The situation may have been an exercise, but the challenge was certainly a real-world possibility: four years after COVID-19 forced it to abandon its Argentinian operations, an international airline was exploring a return to the market. How should it proceed?

That was the question at the heart of the 2024 Business International Studies Network (BisNet) International Case Competition. The virtual event drew nine teams from five business schools across the country, with Fisher’s Buckeye Business Builders team taking first place.

The competition tested teams to consider the challenges and opportunities for LATAM Airlines to re-enter the Argentinian market. The teams reviewed the country’s economic and political transformations leading up to 2024 and contrasted these with the efforts undertaken by the government to improve the country's business climate.

“The BisNet International Case Competition was an invaluable experience that required teams to quickly develop financial analysis, refine their communication, and develop skills in research, data analysis and organization,” said Pranav Rajesh, a third-year management information systems and cognitive computational neuroscience student.

“We quickly learned to identify key relationships and manage complex information while navigating the geopolitical and economic intricacies of an international business. By thoroughly understanding Argentina’s unique political and economic context and LATAM Airlines’ business model, we crafted a market entry strategy that led to first place.”

Other members of the Buckeye Business Builders team included Likitha Penumarthi, a third-year information systems student; Matthew Veydt, a third-year finance student; and Leah Smith, a fourth-year marketing student.

Two other Fisher teams, supported through a grant from the college’s Center for International Business Education (CIBER), also competed against teams from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, the Fox School of Business at Temple University, the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

The competition took place November 7-13, with each team summiting a one-page executive memo summarizing their analysis and suggestions. Participants had 10 minutes to present their case, followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session with judges. Presentations were evaluated on the rationale of the suggestion, depth of understanding of the country and industry in the case, quality of presentation and responses during the question-and-answer session.

“As an aspiring consultant, the competition gave me an excellent experience as well as confidence to tackle complex problems and come up with new and exciting solutions,” Veydt said.

The competition drew on strong relationships Fisher’s Office of Global Business has forged with participating BisNet universities and partner Southbridge Access, which provided the case study and judges.

“This case competition was a great learning experience that has helped expand my global perspective and strengthen my analytical capabilities,” Rajesh said.