Future Business Leaders face off in Global
Simulation Challenge
Tuesday, December 03, 2012
By CoolAvenues Newswire
CHICAGO, Ill., November 20, 2012: Approximately 1800 students from more than 280
universities around the globe competed in the Capsim Challenge in November, with 12 teams
qualifying for the 48-hour, high pressure business simulation playoffs this past weekend.
A team comprised of Sonia Apsingekar, Vikalp Babelay, Gaurav Sapra and Viraj Kulkarni from S.P.
Jain Institute of Management and Research won the Capstone® Business Simulation Challenge and
DeMarcus Jones of Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina won the Foundation® Business
Simulation Challenge.
The Challenge pits students who have participated in either Capstone or Foundation business
simulation in their university studies to compete with other Capsim alumni to run the world’s top
simulated company.
“The Challenge winners have displayed business knowledge and acumen far above their peers, and
their successes can now be placed on their resumes for future employers,” said Challenge
Coordinator, Brendan Langen. “This is a significant accomplishment when you consider the
magnitude of the Challenge.”
According to Foundation winner and student-athlete, DeMarcus Jones, Foundation has helped him
understand the entire function of the business. “By being able to control the different aspects of a
company, the Foundation Simulation has shown me that they all play some role in the performance
of a company.”
Capstone winner Viraj Kulkarni believed the Challenge, and Capstone business simulation, helped
prepare him and his teammates for the business world and how successful companies operate. “The
simulations are extremely exhaustive covering all aspects of business management. We got an indepth understanding of decision making process in the real world,” Kulkarni said. “We realized the
importance of coordination between different departments in a company – each department is
needed to understand the long-term goal of the company.”
Kulkarni said he and his teammates entered the Challenge because “we wanted to compare
ourselves with the best in the world and test our business acumen.” Winning was an added bonus:
“This competition is extremely prestigious and doing well in it would really add to our MBA
education.”
“While many of the finalists are still studying in school, they already have the skills and knowledge
to balance a company’s operational, financial and sales goals under a high amount of pressure,”
Capsim’s Brendan Langen said. “The Challenge gives business students the opportunity to test their
business skills against the world’s best.”
“Most students first participate in Capstone or Foundation over the course of an entire semester,
but the Challenge Finals demand a weekend of focused decision-making. The pressure is extremely
high for teams to make decisions, so you truly see the highest performers rising to the top.”
Mr. Dharam Pal, General Manager, CAPSIM India said “We have had three world champions in the
last four years from India and seven teams have made it to the FINALS of the Challenge. Students
from IIMB, SPJIMR, XLRI, IIFT, IMT, GOA Institute of Management have so far been top performers in
the Challenge. Surely, excellent teaching and learning is converging.’
The Capstone® and Foundation® Business Simulation Challenge is a global online competition held in
the spring and fall semester each year. The competitions are open to all students who have used a
Capsim business simulation in their university course in the previous 12 months.
Finalist results from Capsim’s Fall 2012 Capstone® Challenge:
First Place: Sonia Apsingekar, Vikalp Babelay, Gaurav Sapra and Viraj Kulkarni; S.P. Jain Institute of
Management & Research, Mumbai, India; Professors Vasant Sivaraman and Bindu Kulkarni
Second Place: Mars Miao; Curtin University, Perth, Australia; Professor Gerry Shortland-Webb
Third Place: Rajas Nadkarni, Brandon Lobo, Jerry Varghese, Siddhesh Desai, Carl Mascarenhas; Goa
Institute of Management, Goa, India; Professors C M Ramesh and Hemant Padhiari
Fourth Place: Quang Huynh; University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA; Professor David
Kressler
Fifth Place: Tanner Lambert; Montana State University-Billings, Billings, Montana, USA; Professor
Adrian Robertson
Sixth Place: Yin Zhu; University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia; Professor Martina
Linnenluecke
About Capsim Management Simulations, Inc.
Founded in 1985, Capsim Management Simulations is a global leader in developing and delivering
business simulations that prepare practicing and aspiring business people to run profitable
businesses. Our programs create rich learning experiences that give participants, whether in an
academic or corporate setting, the opportunity to practice the skills and build the business acumen
that are behind today’s successful companies. More than 1,000,000 participants at 600 schools and
corporations have built their business acumen through Capsim learning experiences. Visit
www.capsim.com for more information and a complete list of past winners.