Four Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) students, one global debt problem, and a mission to find the story within the numbers. °Õ³ó²¹³Ù’s exactly what our team - Joel, Nate, Tim, and Callum – set out to do at the 2025 Manhattan Business Analytics Competition (MBAC).Ìý
°Â±ð’r±ð all accounting and finance students, but after specializing in data analytics, we wanted to put our data skills to the test. When we saw MBAC last year, we knew it would be a great experience - regardless of the outcome.Ìý
The first phase was to recommend a foreign commercial real estate investment based on government debt and other big-picture economic factors (i.e., interest rates, inflation, and unemployment trends). Our approach was to break the problem down to its core and building a story investors could believe in. We spent countless hours debating approaches, testing and refining ideas. Balancing school, co-op, and MBAC ·É²¹²õ²Ô’t easy, but we made it work through weekly meetings by setting clear goals and staying accountable. We also reached out to alumni and industry experts, whose advice helped sharpen our thinkingÌý
MBAC was everything we ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å’v±ð hoped for: supportive faculty, insightful judges, andÌýoutstanding peers. The poster presentation was a different style of presentation that introduced new challenges, and day two was a whirlwind of tweaking models, refining slides, and racing the clock. In the finals, we presented our pitch, where we compared the US debt ceiling (a cap on government borrowing) to Germany’s debt brake (a rule that restricts how much debt the government can take on) and handled some challenging questions from the judges. When they gave a small nod, we knew ·É±ð’d landed our message. Hearing our team announced the winner was a rush of excitement ·É±ð’l±ô never forget.Ìý
Throughout our research, we learned how debt impacts nations differently. But the biggest lesson? We learned data analytics ¾±²õ²Ô’t just about numbers; ¾±³Ù’s about asking the right questions, using data to guide your thinking and deliver a compelling story. That lesson will stay with us for a very long time.Ìý
Finally, ·É±ð’d like to give a huge thanks to Professor Haaris Mian (coach of the year) for his support throughout the four-month journey and many other SAF faculty members for backing our team, Jasper Lam (2018 MBAC Champion and AFM alum), Manhattan University, the O’Malley School of Business for hosting, and all the schools who made this experience unforgettable.Ìý
To anyone considering a case competition: go for it. It will push you, teach you, and prepare you to take on whatever comes next.Ìý
