Team Yeshuas from Kenyatta University won the top spot at the Global Management Challenge (GMC) National Competition held in Nairobi at the Ole Sereni Hotel. The GMC is the biggest global strategy and management competition held every year, attracting over half a million people from over 30 countries. The team will represent Kenya at the GMC International Finals which will be held in Doha, Qatar in April.
“This is the third time we are holding the competition in Kenya, and we are seeing the level of interest from competitors and potential businesses partners continue to grow. For competitors, the GMC offers an alternative platform, removed from the theory of the classroom or the rigid corporate structure, where young men and women can learn what leadership in business really entails – they grow and manage virtual companies in simulations that mirror the real world. In addition to this, businesses get the opportunity to support and closely mentor high-potential men and women, contributing to the development of the local human resource talent pool,” Asim Shah, co-founder of the local GMC chapter explained the significance of the competition.
“At first, our team, Team Yeshua, was slightly intimidated by the manual we were given to help guide us through the competition,” explained Akaka Emmanuel Okumu, captain of the winning team from Kenyatta University. “However, we came to realize that once we understood the basic rules of the competition, and took some time to understand how each decision affected our company’s overall performance, we were able to carry out our tasks better – we kept learning right until the very end of the competition. With proper analysis, your decision making becomes easier. We did not expect to win – nobody really ever does, you can only hope – and we will carry our country’s flag high in Doha next month.”
Other teams that performed impressively at the national finals included the team from Profiles International who were runners-up, Militarium from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology who took third place, and the management team from Antarc Furniture in fourth place. The teams were judged by the performance of their ‘companies’ in investments made, growth of assets, market value, as well as share price. Other companies represented included Centum Investments, Tarpo Industries, Star Times and CopyCat Group.
The theme of the competition was Transformation Through Experience; participants were encouraged to leverage each other’s unique strengths and all finalist were given a personality assessment by Profiles International in order to help them understand their unique leadership styles.
“The GMC provides a great platform for mentorship; we have already began identifying talented young people who can be well placed in corporate Kenya, or who, with the right support, can embrace entrepreneurship successfully,” Ravi Shah, GMC Kenya co-founder finished. “We are always looking to grow our influence and work with new individuals and companies who share our vision.”
The next edition of the GMC Kenyan chapter will be launched in June.
