Stetson Team to compete at Business Strategy Challenge in Washington, D.C.

The Stetson School of Business Administration’s Business Ethics Case Competition Team will send four students to the McDonough Business Strategy Challenge at Georgetown University on Feb. 5-9.

This five-day competition will focus on advising a Washington-based, nonprofit organization. Invited teams from 20 U.S. and international universities are provided the unique challenge of solving real-life problems faced by a highly involved and impactful nonprofit.  Seniors Nate Smith, Nathaniel Diamond, Regis Steighner and Matthew Sweeney will be representing Stetson University at this prestigious business strategy competition.

The four students stand in business suits inf ront of Elizabeth Hall on campus.
Stetson’s first team to compete in the prestigious McDonough Business Strategy Challenge at Georgetown University includes, left to right, Matthew Sweeney, Regis Steighner, Nate Smith and Nathaniel Diamond.

The identity of the nonprofit organization is undisclosed until the third day of the competition. Following a brief Q&A session with the selected company, students from each of the competing teams are given 36 hours to prepare their strategic recommendations based on a careful analysis of the specific needs of the client company. Ultimately, the field of competing teams will be narrowed down to the top four, with the first place team being given the opportunity to have their business proposals implemented by the nonprofit within the upcoming year.

Team member Diamond combines his interest in the intersection of law and business with his commitment to ethical business practices.  

“I do not think that ethics and business practices have to be at odds,” remarked Diamond, who will graduate in May with a major in Management. He went on to emphasize his enthusiasm at getting to work with a nonprofit that puts, in his own words, “impact over profit.”

Steighner, who was recently selected to the 2018 FCS Athletics Directors Association Academic All-star team, is a senior member of the Stetson Football Team. A fierce competitor, Steighner brings a certain aspect of passion and grit to the team dynamic.

“I give it all I have, every moment of the day, and nothing less. Having the opportunity to put my passion for results to work is just icing on the cake,” remarked Steighner, referring to the opportunity to compete at McDonough. He will graduate in May with a double major in Finance and Economics.

The senior captain of the Stetson Business Ethics Case Competition team, Smith believes his legacy on the team has come down to this moment.

“Working alongside highly-talented men and women for the past three years has put a fire in my belly that I cannot seem to extinguish, and this competition serves as the perfect opportunity to end my Stetson career with a bang,” remarked Smith, who also will graduate with a double major in Finance and Economics.

With remarkable academic accomplishments under his belt, Sweeney, who will receive two undergraduate degrees in Math and Finance in May, is the fourth member of the team going to Georgetown. This will be Sweeney’s first national competition as a member of the team, and he is expected to play a strong role in the quantitative analyses that will be required as a part of the case presentation.

Sweeney said, “I am excited to be a part of a team competing against students from some of the finest business schools in the country.”

Jim Beasley-40 years
Jim Beasley

Team advisers and coaches, Jim Beasley, Ph.D., John Tichenor, Ph.D., and Areti Vogel, Ph.D., are delighted to be fielding such a strong team for Stetson’s first trip to the Georgetown competition. Tichenor will accompany the team to Georgetown.

“It has definitely been an exciting journey seeing these young men grow during their time at Stetson and we are honored to have them representing the University.  All their hard work now comes to fruition as they get to attend one of the most outstanding business case competitions in the world.  It doesn’t get any better than that,” remarked Beasley, professor of Management.