MHRM Case Competition - WINNERS!

This semester, Fisher College of Business’s Master of Human Resources students competed in the internal case competition. For this competition students were presented with a real challenge that PepsiCo is facing. Once receiving their case challenge students had 24 hours to come up with a solution and present it to 7 PepsiCo judges and 3 Fisher judges. 

After a long night of analyzing different solutions to provide the best results, one team was deemed victorious. Team 9, made up of Jenna Burse, Lauren Fulmer, Katie Griffiths, Lauren Howard, Giana Parsons, and Lauren Ward provided a solution to PepsiCo in a triumphant delivery. With attentive solutions, thorough market research, and creative pitch direction they were able to provide a winning presentation. Team 9 can place a lot of their success from past achievements and diverse backgrounds that were well combined to promote each other's strengths. 

Through the combination of different undergraduate degrees, past professional experiences, and dynamic knowledge of the professional business world. Team 9 was able to work together and combine their knowledge and expertise to create a winning case presentation. 

Internal Case Competition helps expose MHRM students to real issues in the workplace while also putting them under the pressure to come up with solutions that are meant to deliver results in a time constricting manner. Team 9 was able to provide some insights on the case competition and how they were able to develop from the experience. 

Katie Griffiths shared that her favorite part of the competition was being able to present her team's findings to their peers at the end. Showing your peers your critical thinking and problem solving skills was a great moment to showcase what we are capable of. 

Lauren Fulmer enjoyed the relationship building she was able to experience with her team. Being put together for 24 hours in a stressful setting really helped team 9 form a bond and focus on putting their best foot forward to succeed. 

Lauren Ward found the experience to be impactful due to her interest in PepsiCo. Already having done research on the organization, being able to help PepsiCo out with a real current issue they are having, not only gave her insight to the organization's operation process but also provided the opportunity for her to showcase how she can solve their current challenges. 

*This blog was written by Morgan Dickman, Case Competition Chair on the MHRM Council. Morgan spoke to me about her experience with the following quote: "Being the Case Competition Chair was truly a rewarding experience. Planning and running an event smoothly in a hybrid environment was a great challenge for myself. Overall, the best part of the competition was seeing the diversity of solutions that the competitors came up with. They were all presented with the same issue but each team came to the table with a unique solution of their own!" 

Below are the bios of the Case Competition winners: 

"I am from North Royalton, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. I went to Ohio State University for my undergraduate degree where I received my BSBA specializing in human resources. I was a member of the Mount Leadership Society Scholars program and held a few on-campus jobs. I have been working as an HR Intern for DHL Supply Chain. I have loved getting to learn about supply chain, getting hands-on HR experience, and building my professional network. While at DHL, I have worked at 3 different warehouse sites and the corporate office, which have exponentially helped me explore the field of HR." - Giana Parsons 

"Born and raised a buckeye -- grew up in the small town of Defiance Ohio and then came to OSU for my undergrad. I graduated in December ’20 majoring in marketing and communication technology. In addition to various jobs and internships, I was involved in numerous campus organizations. I participated in Fisher Impact Day, Fisher Peer Mentorship Program, volunteered with BuckeyeThon, and served as a puppy sitter for 4 Paws for Ability. In between my undergrad and grad programs, I worked full-time as a recruiter at a local staffing agency where I handled the full cycle recruitment process for a Fortune 500 company in Columbus. Looking ahead, I am excited to continue growing throughout the program and will be working this upcoming summer with Boeing as an HR intern!" - Lauren Howard 

"I am from Upper Arlington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. I attended The Ohio State University for my undergraduate degree where I received a BSBA, specializing in marketing. I am currently working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and have the opportunity to teach an undergraduate course within Fisher. I have loved my time as a student in the MHRM program thus far. I look forward to continuing to build my knowledge and skillset within the field and to getting started with my HR career in the future!" - Lauren Fulmer

"I graduated from The Ohio State University in May 2021 with my B.A. in Psychology and Organizational Communication. This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern in the human resources department at Anderson Aluminum Corporation. I have loved being able to apply my background in psychology and develop business acumen, as well as being involved in the MHRM Case Competition and several group projects. I am looking forward to my human resources internship for summer 2022 with PepsiCo, thanks to the networking opportunities and resources that this program has provided me!" - Lauren Ward 

"I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I graduated from The University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development. I previously interned at KPMG in the Global Mobility Services tax practice and at UT Health in employee services. I am very involved with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I am currently serving as a committeeman on two committees: Wine Garden and Agriculture Education" - Jenna Burse

"I was born & raised in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. I graduated from Miami University this past spring- earning my B.A. in Public Administration along with minors in Finance and Human Capital Management & Leadership. I recently accepted a HR Internship Position with KeyBank for the upcoming summer. In my free time I am an active runner, I just completed my first half-marathon." - Katie Griffiths