In this year’s Strategy Case Competition, Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) students Katie, Kevin, Grace, and Avika secured a 4th place finish, earning a $250 prize for their creative and unconventional approach. Competing against top teams from SAF, they tackled a bold and forward-thinking case: how could Tesla reinvent itself post-bankruptcy using its existing brand strength, technology, and infrastructure?
How would you describe this year’s case challenge?
It was a fun “what-if” scenario — the biggest question being: what could we do if we had Tesla’s resources and brand recognition?
What was the biggest complexity or twist in the case?
We initially expected Tesla to be in much worse shape. However, research revealed it wasn’t as weak as assumed, making it difficult to evaluate its current operations and envision a realistic post-bankruptcy strategy.
What industries or strategic themes did the case touch on?
The strategy branched into multiple industries: auto, energy, public transportation, and defence manufacturing. The key was identifying a niche where BYD, Tesla’s main competitor, would struggle to compete.
What was the core idea behind your proposed solution?
While our ideas were somewhat scattered, the core strategy was: what can we do in North America that BYD can’t? With Tesla’s tarnished consumer reputation, we leaned into a B2B strategy — specifically public transportation and defence manufacturing.
What made your solution unique?
Unlike other teams focused on high-margin battery packs, we focused on Tesla’s gigafactories and speculative manufacturing opportunities. This required more assumptions but set us apart by thinking beyond the consumer auto market.
Why did you participate in the Strategy Case Competition?
We all find case competitions rewarding. They challenge teamwork, presentation, and problem-solving skills — plus it’s fascinating to see how other teams interpret the same case differently. For Kevin, the Q&A portion is a personal favourite, and joining with friends made the experience even better.
What were the most valuable skills or lessons gained?
We learned that effort truly matters and there's always room to grow. Watching the finalists (especially the team that built an interactive bankruptcy model) inspired us. It pushed us to think more creatively, improve presentation skills, and appreciate the value of peer learning.
How did you handle feedback from judges?
We focused on what we could act on — like presentation skills — and filtered out what was out of our control, like slide design. We approached all feedback with an open mind, seeing it as a way to improve for future competitions.
Advice for future participants?
Build a diverse team — mix programs and year levels for a broader knowledge base. Practice your presentation flow and prepare thoroughly for Q&A. Most importantly, enter the competition believing you’ll win. Confidence and full effort will take you far.
How will this experience help in your future career or studies?
The experience mirrored real-world challenges we’ll face in co-op and future roles — from teamwork to problem-solving to presenting. Networking opportunities were also a huge plus. Watching upper-year teams and engaging with judges gave us insight into what skills we need to keep developing. Overall, it was a valuable stepping stone for our careers in business.