BUFFALO, N.Y. – A team of four MBA students in the University at Buffalo School of Management captured first place and a $4,000 prize in a consulting case competition hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.  

Mark Bortz, MBA ’13, of Commerce, Mich., Christopher Maugans, JD/MBA ’13, of Tonawanda, Ryan McGraw, MBA ’13, of Liverpool, and Michelle Piaia, MBA ’13, of Washingtonville, were the members of the wining team, which bested groups from Penn State, Case Western, Pittsburgh University and Carnegie Mellon.

“We are very proud of this impressive accomplishment by our MBAs,” said Arjang A. Assad, dean of the UB School of Management. “They are truly representative of the sterling quality of our MBA program.”

Competitors analyzed a cross-functional business case about the energy industry and the technological progress, regulation, issues and challenges companies face in the today’s extremely competitive industry. The case tested the teams’ ability to apply knowledge of finance, marketing, operations and human capital concepts to produce actionable, practical recommendations.

Judges for the competition were Theresa Bone, vice president and corporate controller, EQT Corp.; Michael Latsko, vice president, product strategy for nuclear power plant business and project development, Westinghouse Electric Co.; Branden P. Moore, associate, McGuireWoods; and David Ortiz, senior engineering professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School.

The four students on UB’s winning team are members of the Buffalo MBA Consulting Group, a pro bono consulting firm founded in 2010 whose consultants are MBA candidates in the School of Management.

Travel and lodging expenses for the UB team were provided through a donation from School of Management alumnus Steven C. Verney ’80, MBA ’81, vice president, Allstate Insurance Co. in Chicago, and a matching grant from Allstate.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit http://mgt.buffalo.edu.