“Nothing better than this”: How Guelph-Humber students are ACE-ing case competitions

“Case competitions push you outside your comfort zone in the best way possible; they refine your presentation skills, build your confidence, and teach you how to think critically under pressure. But beyond that, they connect you with like-minded, ambitious people who will cheer for you at your best and support you at your learning moments.” — Alyssa Deiuliis, Business student & ACE Guelph-Humber Co-President 

What makes a great case competitor?

University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) Business students who thrive when competing in case competitions have several traits in common: knowledge of various business areas, the drive to face a challenge head-on, and a whole lot of enthusiasm and heart. 

That passion for case competitions is shared by approximately 75 students from ACE Guelph-Humber, a student-run society led by its executive team, including Co-Presidents Alyssa Deiuliis and Mathew Davies. Last academic year, the society was comprised of 12 members; that’s about a 525% increase in membership since then.

The challenge of case competitions

Case competitions are events where groups or individuals are given a problem within the business sector and must consider a solution, present that idea, and debate it. That’s exactly what 35 members of U of GH’s ACE chapter did earlier this year in downtown Toronto, as part of a group of over 1,000 ACE Canada delegates from different chapters across the country at the ACE Nationals. Here, U of GH’s ACE chapter was also honoured with an award for Largest Chapter Growth.

“We're all really proud of how far we’ve come, especially from last year, with eight [U of GH students] being placed at Nationals. It’s been an incredible experience. There's nothing better than this,” competitor Maya Ostrom said, who’s a second year Business student and Vice-President of Training at ACE U of GH.

At last year’s ACE Nationals, Ostrom said that many competitors had never even heard of the University of Guelph-Humber. But that all changed this year, as the University’s chapter has built a positive reputation for itself at case competitions.

“There were other schools that said, ‘Guelph-Humber is a big school this year.’ It’s that legitimacy that felt like, ‘Yeah – we did that.’ A lot of hard work went into growing the chapter and to see that being recognized was a really cool moment,” she said, with a big smile.

Ostrom was one of those eight U of GH students to achieve a victory at the ACE Nationals. She placed first as an individual competing in the Human Resource Management category, having solved two problems related to HR. The first, about implementing new ways to train flight attendants, included her idea of integrating artificial intelligence into training modules to make education more interactive and engaging. In her second case about increasing employee engagement amid company downsizing, Ostrom proposed an “HR help desk” to answer questions about worried employees’ concerns, instate an employee recognition program, and a career pathway planning program. 

To prepare for the challenge of not knowing your case assignments ahead of time, Ostrom explained that she reviewed HR policies to stay sharp (as that was her chosen category), practiced brainstorming ideas for common HR issues, and as an executive of ACE U of GH, her exposure to a variety of cases provided her with alternative insights. Her fresh ideas not only won her a first-place medal, but they served as a callback to her early experiences with case competitions in high school.

Ostrom was inspired by her grade 11 accounting teacher to join her high school’s DECA club (ACE’s former name). After some hesitation, she decided it wouldn’t hurt to join – and it turned out she fell in love with competing and thinking of novel business ideas and solutions. While her teacher was her initial mentor, the chapter at U of GH serves as her current support system and inspiration with strong comraderie. “We push each other to be better,” Ostrom said. 

Co-Presidents shine at ACE Nationals

Another excellent display of teamwork at the ACE Nationals was from the chapter’s Co-Presidents Deiuliis and Davies, who won second place in their category. The pair competed in the RBC Insurance Case, a special challenge where contestants had three weeks to review the case study and write a five to 10-page report, create a slideshow presentation, then present at the event. 

The problem they were presented with was a real-life struggle that RBC’s insurance group faces: as people in younger generations report not wanting to have children, it’s harder to sell life insurance, so RBC wants to sell critical illness insurance instead. Deiuliis and Davies came up with a creative marketing campaign to entice potential Gen Z customers to purchase critical illness insurance through a strong emotional connection with the target consumer.

“Competing with a partner who is not only brilliant and driven, but also deeply supportive makes a huge difference. When you win, it’s not just your success – it’s shared. You celebrate together, knowing how much effort, strategy, and resilience it took to get there,” Deiuliis said. Davies shared similar feelings, and said when they won second, he felt “extremely proud” of all their hard work that paid off. 

The skills that set case competitors apart

Moreover, to be a successful case competitor, you need solid communication and presentation skills. Participating in case competitions helps develop and strengthen these key soft skills, which are also valuable in the job market. Ostrom said partaking in case competitions has not only helped her get better at articulating her ideas but has made her a confident public speaker. 

Deiuliis added, “Case competitions push you outside your comfort zone in the best way possible; they refine your presentation skills, build your confidence, and teach you how to think critically under pressure. But beyond that, they connect you with like-minded, ambitious people who will cheer for you at your best and support you at your learning moments.”

Another key skill that Davies has honed while being part of ACE U of GH is networking. When attending case competitions, he has met students from other schools and business professionals. It’s another way to practice talking to others, but in a conversational interaction version delivering an engaging presentation. He’s also learned the value of marketing through his executive work at ACE U of GH to grow the chapter, alongside fellow group members. 

ACE U of GH harnessed the power of photography, widely sharing photos of happy Guelph-Humber students at case competitions, whether they’re competing or networking. “I think it makes it a lot easier for a Guelph-Humber student to envision themselves doing something like this,” he said.

The power of community

But beyond the thrill of the competition and strengthening of skill sets, students at U of GH partake in case competitions and join student societies such as ACE Guelph-Humber because of the sense of community they provide. By going through these competitions as a unified team, practicing together, and attending workshops that ACE U of GH hosts to fortify expertise, these students are brought closer together. Davies said while they offer structured workshops, there are also drop-ins with ACE executives on campus, and students are welcomed to visit to ask case competition questions or even just “hang out.”

Second-year U of GH Business student and ACE Nationals competitor Julia Oliveira said being with the Guelph-Humber chapter at ACE Nationals was an experience that she “won’t forget.” “This experience has helped me develop as a person and has taught me important skills that I will use in the future. Being part of ACE has positively impacted my experience at Guelph-Humber by allowing me to build connections with new people and helping me step out of my comfort zone,” Oliveira said.

The joy of camaraderie and competing in the ACE Nationals was a widespread feeling among the U of GH competitors. Ostrom described the feeling of celebrating with the group when she won first place. “It was a surreal moment…you’re excited. The team’s excited. Everyone’s jumping around and screaming. It’s a moment you never forget,” Ostrom enthused.

That community of support is one that has brought Davies “lifelong friends,” he said. “I think everyone should be able to have that community, especially at a school like Guelph-Humber, where a majority of our student body commutes to school. It definitely enriched my experience so far.” 

A message to future competitors

For those unsure if case competitions are for you, Davies has a message: "Maybe case competitions aren't for you, but you'll never know until you try. ACE Guelph-Humber is a community. We're friends. We're family.”

Here is the full list of winners from ACE Guelph-Humber students at the ACE Nationals:

Maya Ostrom – 1st (Human Resource Management)

Alyssa Deiuliis & Mathew Davies – 2nd (RBC Insurance Case)

Abdullahi Mahamud – Top 5 (Technology & Innovation)

Parth Kapoor – Top 5 (Technology & Innovation) 

Desi Schulz – Top 5 (Fashion Retail Management) 

Fernando Guzman – Top 5 (Accounting)

Kyle McKenzie – Top 5 (Corporate Finance)

Chapter Award – Largest Chapter Growth

For more on case competitions:

Preparing future business leaders with CASE Society, CASE Academy at Guelph-Humber

ACE Guelph-Humber hosts unprecedented “Leaders of Tomorrow” case conference, marking the 1st ACE case competition hosted at U of GH