The International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition is not for the faint of heart. It demands months of preparation, focus, and determination from students who choose to participate. What begins as a classroom simulation quickly transforms into a high-stakes challenge that mirrors the realities of global business leadership.

First, there is more than three months of hard work, with students running a simulated business and making all the C-suite decisions required to compete in an international marketplace. Each student team must step into the roles of chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and other leadership positions, learning firsthand what it means to guide a company’s direction. Every choice matters, from how much to produce, to whether to expand operations, to how to allocate marketing dollars. These decisions ripple across the simulation, with competitors from universities around the world reacting to each move.

Then comes the three-day “intensive phase”—a description that might be an understatement. During this final stretch, the pressure increases dramatically. Teams must take everything they have learned, review their past decisions, and prepare to present their strategies and results to a panel of judges acting as a board of directors.

Before their final presentations, students often work through the night, polishing financial reports and strategic plans, reviewing every detail, and rehearsing talking points. Exhaustion is common, but so is perseverance. “Then, with no sleep, there they are: in their suits, standing before the board of directors, spit-shined and ready,” says Sean Jasso, professor of practice for the School of Business, who serves as adviser to the teams. “They are well-rehearsed. They are ready. And they deliver.”

Deliver they have: The proof is on display in the School of Business trophy case with a decades-worth of victories. Each award represents not only academic success, but also the dedication, teamwork, and discipline required to succeed in a simulated but realistic business environment. The consistent recognition UCR has earned in this competition serves as an inspiration to future teams and reflects the quality of preparation provided by faculty and staff.

The School of Business undergraduate team extended their successful run with a third-place finish for the undergrads in the 2021 competition, the 10th year UCR has entered. That accomplishment adds to an already impressive record, reinforcing the school’s reputation for producing students who can thrive in demanding, real-world scenarios.

The International Collegiate Business Strategy Competition, the world’s longest-running business strategy contest, attracts graduate and undergraduate teams who normally compete remotely over a three-month period. Teams use a sophisticated software platform to run a simulated company in a global competitive market for five simulated years. Students make all the critical strategic decisions: production output, hiring and firing, advertising and marketing strategies, sales force management, financial allocations, and even the construction of new factories. Each decision builds on the last, making foresight and long-term thinking essential.

For students, the rewards go beyond trophies. UCR’s track record of success provides an incentive to give their very best, and the lessons learned are carried into internships, jobs, and graduate studies. The teamwork and leadership skills developed in this competition prepare students for the complex challenges they will face in their careers.

“There are no slackers. They are truly dedicated,” Jasso adds. “This work is intensive, and it’s extracurricular, beyond homework or internships. We don’t participate just to learn. We compete to be ambassadors for the school. We go to deliver excellence.”