This case describes the thoughts and reflections of five MBA alumni on their way back to their alma mater for a 20-year reunion event. As invited speakers, they will advise the upcoming graduating class on what to expect after graduation. The case provides a brief background on the career trajectories and family circumstances of each of the five protagonists as well as their personal reflections o
Erick A. Brimen’s vision was on the verge of reality. As CEO of Próspera LLC, an economic development platform based in Washington, DC, he had devoted years to fostering efforts to bring economic development and stability to a small region in Honduras. He had worked with government officials, scholars of economics and law, and local residents to develop a zone for employment and economic developme
Just before Warren Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc, acquired H. J. Heinz Company on February 14, 2013, rumors had been circulating that the Omaha investing oracle had set eyes on the condiment giant. By the time the official acquisition was announced, questions had arisen about some unusual trading activity in financial markets. A very profitable trade was made on the option market just
The Peerless Potato Chip Company (Peerless) is a private-label, family-owned-and-operated, national potato chip manufacturer specializing in organic chips. The CEO, Kate Kelly, had been with the company from the beginning—since her uncle had first started making chips more than 25 years earlier on his farm in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. In fact, she’d been the primary architect of it
Olena Tischler is embarking on her midpoint MBA internship, a position she developed with Northeast Regional Healthcare. The internship is divided among the operations of three different clinics and is focused on operational excellence. As the starting point of her summer analysis, Tischler ponders how each clinic defines "operations." After a hint that operations are not well defined within the h
This case follows Lesetja Kganyago, governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), and his efforts to keep inflation between 3% and 6% and, if possible, close to the midpoint of that range (i.e., 4.5%).
This case follows Nwanneoma Ngondai (Neena) and her work on the proposed FasTracks program, a large-scale commuter rail initiative in Denver. Neena’s job was to determine if the FasTracks program was viable as it had been laid out, and if so, to make the case to Denver voters for a sales tax increase to fund the program. Her research includes due diligence on past development, industry trends, and
On March 26, 2018, the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) introduced futures trading on crude oil. The contracts were denominated in Chinese yuan (RMB) and specified that market participants make or take delivery of a thousand barrels of medium sour crude oil at contract expiration in mainland China. The INE hoped that active trading by foreign market participants would both promote grea
This case contains two briefs, one for each person in a two-party negotiation. They are relatively short in length and can be read in class just prior to a mock negotiation. This learning activity is appropriate for teaching negotiations skills to a broad
This case contains two briefs, one for each person in a two-party negotiation. They are relatively short in length and can be read in class just prior to a mock negotiation. This learning activit
After a period of poor stock-market performance, conglomerate Chestnut Foods (Chestnut) faces the acquisition of its stock by an activist investor. The new investor demands the sale of Chestnut’s high-growth division, which contrasts with the CFO’s turnaround plan to expand this same division. To disentangle the way forward for Chestnut, stud
This fictional case introduces David Reyes, the new vice president of marketing for the International Supreme Snacks Corporation (ISSC), giving background on his previous role and reasons for joining ISSC. As Reyes starts his new position, he notices others calling attention to his race and ethnicity rather than his experience. The CEO regularly looks at Reyes, who is
