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22 Nov 2022
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Exiting Russia: Students Grapple with a Complex Business Decision in a Time of War

More than 150 students spent 48 hours analyzing whether Danone, a mission driven company headquartered in France, should stay in Russia or leave given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With a mission to “bring health through food to as many people as possible”, Danone initially decided to continue serving the dairy (EDP) and baby food markets in Russia. In October 2022, Danone announced a plan to sell its Russian EDP business. What criteria might be used to make and implement these difficult decisions?  

As participants in the Russell Investments International Case Competition, student teams were challenged to develop criteria not only related to Danone’s stay or leave decision but also related to the selection of a buyer and determination of an asking price. They presented their recommendations to judge panels comprised of business community members. The competition provided an opportunity to apply classroom learning to a real world problem.  

Congratulations to the following winning teams: 

Undergraduate Track:  

  • First Place 
    • Dominik Vlasak (Senior, Finance/Information Systems) 
    • Jessie Zhan (Senior, Marketing/Information Systems) 
    • Drake Chong (Senior, Finance) 
    • Matt Unutzer (Senior, Finance) 
  • Second Place 
    • Britney Hu (Sophomore, Accounting) 
    • Drew Blik (Junior, Finance/Information Systems) 
    • Gyanendra Sengar (Junior, Finance/Economics) 
    • Kohki Sakamoto (Senior, Economics) 
  • Third Place 
    • Tyler Taricco (Senior, Finance) 
    • Jay Lakhani (Senior, Marketing) 
    • Raj Lakhani (Junior, Finance/Marketing) 
    • Mariana Salazar (Senior, Marketing/Information Systems) 

Freshmen Track:  

    • Kai Hutchinson (Accounting/Finance) 
    • Srisubrahmanyar Ramasamy (Finance) 
    • Eleri Lyon (Entrepreneurship, Marketing) 
    • Alex Ma (Finance, Information Systems) 

Master’s Track:  

    • Taranjeev Bath (MSIS) 
    • Ujjwal Chauhan (MSIS) 
    • Animesh Mohanty (MSIS) 
    • Amit Sherpa (MSIS)
       

Thank you to all of the competitors for the enthusiasm, engagement, and thoughtful recommendations. You represent the future of business. The competition would not have been possible without the partnership of Russell Investments and numerous volunteer hours provided by judges, coaches, and students – thank you!  

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Foster School students are studying and interning abroad all over the world. This blog captures their adventures in and out of the classroom.

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About the Global Business Center

Since 1990, the Global Business Center has been developing future business leaders with the knowledge, skills and vision needed to collaborate and compete across the globe. Transforming students into global business leaders starts in the classroom, but that is only the beginning. The Global Business Center offers a wide range of programs and services that send Foster students to countries around the world, and bring the world to the Foster School of Business.

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The Global Business Center’s goal is to help the students of UW Foster School of Business meet the world! Visit our website to learn more about MBA and undergraduate study abroad opportunities at the Foster School.

About the Undergraduate Program

The Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration builds foundational knowledge of business which students enhance with specialization in the fields of accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, information systems, international business, marketing, and operations/supply chain management. In the classroom and out, students learn strategic approaches to working on and leading teams, practice critical thinking and analysis while cementing theoretical knowledge, and acquire work experience through internships.

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Undergraduate Strategy Development Competition

The undergraduate program at the Foster School partners with Seattle’s thriving and innovative business community to develop forward-looking, customized cases centered on a current strategic issue. The result of this partnership is a capstone course, Strategic Business Management, taken during one quarter of senior year, which positions student teams in front of executives to make formal presentations on their recommendations. Learn more.