Crisis Builds Character

In just 24 hours, graduate students from the C. T. Bauer College of Business become CEOs, encounter a global crisis, face the media, develop an action plan and present their next steps to a board of directors — and that’s all before the first day of class. 

Before the start of the new academic year, Bauer College organizes an annual crisis case competition where graduate students not only get to put into practice the skills they’ve learned in the classroom but also connect with classmates, industry partners, faculty and staff. 

The competition asks MBA and MS participants to imagine themselves not as students but rather as business executives, presenting a mock crisis scenario and putting the pressure on as each team works to build a solution, with questions from the media and unexpected twists along the way. 

This year, more than 30 students competed and were challenged with a range of crises related to a fictitious resort being constructed by their company in South America that was past deadline and over budget, including a corporate whistleblower, accusations of child labor and environmental issues. 

“By the time this competition ends, our students get an amazing experience to share with recruiters,” Associate Dean for Career and Industry Engagement Jamie Belinne said. “It’s a growth opportunity that builds character.” 

The event is organized each year by staff from the college’s Office of Experiential Learning and dedicated career center, the Rockwell Career Center. After last year’s inaugural competition, the team implemented even more resources (and crises) for students this year. 

“This is such a gratifying event to plan for all of us, and it’s even more rewarding when we see those lightbulb moments from students over the course of the two days as they implement ideas, see what works and what doesn’t, and pivot to find solutions,” said Director of Experiential Learning Zach Wortzel. “It’s truly learning by doing and exemplifies how we approach integrating education and industry at Bauer College.” 

The event was sponsored by AirSwift and CEO Janette Marx, along with Arcline Investment Management Operating Partner Imran Malik (BBA ‘06, MSACCY ‘09), Moss Adams Houston Office Managing Partner Kenny Grace (BBA ‘85) and Ernst & Young Managing Director for Sustainability and Energy Transition Chris Angelides (MBA ‘94), all currently serving on the Bauer College Board.   

In addition to presenting to a board of directors, played by members of the Bauer College Board, the final teams were then put through a mock press conference with members of Houston Public Media.   

This year, graduate students Raj Shubhang Chinni, Patrick Johnson, Meghana Tekulapally and Maristel Aguilar won first place for their proposed solutions.   

“The hardest part we had to overcome was speaking to the press,” Johnson said. “Taking questions from the public was intimidating, but we prepared ourselves and drafted answers to anticipate questions and topics they would hit us on the most.”   

Although the experience was a crash course in handling a crisis, students relied on the mentorship and advice from Bauer to help them manage expectations.  

"We had great help from Rockwell Career Center mentors to help us prepare for this competition,” Chinni said. “They always encouraged us and helped push us to go into different situations, stay positive and allowed us to express our ideas.”