CityUHK business students secure second runner-up at Chulalongkorn International Business Case Competition 2025

CityUHK College of Business has achieved success at the Chulalongkorn International Business Case Competition (CIBCC) 2025, clinching the second runner-up position among a competitive field of teams from twenty esteemed universities worldwide. The winning team consists of four students: Anthony Matthew Harsono (BBA Business Analysis), Charmelita Priscilla Yo (BBA Finance), Richard Afandy (BBA Global Business Systems Management), and Richard Ponto (BSc Computational Finance and Financial Technology).

Recognised as Thailand's premier invitation-based business case competition, CIBCC provides a unique platform for students to engage with real-world business challenges. Teams immerse themselves in a LIVE case study experience, visiting company sites, interacting with executives, and collaborating with stakeholders to devise strategic solutions. This year's competition, held from 19 to 26 May 2025, featured case studies from Phyathai-Paolo Hospital Group and TOA Paint, addressing pressing issues in healthcare and manufacturing, respectively.

Charmelita Priscilla Yo, participating in her first case competition, expressed her gratitude for the support and feedback from the experienced teammates and team advisor, Professor Jonathan Ng Tai-shing. She remarked, “This competition was my first-ever business case experience, and one I’ll never forget. Initially, it was challenging during the first 8-hour case. However, by the second case, we were proud to finish as second runner-up. This experience has been an invaluable learning milestone.”

Richard Afandy emphasised the connections made during the competition, saying, “This competition is one that I will cherish because we are not just competing, but rather connecting. Throughout the week, we made new friends and memories, exploring Thailand with fellow participants.” Anthony Matthew Harsono added, “Competing while making new friends with other teams made this experience special.

This journey taught me how to solve problems under pressure and highlighted the importance of staying determined. I’m looking forward to future case competitions!”

Reflecting on their journey, Richard Ponto shared, “This competition's turnaround stands out in my memory. We were discouraged after placing second-to-last in the preliminaries, but we chose to push forward with renewed focus. By connecting strategies to operational metrics, market size, and revenue forecasts, we managed to climb to the top in the next round, eventually securing second runner-up in the finals. We got knocked down, but we got back up.”

CityUHK team's achievement at CIBCC underscores the institution's commitment to fostering innovative thinking and practical skills among its students, echoing students’ sentiment of resilience and determination in the face of challenges.