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Battle on Bay 2016

By: Mariah Emo
January 25, 2016

Check out the video below for highlights from Battle on Bay 2016!

Students and faculty members posing for a group picture in cocktail business attire with their new trophy at the Marriott hotel

Visit the School of Accounting and Finance for more information.

Battle on Bay (external link)  is the national case competition for the Ryerson University Finance Society (external link) . This year’s competition took place on January 16 and 17 and aimed to be different. The team wanted to introduce finance students to jobs outside of the typical financial analyst career, so they decided to establish the automotive industry as the theme for Battle on Bay 2016. Battle on Bay had attendance from 17 teams from 12 different schools across Canada including Schulich School of Business, John Molson School of Business, the University of Ottawa and the University of Saskatchewan.

The case competition included two separate cases aimed at utilizing two different skill sets. The first case was a take-home case designed to allow groups to search for information and decipher the difference between useful and non-useful information, as well as being able to apply it to the case at hand. The second case was an analysis-based case. Teams were not allowed to access the internet or any other outside sources. Instead, they were to rely on the previous information they had researched to analyze a new case. Teams were given an hour and a half to work together and create a practical solution as well as a detailed presentation.

Key judges included Michael McGhee (Senior VP and Head, TD Auto Finance), Matt Girgis (CFO and VP, Volvo Canada), Raymond O’Kane (VP OEM Strategy and Development, BMO Auto Finance) and Paul Colantonio (CFO, PFAFF Automotive).

The case competition gave away grand prizes totalling $6,000:

  • First Place ($3,000): University of Waterloo
  • Second Place ($2,000): John Molson School of Business
  • Third Place ($1,000): Laurier University

Battle on Bay also offered several educational opportunities including a fireside chat with Dilreet Kaur-Kurl, a CPA Controller at the Audi Downtown Toronto, a workshop from Dave Fraser, the Ontario Education Coordinator at the Trillium Automotive Dealers Association and a workshop from Flavio Volpe, the CEO of Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.

The conference ended with a Black Tie Gala dinner. Don Romano, President and CEO of Hyundai Canada, was the keynote speaker for this event. To top it off, Battle on Bay gave away a total of $6,000 for the top three winners of the case competition:

  • First Place ($3,000): University of Waterloo
  • Second Place ($2,000): John Molson School of Business
  • Third Place ($1,000): Laurier University

One lucky delegate walked away with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (courtesy of Best Buy). Additionally, we found it necessary to recognize outstanding individuals that may not have been on a winning team but showed first-rate knowledge and communication skills. As a result, four individuals from separate teams were chosen by judges and recognized during the gala as an “all star team.”