Following her Passion, Debranetta Gethers is Preparing for her Sixth Case Competition
In a few weeks, she’ll be heading out to San Diego, Calif., for the 2011 Sony Marketing Strategy Case Competition. It will be her sixth case competition since entering the NC State Jenkins MBA program in the Poole College of Management two years ago.
This competition is different than the others in that she will be working with people she has never met or worked with before, Gethers said. The mixed teams of five full-time MBA students from across the country will be working on a marketing strategy case, presenting to a panel of senior Sony executives at the judges’ table. She’s up for the challenge, she said.
“In business, it is not uncommon to be placed on cross-functional teams with people you don’t typically work with,” Gethers said. “So I am excited to have this opportunity.”
She previously competed in the NC State Jenkins MBA Business Ethics Case Competition, the Bayer Case Analysis, and the ACG Cup, sponsored by the Raleigh-Durham chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth. She has twice competed in the National Association of Women of Women MBAs (NAWMBA) competition. The Jenkins MBA team won first place in 2009 and second place in 2010.
“Case competitions offer real world experience,” Gether said. “I have learned how to leverage my strengths, which include attention to detail, the ability to determine key issues from incomplete information, and the ability to articulate solutions to complex problems.”
She first learned about case competitions while researching MBA programs, and saw them as a great complement to in-class learning and an opportunity for networking. During orientation for the NC State Jenkins program, she learned of the NAWMBA competition and got on a team.
“My first competition was very successful and I worked with a great team,” said Gethers. “As a result, I competed in NAWMBA again this year with a different team and it too was successful.”
Gethers learned of the competition opportunities through MBA conferences or Jenkins MBA program announcements. “Students who are interested in case competitions should have no problem finding opportunities,” she said.
“I am thankful to the Jenkins MBA program for supporting me in these endeavors,” Gethers said. “They have provided great learning experiences and exposure for both me and the Jenkins MBA program.”
Gethers is a second-year full-time student in the Jenkins MBA program, which is in the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University. She is concentrating in marketing management and financial management. The Jenkins MBA Business Ethics Case Competition was held as part of a case competition class that is part of the program’s curriculum.
