Team Lumos Berator (MBA students Aditi Srivastava, Kanika Rastogi, Napat Ratanakul, and Alvin Salim) recently clinched first runners-up at the 24th IESE Roland Berger MBA Case Competition in Barcelona, Spain.
From 14 to 16 February, the students pitted their wits against ten of the world’s leading business schools, including London Business School and Chicago Booth.
Over three days, the teams worked on the case for a Spain-based travel specialist Pangea, where they had to come up with a growth strategy for the young company.
To prepare, the students visited the Pangea store and interviewed the staff to find out more about the company. They also had a 1-hour coaching session with consultants from Roland Berger. This helped the students become more familiar with the company and its market.
The NUS team’s recommendation was for Pangea to strengthen its position in the domestic market, leveraging technology such as mobile app and video conferencing to improve the client experience. They also suggested Pangea venture overseas to countries that are similar to Spain in terms of culture, including Argentina and Colombia.
Faced with a tight deadline – working through two rounds within three days, the students say teamwork pulled them through the competition. They helped each other in preparing the content and provided feedback during rehearsals for presentation.
David Hernandez, Pangea’s founder and CEO who was in the judging panel, praised the team’s presentation and recommendations. He commended the team for their understanding of the company and market landscape and said their strategy was almost the same as what David and his management team planned for Pangea’s roadmap. The judges also lauded the team for preparing a comprehensive strategy and having an engaging and articulate presentation style.
Looking back at their time in Spain, the team said they enjoyed the entire experience in Barcelona, exploring the city, food and culture. Also, the students were able to network with their peers from around the world.