Innovation and Creativity: Team Corvinus won the Australian case competition

The Corvinus team presented a new service innovation, a business model built around it, and a go-to-market strategy. Their solution outperformed 12 teams from leading business schools. The focal company for this prestigious Australian competition was Airwallex, a fintech unicorn specializing in simplifying global payment and financial solutions while exploring new opportunities and growth for its clients. 

The team members, Eszter Bujáky, Dóra Gaál, Ákos Kormos, and Csongor Kölber, are undergraduate students who completed all Case Track courses. They were selected by their professors (Miklos Kozma, Zsolt Matyusz, Bence Pistrui, and Miklos Stocker) based on their performance in the Cases on International Business Strategy (CIBS) course. Tamás Buczi,  and Levente Neszt, external instructors and former case competitors undertook the task of preparing them for the competition. 

Creativity and innovation were paramount for the case company, expectations the winning team fully met. “We addressed all the main questions and, on top of that, we brought that extra something that made our work memorable,” highlighted Ákos. Dóra added, that they “truly understood the company, its background, its goals, and based on this knowledge, we were able to provide a solution to the jury”. 

The preparation work of the team’s coaches was supported by guidance from Miklos Kozma, and the observations of other Case Track Community mentors. “We successfully incorporated the feedback received during preparation into our winning solution. We quickly bonded and operated as a team, providing a strong foundation during the competition,” shared Csongor. 

Due to the online format of the Australian competition, the team faced extraordinary circumstances. They presented their solution at midnight Hungarian time. “Although I was very excited, I thought a little sleep would do me good. Suddenly, a notification sound woke me up and looking at the phone, all I saw was the message from the guys in our group: FINALS,” recounted Eszter about the late-night hours. 

Case Track encompasses the summary of Business Essentials, Applied Business Economics, Cases on Business Economics, and Cases on International Business Strategy courses. Upon completion, selected students can represent Budapest Corvinus University on the international stage as well. Starting this year, talent management is institutionalized through the community, giving rise to the Corvinus Case Track Community (CCTC) student organization. “Case Track provided an opportunity to push my limits in a supportive yet competitive environment,” summarized Csongor, highlighting the community’s greatest strength. 

Levente Neszt, the team’s coach also shared his thoughts: “In my opinion, what has played a very important role in the team’s success was the fact that they were able to meet higher and higher standards during the preparation, which has been the evidence of their dedication and hard work. Even at the most difficult point of the competition, in the middle of the night, in the final presentation, the team managed to perform at an even higher level compared to the divisional round, which is an exceptional achievement at such a critical moment.” 

Congratulations to the team and their mentors!