​Heineken Challenge 2017: More than a case, more than a challenge

 

 

NBS undergraduates Teo Wei Kiat (second from left) and Yeo Guang Jin (third from left) participated in Heineken Challenge 2017 by forming a team with their schoolmate from NTU School of Art, Design and Media.  

Heineken recently organised a business case competition - “Heineken Challenge 2017” - for undergraduates in Singapore.  The finals for the event was held from 25 to 27 October in Singapore and two of our NBS teams came in top three.

Team Converge, which consists of NBS undergraduates Teo Wei Kiat (Year 3, ACC), Yeo Guang Jin (Year 2, BUS) along with their teammate Syahir Jack Ezekiel from NTU School of Art, Design and Media, clinched the first runners-up spot and was awarded a cash prize of $1200.

To the three of them, the idea of winning the Heineken Challenge seemed almost impossible at first because they specialise in different majors and only had about three weeks to work on the case study.

However, according to Wei Kiat, the leader of Team Converge, a likely reason they won is because they were able to develop a common ground and leverage on each other’s strengths to achieve the common goal.

“I may be very practical but I am not as creative or have an aptitude for research like them,” he said.

When asked about how they could have done better, Wei Kiat believed that they were too focused on building a campaign that they failed to see how they can expand their ideas to a greater scale.

 

Three other NBS Accountancy and Business second-year undergraduates also did the school proud at the Heineken Challenge. 

Team Alpha Consulting, which consists of Alethea Tan Shi Qi (Year 2, ACBS), Amanda Lo Yu Zhen (Year 2, ACBS) and Wong Xianlun (Year 2, ACBS), did the school proud by winning second runners-up and a cash prize of $900.

The three Accountancy and Business undergraduates revealed that the Heineken Challenge was an eye-opening experience. Through this competition, they now have a better understanding of the marketing and business operations in the FCMG industry.

“We interacted a lot with the Heineken team and they were kind enough to spare some time and share their insights on working in the FMCG industry with us,” Amanda said.  

At the end of it all, it is not just about winning. It is about the opportunity to apply knowledge beyond the classroom and the valuable experience of networking with industry leaders. These students truly gave off their best and brought memories with them knowing that they made a difference.