FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: January 10, 2008

Michael G. Foster School of Business MBA students won "Best School Team" at the first-ever Chinese international case competition in Beijing on Jan. 5. Their prize was $5,000 at the 2008 East-West MBA All-Star Case Challenge, organized by the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.

This was a competition of firsts for the Foster School. First place at the inaugural Chinese event. First time Evening MBA students have participated in a case competition off campus. And the first time Foster School of Business MBA students have traveled abroad for an international competition.

The winning team from Foster was advised by Professor Ming Fan. "Team members Ryan Cassidy, Josh Holt, Adam Martin and Carrie Pederson did a fabulous job. Their professionalism, passion, hard work and intelligence left a deep impression on the business executives, faculty, students, media and Chinese audience," said Fan, who accompanied the MBA team to Beijing.

The 2008 East-West MBA All-Star Case Challenge, China's first international case competition, included teams from 8 top MBA programs. Foster topped a steep line-up of competition from prominent schools world-wide including Carnegie Mellon University, Beijing-based Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, Ohio State University, National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University and University of Virginia.

Students analyzed Tsingtao Beer's current US marketing strategy and made innovative proposals for 2008. The panel of 12 judges included senior executives from Tsingtao, their US distributor Crown Imports, as well as distinguished professors. The Tsingtao case involved typical challenges faced by Chinese companies selling products in overseas markets.

Carrie Pederson, a second year Foster School MBA student, engaged the crowd by speaking Mandarin Chinese after her team's presentation. Pederson noted, "After a lot of research, our team recommended that Tsingtao should increase their market share by expanding their customer base. Our strategy was to target Generation Y, who wants to appear non-mainstream. So we created a re-branding strategy for Gen Y."

Judith Kalitzki, Foster School senior lecturer and director of leadership development for MBA programs said, "This is a significant event in the context of China's opening up to the world. It also says something about the outstanding strategic and creative thinking our students have learned, including persuasive communication skills through the Foster School's Leadership Development Program."