has coached case teams for more than 20 years and was part of the 1996 Concordia Cup-winning team.

 

Intensive preparation

 

Memorial University’s team prepares for Concordia Cup competition through intensive practice.

 

Members of the business community, many of whom are prior Concordia Cup participants, act as practice judges to ask questions and provide feedback.

 

Dean Travor Brown says this strong alumni support differentiates Memorial’s business faculty from others across Canada and the world.

 

“The Concordia Cup is a formative experience for our MBA students, and we wouldn’t continue to have such success if it weren’t for the support and guidance of our alumni community,” he said. “We’re grateful that our alumni come back each year and contribute to this cycle of success in competitions, and success in our community.”

 

One of those alumnae is Jane Kieley, a senior manager at Bell.

 

Ms. Kieley was a member of the 1995 Concordia Cup team that also placed second, and is Ms. Oldford’s supervisor at Bell.

 

“Participating in the Concordia Cup was the defining experience of my MBA journey at Memorial,” said Ms. Kieley. “Support from the business community was key to our team’s success.”

 

She adds that Memorial’s ongoing record of success “reinforces how important it is for us as alumni to share our insights and expertise with the next generation of graduates and leaders.”

 

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Image for use with credit. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Chad Pelley, media relations manager for Memorial University, at chad.pelley@mun.ca or 709-853-4281.