Buffalo Undergraduate Consulting Club sweeps UB Target case competition

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- For the first time ever, students from a single club in the University at Buffalo School of Management have taken both first and second place in the annual On Target Undergraduate Club Case Competition, sponsored by Target Corporation.

A team of three seniors and one sophomore represented the Buffalo Undergraduate Consulting Club on the first place team. The winners were Shannon Gallagher and Stephen Maloney of Rochester, Anna Osilovsky of Utica and Kelly Zdrowak of Buffalo.

The team and club will share a $3,000 prize, with each student receiving $250 and the Buffalo Undergraduate Consulting Club receiving $2,000.

Three seniors and one junior made up the second place team. Kevin Chen of Queens, Jayson Katz of East North Port, Thomas Safran of Rockland County and Adrian Tuazon of Staten Island will share a $1,000 prize, with each student receiving $100 and the Undergraduate Consulting Club receiving $600.

The competition helps undergraduate students hone their analytic, communication, presentation and teamwork skills beyond the classroom by investigating and issuing recommendations for real-world business challenges.

Twelve teams representing 48 UB School of Management students entered the competition this year. Titled “Target Express,” the case asked our students to develop a marketing strategy to ensure the successful launch of their newest store format. 

Teams were asked to to incorporate insights about the millennial generation, innovations in technology and social media and leverage Target’s new mobile coupon app Cartwheel. In the final round of competition on Feb. 27, the top five teams presented their analyses and recommendations.

Six Target team leaders served as judges for the final presentations: Nancy Farrell, Nikki Henry, Shawn Jemison, Megan Kane ’03, PMBA ’08, Mike Pollutro ’00 and Matt Pritchard ’08.

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at 1,790 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit to communities, that giving equals more than $4 million a week.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB’s nearly 30,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.