The Asia-Pacific Challenge 2016 - Magazine

December 5 - 8, 2016
Sydney, Australia

2 www.theapacchallenge.com2 AGSM

www.theapacchallenge.com 3
AGSM @ UNSW Business School
AGSM @ UNSW Business School is Australia´s leading graduate school of management and one
of Asia-Pacific´s top twelve business schools. AGSM offers global top-tier general management,
executive and leadership development programs that are consistently ranked in the top 100 globally.
Located in Sydney, the financial capital of Australia and the gateway to Asia, AGSM is the perfect
school to host “THE ASIA-PACIFIC CHALLENGE – MBA Case Competition”.
THE ASIA-PACIFIC CHALLENGE – MBA Case Competition
WHY APAC?
Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing economic region in the world. This growth brings prosperity but
also complex business challenges. This awareness is the inspiration behind the first edition of “THE
ASIA-PACIFIC CHALLENGE – MBA Case Competition”.
THEME
The theme of the inaugural competition is “Engagement in Asia’’.
FORMAT
Teams will simulate a consultancy firm that must present solutions to a real business problem faced
by an organisation seeking to start or grow business in Asia. Participating teams will receive the
actual case problems on the scheduled day and will be allocated a timeframe, depending on the
intensity of the round, to prepare presentation decks. They will present their proposals to a panel of
judges which would then be followed by a Q&A session.
PRIZE
The winning team will be awarded AUD 5,000.

4 www.theapacchallenge.com
The Australian Graduate School of Management is excited to be hosting the inaugural the Asia-
Pacific Challenge. This competition brings together Asia’s finest and most recognisable business
schools and we are extremely proud to host the event.
The competition represents a wonderful opportunity for participants throughout the region to develop
the skills and competencies that are fundamental to business success. We are delighted to partner
with title sponsor MasterCard, one of the world’s preeminent brands, to provide an occasion for
students, sponsors and professionals to connect and develop valuable partnerships.
Since our first MBA cohort graduated in 1977, the AGSM has enjoyed a continuing, and demonstrably
strong, relationship with the Australian business community. The enduring nature of the school’s
contribution is confirmed by it graduates who include ASX-100 CEOs, managing partners of law and
consulting firms, high profile entrepreneurs, politicians and thought leaders. At theAGSM, we are firm
believers that a key element of a world-class business education occurs beyond the classroom and
this competition represents a great example of this commitment. The character of this competition
also reflects our deep commitment to two-way engagement with Asia as we welcome students from
around the region to our city and to our business school.
I encourage you to take part in this tremendously exciting event. Indeed, we look forward to hosting
you and your team at the AGSM.
Best Regards,
Professor Julie Cogin
Director AGSM @ UNSW Business School and Deputy Dean UNSW Australia Business School
Welcome

Message from the
Academic Director
I want to extend a warm welcome to all participating schools to the Asia-Pacific Challenge Case
Competition.
We are delighted to introduce competitors from the finest business schools fromAustralia, Singapore,
India, China, the Philippines and New Zealand to the AGSM and Sydney. Our student organising
committee, Pablo Mezzadri, Greeshma Govind and Krishna Manghat, has worked tirelessly to
produce an outstanding, world-class case competition.
This competition highlights the strategic challenges and managerial dilemmas faced by business
leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, the fast growing and most important global segment in the world.
Asia is currently the world’s biggest producer of goods and services, and in a short space of time it
will also be the world’s largest consumer. It is already the most populous region in the world. In the
future, it will also be home to the vast majority of the world’s middle class. Successfully navigating
opportunities in this burgeoning region will require innovation and superior strategic and managerial
skills.
The competition provides a forum for Asia’s strongest and brightest MBA students to put their skills,
intuition and stamina to the test, all the while forging friendships and international contacts that will
last a lifetime.
On behalf of the AGSM, I look forward to meeting you in Sydney in early December.
Best wishes,
Professor Clinton Free
Academic Director AGSM @ UNSW Business School

Australian Graduate
School Of Management
Susana Monsalve-Jones
Susana Monsalve-Jones is an AGSM MBA candidate and the
external relations manager. She has an undergraduate dual-degree
from Berklee in audio-engineering and film-scoring. Susana started
her career in the entertainment industry of NYC and LA, working as
an engineer for film-composers and artists including Barbra Streisand
and Coldplay.
Floris Jansen
Prior to his MBA at AGSM in Sydney, Floris worked as strategy
consultant in the Dutch office of Strategy&. He developed expertise
across different sectors: Financial Services, Consumer & Retail,
and Energy. In his free time, Floris enjoys kitesurfing, running, and
camping.
Peter Sahui
Investment research professional with 8 years’ experience in
Australian financial markets. Keen interest in startups and venture
capital. Hobbies include travel, books, video games, and photography.

Asian Institute
Of Management
Allan Cariño De Venecia
He is passionate about life-long learning and working with people. His
current exposure to the functions of a COO with past stints in sales,
finance and business development gives him a unique overarching
understanding of how businesses work. Loves movies, video games
and the occasional pint of beer.
Leo Balverde Malagar
He is a British Chevening Scholar who graduated with a Master of
Laws degree from the University College London and a Bachelor of
Laws degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law.
Currently, the legal counsel of Smart Communications, Inc., the
Philippines’ leading telecommunications provider, specializing in
litigation, IPR and privacy.
Maria Victoria Segundina A. Nazareno
She is the Communications Director at Vizcarra Pharmaceutical,
Inc., a family-owned corporation. She has extensive global media
advertising and marketing background, and has worked for more
than 15 years. A breastfeeding advocate with 2 kids and another one
on the way.

Guanghua School Of
Management
Ammar Jilani
He has been involved in the finance area in a number of capacities,
and regions of Asia since earning a degree from the Delhi College
of Engineering. After graduating, he joined a Japanese investment
bank, Nomura, and worked there for four years in Mumbai and Hong
Kong. Ammar considers China to be the most important neighbour for
India and enrolled in the MBA program at Peking University.
Clélia Marie-Isabelle Elisabeth Schwing
She is an international expat, having split her time over the past
several years between Europe and Asia. She earned a bachelor
degree at ESSEC Business School in Paris and worked as Category
Manager, Business Analyst and Consultant across several industries.
She is currently earning a Master of Science in management and
MBA concurrently in a double degree program between ESSEC and
Peking University.
Kevin Andrew Nanakdewa
He is from Toronto but has spent much of his adult life working and
studying abroad. He worked at Nielsen as a Senior Market Analyst
after graduating with a bachelor degree where he studied in Canada
and France. After working in South Korea and China for several years,
he enrolled in the MBA program at Peking University.

Indian Institute Of
Management Ahmedabad
Sandeep Gupta
He is an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and has worked in diverse roles
from Investment Banking to Strategy. He has worked in London with
a $2 bn Macro Fund and in India as Head of Corporate Strategy and
Fundraising for a Logistics Start-Up. He is currently working in M&A
in Sydney and plans to run a Hedge Fund one day.
Anish Goyal
He is a student of PGP at the Indian Institute of Management,
Ahmedabad. An Electronics Engineer from IIT Roorkee (India), he
has 2 year of experience in software and technology domain working
with some Indian start ups. He also worked in Infrastructure advisory
domain for some time.Outside of work, he enjoys Table tennis,
badminton and Bollywood movies.
Rohit Kumar
He is a PGP student at the Indian Institute of Management,
Ahmedabad. He has worked on consulting projects, pre-sales
activities and workflow development for North American clients in
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) area. He has published papers
in ILASS and SAE. Outside of work, Rohit like to travel and read
novels.

Indian Institute
of Technology Delhi
Gitesh Arora
He is currently pursuing M.B.A from Department of Management
Studies at IIT Delhi, India. He is very passionate about
Entrepreneurship and is the Co-Founder of Explore DU, a start-up in
the field of digital broadcasting. A Commerce graduate, finance lover
and a strong believer in the power of hard-work, he is always ready
for a new challenge.
Sudnya Desai
She is currently pursuing her M.B.A from Department of Management
Studies at IIT Delhi. She is a Chemical Engineer and has worked as a
Process Engineer at Technip, India – an Oil & Gas services company.
She is a keen Table Tennis player and represents IIT Delhi in that
sport. She enjoys taking up challenging assignments, learning new
skills and travelling.
Sutapa Dey
She is currently pursuing her M.B.A from Department of Management
Studies at IIT Delhi. She graduated in 2013 with a bachelor of
engineering degree in Polymer Science and Technology.
She has a 3 years of work experience prior to joining MBA in an IT
firm as an Application Developer.

Macquarie Graduate
School Of Management
Jieni Xu
I am graduating from the MBA program at MGSM in June 2017.
Currently, I work at Commonwealth Bank in Wealth Management
Digital Distribution for General Insurance and Direct Life Portfolios
and specialise on executing innovative customer focused digital
strategies. Earlier this year, I went on an exchange program with
Guanghua School of Management and thoroughly enjoyed the
experience.
John Sturt-Addicott
I made my own personal Brexit in early 2016 to study in Sydney. I
have nearly completed the 1st year of an MBA program at MGSM
and am enjoying every minute of it. Professionally I am interested in
people, technology and innovation and I work at Tesla Automotive.
Seho (Ryan) Cho
I am a qualified lawyer specialising in the Banking and Financial
Services sector and an aspiring MBA Candidate at MGSM. Currently,
I work as an in-house legal counsel at HSBC Bank, Sydney and focus
on Global Banking and Markets transactions and financial services
regulation.

Nanyang Technological
University
Christoph Robert Buehler
He is a Swiss MBA student with 6 years of part-time experience in
consulting, banking and entrepreneurship. Strong analytical skills and
passion for analyzing and managing the application of technology in
businesses. Highly organized and efficient in fast paced international
environments, able to accomplish objectives with enthusiasm,
creativity and humor.
Martin Phillip Ettling
He has experience in professional service firms and multinationals in
investment banking (M&A) and consulting for sales and procurement
excellence. His skills include market research, preparation of
pitching materials, PMO support, SPSS based data analysis, model
based valuation techniques, client engagement, KPI performance
measurement, preparation and execution of price negotiations.
Narendra Pingal
He is a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience spanning
9 years across Financial Management, Accounting Operations, and
InternalAuditing & Taxation. He has a proven track record of managing
stakeholders through complex internal department projects which
resulted in transformative process improvements.

National University
Of Singapore
Liu Xiang
She is a process engineer at Singapore Power. Her core function is
project management and she has successfully completed projects in
various fields, from productivity improvement to data analytics. She is
currently pursuing a part time MBA at NUS. When not working, she is
an enthusiastic Chinese cuisine chef.
Derek Chun Hong Sin
Before MBA, he had four years of experience in investment banking
and private equity in Hong Kong. He helped mining and energy
companies raise funds from capital markets. He also secured
investors and evaluated projects for technology fund. At leisure,
Derek is aviation enthusiast and enjoys playing board games.
Pooja Gidwani
In her four dynamic years in event management, she worked on a
gamut of projects across three Continents. For two subsequent years,
she worked with India’s largest media conglomerate delivering brand
amplification and media solutions to clients in the entertainment
industry. Outside work, Pooja is a scuba diver and an avid traveller.

S P Jain School of
Global Managment
Mohitosh Negandhi
Mohitosh has 5 years’ experience in the Digital Advertising and
Marketing industry across sales, business development and key
partner management roles.
Fun Fact: cracked his first business deal at the age of 13.
Akshay Desai
Akshay is a LEAN Six Sigma certified Marine engineer with an
experience of working in Engineering operations and Change
Management roles.
Fun Fact: Travelled to 26 countries in the last 5 years
Siddharth Garg
Four and a half years of management consulting and
technology experience in banking, aerospace & defence and
enterprise technology industries
Fun Fact: Currently writing his first book

University Of
Otago
Julian Peter Ng
A senior commercial marketing professional with over 15 years’
experience in blue-chip multinational organisations across a variety
of marketing, category, trade, and shopper marketing roles.
His career is characterised by extensive FMCG marketing experience
acrossthefullmarketingmix:portfolioandbrandstrategydevelopment;
NPD commercialisation; communications development; promotional
pricing strategy; and shopper marketing.
Bette Chen
She is a passionate business technology consultant. She currently
works as a Project Manager/Business Analyst at Landpower and
overseas the company’s Sales and Marketing digital roadmap.
Outside of work she’s a keen snowboarder/instructor and a very
casual marathon runner.
Leah Singer
Originally from Northern Ireland Leah studied Architecture in England
and has lived overseas ever since. Having travelled extensively and
worked her way through three continents Leah freelances as a pre-
construction consultant in Auckland. Currently heavily involved in the
prefab space and complex commercial projects such as Auckland’s
new Park Hyatt hotel. Loves sailing

The University
Of Sydney
Myrophora Koureas
Myrophora Koureas is a qualified secondary education teacher and
worked in government high schools before moving into the tertiary
education sector where she has been delivering policy and process
improvements for over 12 years. She enjoys streamlining policies and
processes that optimise outcomes and benefits to the organisation
and its people.
Matthew Ting
Matthew Ting is the founder of Ferret Card, a social media marketing
and merchant loyalty system operating throughout South East Asia.
Matthew is a serial entrepreneur with 11+ years of international
experience in technology based start-ups, creating and marketing
innovative software products and solutions. In his spare time, Matthew
is a science fiction nerd, champion strategy gamer and natural history
enthusiast.
Liana Porihis
Liana Porihis has roots in fashion as a design graduate and has worked
for some of Australia’s top designers. Liana then branched out to build
a successful career leading teams in client services and events, while
using her 15 years’ experience in hospitality to transform businesses
in the industry as a manager and strategic advisor. Aside from being
a food-lover, in her spare time Liana loves exploring human potential/
behavior and sourcing creative inspiration add to her projects.

The Organising
Committee
Greeshma Govind
Full-time MBA Candidate
Class of 2017
Dr. Clinton Free
Academic Director
Krishna Manghat
Class of 2017
Claudia Crosariol
Head of Operations
Pablo Mezzadri
Class of 2017
Teagan Whiting
Project Manager
At the beginning of the year, we felt that THE ASIA-PACIFIC CHALLENGE, AGSM’s first international
case-competition, was a great idea but seemed very distant. After months of hard work, coordination,
and organisation, we are excited that it is finally taking place.
The organising committee of THE ASIA-PACIFIC CHALLENGE – MBA Case Competition would
like to thank everyone who have helped us. This event would not have come this far without your
support. We would also like to thank AGSM and MasterCard for financing this new case competition,
which will set a new beginning and become an annual event, hosting the brightest minds from
top business schools and industries to solve some of the most critical problems in the Asia-Pacific
business landscape.
Thank you very much!

The Asia-Pacific Challenge 2016 - Magazine

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