Taking every opportunity to learn

Thursday, April 15, 2021
by Aliana V., AFM student

How the A4SICC challenged my career perspective

Photo of Aliana
Amid a global pandemic, virtual competitions have gathered inspiration from our current circumstances. The A4S International Case Competition (A4SICC) challenged us as students to develop a sustainable solution that addressed supply chain resiliency, which is a critical issue impacted by COVID-19. That’s a big ask!

Our team was fortunate enough to place as semi-finalists, competing with teams from all over the world! We were lucky to have a team that had members with a range of experiences including venture capital, data science, consulting, private equity, and valuations. The wide array of skills we brought to the table were instrumental to us doing well. We were able to challenge one another and identify a solution that was impactful, and feasible.

We all ended up learning a significant amount about sustainability and entrepreneurship which just goes to show the vast impact that case competitions can have when building skills in university. Not to mention, this case competition identified possible future areas of sustainability that I want to explore further in my career.

From someone who hasn’t considered a career in sustainability, I was pleasantly surprised with the level of nuance associated with the competition. We got to chat about the topic of sustainability and our solution with industry professionals from all over the world, including familiar names like the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Brookfield Properties. It is opportunities like these where School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) students get to explore opportunities outside of the classroom setting that develops our interests and shapes future plans.

I would recommend any student to take part in case competitions, particularly those that challenge your perspective. You never know what you might take away from it!