PwC Challenge

Winners of the 2022 PwC Challenge, clockwise from top left: Sebastian Affronti, Jonathan Forrester, Brian Tierney, Seika Dingel, Lauren Taips and Preeti Shenoy. 

Put your analytical and decision-making skills to the test on a real-world business problem, and present your solution to a panel of Big Four professionals.

Each year, PwC invites students from nearly 100 schools nationwide to compete for prizes in the PwC Challenge.

Working as consultants for a fictitious client, teams research a trending business issue and develop a 10-minute presentation, with guidance from their faculty and PwC mentors. On the day of the competition, each team presents its analysis and recommendations to a panel of PwC judges and fields their questions.

After distributing its products through brick-and-mortar retailers for more than a century, a leading manufacturer saw earnings tumble amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, despite cybersecurity concerns, the firm is considering a shift to e-commerce—and has asked your team to analyze their business and provide recommendations.

This was the task facing students in the School of Management’s 18th annual PwC Challenge.

In the end, the “Pencil Pushers” emerged victorious, winning a $250 gift card and PwC swag for each team member. The winning team was made up of first-year business student Preeti Shenoy; business and accounting sophomores Sebastian Affronti, Seika Dingel, Jonathan Forrester and Lauren Taips; and accounting junior Brian Tierney.

“The PwC Challenge gives you a glimpse of what the business world is like. It’s valuable experience.”
 — Sebastian Affronti, sophomore accounting student