After eight years of practice, preparation and mock cases, Jasman Bisram was only a 15-minute presentation away from achieving his goal.

The fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration co-op student came ready to succeed and realize his dream of earning a first-place finish during his last year competing at DECA provincials.

Goodman School of Business students Jasman Bisram and Avneet Rehal earned the top prize in the International Marketing category at the DECA U Ontario case competition.

Alongside partner Avneet Rehal, Bisram emerged victorious at the DECA U Ontario case competition, earning the top prize in the International Marketing category.

Bisram, who is also the Goodman DECA President, led the Brock team to a record 21 medals, topping Goodman’s previous School record of 17.

More than 1,300 students from across the province competed in the fast-paced event, held Jan. 18 to 20 in Toronto. The competition puts students’ analytical and communication skills to the test in several business categories that mimic real-life situations they will face in the workplace.

Bisram first got involved in DECA in Grade 9 at his Brampton high school and has been competing at the provincial and international level each year since. Having previously finished second and third at the university level, a top finish was all he was missing from his DECA resumé.

“I was from a high school that was very competitive in DECA and after getting pushed into it in Grade 9, I got completely hooked,” Bisram said. “For the last eight years, through DECA, I’ve slowly and consistently been growing my communication skills and becoming comfortable by being put in uncomfortable situations.

“I wanted to become the elite presenter that employers look for and other students look up to as a role model.”

Although he was proud of his personal accomplishment, he credits a dedicated team of 56 students for the School’s overall success. From September to the time of the competition, team members practised a minimum of two to three mock cases a week in their subject area, providing each other with feedback and advice.

“I feel ecstatic about our team’s results,” Bisram said. “The hard work the team has put in over the last few months really translated in the quality of their presentations. The level of polish in the students’ presentations was why we were able to do so well.”

Students competed both individually and as teams, with individuals only getting 15 minutes to prepare for their 10-minute presentation, and teams receiving 30 minutes to review the material and prepare their 15-minute case presentation.

“This record achievement reflects the hard work and preparation our students put in,” said Goodman School of Business Dean Andrew Gaudes.

“These cases mirror real-life business situations and our students prove time and time again that they have the knowledge and ability to handle them deftly, employing innovative solutions that make them stand out amongst their competition.”

The team was one of five schools with delegations under 100 students also recognized for their overall participation.

Next, 16 delegates from the team will head to the international level of competition at ICDC in Orlando, Fla., in April.

The Goodman DECA executive team also includes Nimrat Brar, Avneet Rehal, Natalie Tosello, Karina Atha, Mile Peles, Charnjot Brar and Shehryar Khalid. The team would like to thank Professor Ken Klassen for acting as a faculty advisor for the PMI Case Boss team and Goodman’s Communications and Engagement team for their support.

Full results

The following teams received medals for their final award standings in their categories:

•      First place in International Marketing: Jasman Bisram and Avneet Rehal
•      Second place in Business to Business: Amani Ahmad and Manahil Haider
•      Third place in SEED (entrepreneurship pitch): Hamza Pasha and Ahmad Pasha
•      Third place in PMI Case Boss: Karina Atha, Shehryar Khalid and Natalie Tosello

The following students received medals for placing in the Top 5 of their individual categories:

•      Corporate Finance: Sam Farberman (case 1 and case 2), third place overall
•      Corporate Finance: Manvir Brar (case 2)
•      Fashion and retail Management: Khariny Kethees (case 2)
•      Human Resources Management: Harvinder Trehan (case 2), third place overall
•      Management Consulting: Saideepak Vuppu (case 2)
•      Restaurant and Food Services Management: Sukhwinder Gill (case 1), second place overall
•      Travel Management: Nimrat Brar (case 2)
•      Travel Management: Andrew Park, second place overall