SFU Beedie team finishes strong in top Western Canada case competition

Members of SFU Beedie’s high-performing JDC West 2022 team.

A team of undergraduates at SFU’s Beedie School of Business delivered a strong performance this year at the Jeux du Commerce (JDC) West case competition in January, the most prestigious event of its kind in Western Canada. The SFU Beedie team took home second place in two major categories, Academic School of the Year and School of the Year, as well as podium finishes in nine out of the 13 competition categories.

Since 2006, JDC West has brought together top business schools and students from across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in an annual business competition. It is the largest undergraduate business competition in Western Canada, typically hosting 1,300 attendees and uniting over 650 delegates from across twelve business schools.

“Participating in and leading SFU JDC West has been the most impactful and transformative experience of my SFU Beedie journey,” says Joshua Fang, co-captain of the SFU JDC West team. “SFU Beedie has been a place of growth for me after taking a non-linear path through my post-secondary journey, and I wanted to give back in a meaningful way that would leave my mark on the school, its people and the next generation of students.”

This year’s competition explored The Human Advantage as its theme, and was hosted in a virtual setting for the second year in a row by the I.H. Asper School of Business at The University of Manitoba.

The competition was a three-day event that showcased a range of disciplines, including academics, athletics, debate, and the Challenge. 52 undergraduate students took part in this year’s event, connecting virtually to participate in the case competition after completing seven months of training with SFU Beedie’s 43 alumni coaches.

“Our SFU JDC West participants dedicated many hours to training and were excellent representatives for SFU’s Beedie School of Business,” says Anne Macdonald, Senior Lecturer at SFU’s Beedie School of Business. “I am proud of them all. A special thank you to Joshua and Penny, our co-captains, who handled a year of challenging circumstances with professionalism, patience and grace.”

The SFU Beedie team won first place in two competition categories (Human Resources and the Challenge), second place in five categories (Finance, International Business, Marketing, Business Strategy, and Debate), and third place in two further categories (Business Technology Management and Entrepreneurship).

“Seeing the students’ hard work and dedication throughout the span of seven months has been a very rewarding experience,” says Mara Schaffler, Manager of Student Development and Engagement. “The students demonstrated growth, resilience, community, and leadership skills that we were privileged to see in action.”

Case competitions such as JDC West continually challenge SFU Beedie undergraduate students and provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge to real-world business situations. SFU Beedie has enjoyed continued success at JDC West, winning first place in the School of the Year and Academic School of the Year categories in both 2021 and 2019.

“Having been a part of this organization for the last three years, SFU JDC West has been the pinnacle of my undergraduate career,” says Penny Sidhu, co-captain of the SFU JDC West team. “From helping me find my career, to building a community at SFU Beedie, this experience has encompassed everything I could possibly have needed in the final years of my degree. There is no other organization where you will be surrounded by such bright and supportive individuals.”