We are proud to announce the final placings for CaseIT 2013!

The final standings were:

1. Kwantlen Polytechnic University
2. Queen’s University
3. Ryerson University
4. Indiana University

Undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. programs demonstrate a spirit of innovation, flexibility and relevance. Supported by extensive partnerships with public, private and not-for-profit organizations, our goal is to produce broadly educated, enterprising and socially responsible managers capable of making lasting contributions to their communities.

SFU Beedie operates on all three SFU campuses, with:

• over 3100 undergraduate BBA students in Burnaby and Surrey
• over 250 MBA and graduate students in the new Segal Graduate School of Business
• non-credit programs at the director, executive and management levels
• a thriving Ph.D.program

Website: beedie.sfu.ca

Day 1: Arrival and Welcome Dinner 

Upon arrival, CaseIT competitors will be check-in at The Hotel at Terminal City Club.  The hotel is located at a very convenient location right in Vancouver’s downtown and waterfront district. For the duration of the competition, competitors will stay at this location and will have access

The SAP Welcome Dinner will be held at the Renaissance Hotel, a walking distance away from the Hotel! The spacious banquet hall environment allows for great conversations and networking!

Day 2: Discussion Panel, Discover Vancouver, and Corporate Function 

In the morning, competitors will travel to the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue for the discussion panel. The hall allows for open discussion and has hosted several international conferences and discussions on complex topics. It is a simply breathtaking and inspiring backdrop for CaseIT’s Discussion Panel.

The Corporate Function will be held at the Vancouver Aquarium, located in the world famous Stanley Park. Competitors will be able to mingle with various  professionals while watching the infamous beluga whales. For professionals driving to the event, the route has changed if entering from Avision Way South.

Aquarium Arrival Map

Day 4: Presentations and Awards Banquet 

After the 24-hour deliberation period, sixteen universities will present their first round presentations at the Harbour Centre, Simon Fraser University’s downtown campus. They will unveil their alternatives and recommendations, showcasing their analytical and presentation skills to the CaseIT Judging Panel.

The Segal Graduate School of Business, located in Vancouver’s business district, delivers graduate management education and executive programs in a restored heritage building. The top four universities will be announced here and will present their recommendations for a second time to over 150 attendees, including the entire CaseIT Judging Panel, other university teams, university faculty, and external observers.

The CIOVAN Awards Banquet will be located back at the Hotel at Terminal City Club.

This week’s spotlight is on the chair for this year, Peter Lew

What were/was your position(s) with CaseIT, and what years were you part of the OC?

My name is Peter Lew, I have been part of the OC for almost three years. The positions I took upon were:
Team Host (2011), Director of Entertainment and Hospitality (2012), Chairperson (2013)

If you are currently still in school what is your concentration/major?

Currently in my 4th year of studies at Beedie School of Business concentrating in Manangement Information Systems and Finance. Hoping to also obtain the Business Technology Management Certificate!

How did SFU and post secondary studies benefit your career today? In your opinion, how important do you think it is to be involved in school events and why?

As I have not graduated, I cannot fully comment. However I can tell you that so far being involved in SFU clubs and just being apart of the SFU community has been beneficial to my development. I have met new friends, future colleagues and  have gained an immense amount of experience that I can place in my personal portfolio.

How long have you been active with CaseIT? Are you still involved? What steered you to take a position as part of the OC?

This is my 3rd year with CaseIT! I really appreciate the opportunity that was given to me when I was chosen as a Team Host in 2011. I had previously applied to be on the OC earlier in the year but didn’t make the cut. However I kept hearing about this “CaseIT” and I really wanted to be apart of it, so I decided to apply again. There were rumors that 50 or so people had applied to be on a Team Host and there were only 5 spots that needed to be filled. As I continued, I really wanted to work very hard to justify this selection and in the meantime I just fell in love with CaseIT. Moving forward, I took on the position of Director of Entertainment and Hospitality for CaseIT 2012. I think I did something right as my two mentors, CaseIT 2012 Chair Nima Sarhangpour and Vice Chair Gordon Swenson, asked me to continue CaseIT’s rich traditions as the next Chair of CaseIT!

“If you try once and fail, work hard and try again! Eventually you will be where you want to be!”

If you could sum up the planning and execution stages of CaseIT in one word what would it be and why?

Stressful: “To put CaseIT together, it takes a great amount of time and effort. CaseIT really has a rich tradition of success and each year there is an outstanding achievement added to the CaseIT resume. So there is a lot of stress and pressure to live up to expectations of such a grand event.”

 -OR-

Rewarding: “By putting our energy and effort during the planning stage really eases the tension and stress during the actual event. When I look back at past CaseIT events over the years, I can really see how much I have grown professionally and as a person.”

What is your most memorable moment from CaseIT?

The most memorable moments that I can remember from CaseIT would definitely be the “Robe Renegades” that happen at night during the event. Somehow during CaseIT 2011, someone decided to dress in a robe and wake up very tired OC members at 3:00 AM in the morning. As you get woken up, you have the urge to wake someone else up so a chain started. The tradition will live on in future CaseIT events!

The CIO profession is one of the most critical in business and industry today – CIOs hold the future of innovation, productivity and competitiveness in their hands. At the CIO Association of Canada (CIOCAN), we not only provide our members with a forum to exchange IT leadership strategies and practices to enhance business results, we present a unified voice and play an active role on key issues impacting our profession.

As CIOCAN’s oldest chapter, CIOVan (established 1998) is proud of the accomplishments we’ve made. We now have close to 90 members. In addition to our regular professional development events that provide outstanding learning opportunities, our initiatives for 2011 include hosting the annual CIO Peer Forum (April 2011), continued sponsorship of the internationally renowned CaseIT competition, and partnership in a top-rated IT Leadership Development Program with the Learning Strategies Group at Simon Fraser University’s Segal School of Business. And as always, our live networking events (we now have morning, lunchtime and evening events to accommodate all schedules) provide a collegial atmosphere for the stimulating exchange of ideas and best practices.

Senior executives and students alike need to be learning new skill sets continuously. This year, CIOCAN members have chosen to focus pro-d and advocacy initiatives on organization-wide business understanding, and on consistently communicating in a way that reflects business priorities. We honing our abilities – to master C-suite language, to assess projects using different lenses, to use the power of story-telling, and to insist on the “why” of projects, before getting to the “how”.

CIOCAN’s Vancouver Chapter is proud to sponsor CaseIT – one of the best models we’ve seen for building the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a senior IT business role.

Enjoy the journey!

Website: ciocan.ca

Founded in 1972, SAP has a rich history of innovation and growth as a true industry leader. SAP currently has sales and development locations in more than 50 countries worldwide including an SAP Lab located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Website: sap.com

Summary of our services:

• Provide insurance coverage for ~197,000 employers, representing 2.1 million workers in BC
• Manage 170,000+ worker claims each year
• Pay out over $1 billion in annual benefits to workers and health care providers

Website: worksafebc.com

In its 21 year history, Orbis has outperformed the market significantly, adding value to our clients’ savings and wealth. We feel that much of our past success results from our fiercely independent, contrarian way of thinking. Our best investment ideas often arise when we take a view that is at odds with conventional wisdom. We find this holds true across all functions of the business as we are all given the opportunity to develop solutions and drive continuous improvements in an unconstrained environment.

At Orbis, we seek to attract talented individuals who have a history of high achievement. We seek intelligent, energetic and highly motivated university graduates with first-class academic records who share our Core Values. To learn more about us, please e-mail vancouver-recruitment@orbisfunds.com or visit our website below.

Website: www.orbisfunds.com

We define success by helping our clients achieve superior performance and gain competitive advantage. CGI provides end-to-end IT and business process services to clients worldwide from offices and centers of excellence in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB) and are included in both, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Index.

At CGI, we’re in the business of satisfying clients by helping them win and grow.

CGI – good to know.

Website: cgi.com

Tell us a bit about your company.

SAP’s purpose is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. Our vision is to help every customer become a best-run business.  SAP is a business leader that powers the global economy and is positively impacting the lives of millions of people through customers and our sustainability efforts. From our successful roots in ERP and mission critical businesses we are now recognized for our innovation solutions in mobile, cloud, database technology, analytics, and applications.  Today, SAP is a dominant global player that operates in all major countries.

How many groups do you usually sponsor each year?

SAP is proud to support many local organizations through our volunteer programs and through financial sponsorship.

How important do you feel education is for students?

I believe post-secondary education in any form is important for our youth. I could write a novel on this topic from personal experience with having children attending post-secondary at this time. Through grad transition interviews at our local secondary school I have interviewed numerous grade 12 students over the years and saw patterns, which I wish, could change. So many students just don’t know what they want to do or more importantly they really don’t know what avenues they have. My advice is for students to ask lots of questions about career types and parents need to assist by seeking contacts and forums to find options for their children.

Do you advise students to seek out for employment/volunteering early on?

Absolutely! For instance, our two daughters were encouraged to first seek out volunteering opportunities at places where they enjoyed being at such as their dance studio and horse riding facility. Both of these volunteers’ roles developed into employment during their secondary school years and provided them with valuable interpersonal skills.

When did you sponsor CaseIT?

From its inception. One of the co-founders, Paul Cyr worked as a co-op for me at Alderwoods Group and we discussed many times the development of CaseIT. From that point until today, regardless of which firm I’ve worked for, I have always been able to secure the Technology Sponsor role and provide resources for judging or the discussion panels.

Have you attended the event? If so, how was your experience?

I’ve attended various aspects of the event each year be it through being a judge, participant on a discussion panel or in the background by coordinating the loaner laptops as the Technology Sponsor.

What makes CaseIT unique from other competitions/groups you have sponsored?

Working with our future leaders!

Would you recommend other companies to sponsor CaseIT?

Yes, especially companies with global presence since it’s an international competition

Name three words to describe your experience with CaseIT?

Rewarding; Inspiring; Opportunity