History Of JMUCC

In the midst of a pandemic recovery, JMUCC 2022 was a bold project led by Jeremy Abikhzir and Naomi Kixmöller-Gosley. Both were part of JMUCC for 2 years prior to starting their mandate. Having lived JMUCC both in-person in 2020 and the first ever online edition in 2021, they developed the experience and knowledge to lead JMUCC 2022 and to be as unique as it was.

As JMUCC 2021 took an end, JMUCC 2022 was set to be the in-person return of our competition to welcome back all our delegations in Montreal for one of the best weeks of their academic career. 

However, JMUCC 2022 was reverted back online due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, the constant innovation that pushed us over the years, has made this 14th edition, one of a kind. Replicating the successes from our first online edition in 2021 and integrating the in-person components that made JMUCC unique for so long, JMUCC 2022 was truly one of a kind.

From more social activities, games, bounding, and networking events, the incredible experience our volunteers got to live in-person to the added online Q&A sessions, JMUCC 2022, despite being online, felt a little bit closer to an in-person experience for all stakeholders. This competition in the end, truly reflected our core pillar: Passion, Spirit and Dynamism and allowed everyone involved to build what we like to call #JMUCCShips.

Looking back at JMUCC 2022, the entire Organizing Committee can be proud of what was accomplished, by pushing their limits and making this competition a success once more for all involved.

Participating Schools

JMUCC 2021 will forever be remembered as the most innovative and transformative competition in JMUCC’s history.

 Leading the change towards a fully online competition, Charles Roy was set to create a safe, innovative and enriching online competition. Charles started his involvement with JMUCC in 2019, serving as the First Year Representative & Judges Coordinator, and then became VP Logistics for JMUCC 2020. With two years of experience, he had the knowledge and leadership to adapt the competition to the COVID-19 reality. 

The first ever online edition of JMUCC turned out to be a success. Bringing together 28 schools from 13 different countries, spread across 10 time zones, the competition successfully gave delegates an enriching and innovative online experience. Throughout the week, delegates were connected through a large number of zoom calls, social events, networking events, and even fun activities like a workout session and a podcast series. 

Throughout all these changes, we made sure to stick to our core pillars of passion, spirit and dynamism, by providing the same JMUCC experience and by continuing to foster professional relationships, as well as our famous #JMUCCShips.

Looking back at the first-ever online edition, the team can be proud that they successfully upheld JMUCC’s standards and offered a great virtual competition to all that attended.

For the last 10 years of the competition, JMUCC has been hosting 24 universities, which meant that a change was long overdue. Who better to lead the monumental task of increasing the number of schools than Julia Wheeler. Julia was previously VP Logistics for the 2019 edition, and was VP Corporate for the 2018 competition. Having all the experience she needed, she embarked on a journey with the goal to make JMUCC 2020 the Biggest and Boldest edition yet. 

And what a year it has been; from an increase of schools from 24-28, Julia successfully led the team that organized the biggest JMUCC yet, hosting over 200 participants. We also reached an all-time high diverse delegation, hosting schools from 15 different countries.

We also did major changes when it came to our sustainability initiatives. We took the United Nations Climate Neutral Now pledge, reaffirming that a green future is at the center of our priorities. We also provided each judge with a tablet, which significantly reduced the usage of paper throughout the competition.  

After accomplishing the task of adding 4 extra schools, the 2020 organizing committee can look back at a successful competition and say: mission accomplished.

After a monumental JMUCC celebration in 2018 for our 10 year anniversary, the competition needed a strong leader to live up to the expectations, and David White was the perfect option. After being VP Finance and Development for the two years prior, and having been chosen as the First Year Representative in 2016, David knew JMUCC inside and out and was now ready to lead the team towards another successful year. 

The organizing committee worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of the competition and offer delegates an even better competition than the years prior. The 11th edition of JMUCC saw 24 schools, from a record-breaking number of countries, come to Montreal. 

With the success of the creative case from the year before, we continued this new tradition and offered delegates the opportunity to practice their case-cracking skills a month before the start. 

JMUCC 2019 was also a year for innovation in terms of tech. For the first time ever, we incorporated the use of Wifi in one of our round-robin cases, giving delegates the opportunity to further refine their ideas. 

All and all, JMUCC 2019 was a true success and continued our long-standing tradition of being a leader in the case competition circuit.

After being the creative mind behind JMUCC’s branding for 2 years, Kim Chanel Vallée-Séguin decided it was time to take on a new challenge, and become President of the 10th edition of JMUCC.

The organizing committee stepped it up a notch, by introducing a 7th finalist for the final round of presentations, finding new cases that were never seen before and pushed the competitors outside of their comfort zone. A creative case was also introduced prior to the competition, to challenge students into thinking outside the box and let their creativity run wild. This milestone edition came with higher expectations, and everyone delivered. From the judges who were impressed by the recommendations of the students, to the volunteers who were ever so dedicated to making sure the competition ran smoothly, to the organizers who worked relentlessly to add more value for students and corporate sponsors.

In 2018, co-sponsored events were introduced throughout the week, and for the first time ever, a mentorship opportunity from Walmart Canada was awarded to the winners of JMUCC. The 10th edition of JMUCC is one that surpassed the status quo of case competitions around the world, and has shown the world that WE MEAN BUSINESS.

In the sixth year since its inception, the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition reached new heights as Bianca Bertoia and her team broke countless records. The competitors were faced with four B2B cases, and the industries presented ranged from healthcare, to transportation for the performing arts, and finally to technology for retail point of sale systems. Global Montreal was on site for the competition, and for the first time in the history of JMUCC, the final 24-hour cases were live-streamed, allowing families and friends around the world to join in the excitement of the finals as they were happening. As we move into 2015, we thank Bianca and her team for their hard work and dedication, and we thank the past Presidents for leaving such an honourable legacy.

2013 marked the fifth anniversary of the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition, and Guillaume Leverdier’s second year as President. The competition welcomed new universities such as the Queensland University of Technology and Salisbury University (USA), and for the first time in its history, had all international podium finishes. As well, Guillaume and esteemed board member, Anna Martini, were featured on Global Montreal’s morning news, where they discussed what exactly JMUCC means to competitors from around the world. Five years and five competitions later, JMUCC was stronger than ever

Twenty-four schools seemed to be the ideal number for JMUCC’s success. Guillaume Leverdier, both first year representative in 2010 and VP Logistics in 2011, took charge as President for the 2012 edition of JMUCC. The team – now composed of nine executives – definitely gave the competitors a week to remember, from cheering on the Habs, to solving diverse cases ranging from design, health, water technology and mining. This year’s JMUCC closed with an international win by the Netherlands’ Maastricht University.

In its third year, President Mariann Rossi believed that JMUCC was ready for a small change: an additional four schools were added to the competition. These 24 schools and 96 competitors again competed in four live cases from companies with both Montreal and international recognition. With just six committee members, the team set the stage for future JMUCCs, and as one volunteer said, gave students “the most challenging, exciting, and gratifying week” of their undergraduate career.

In 2010, the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition returned for a second time with a new President, Mariann Rossi, and with a unique added element: all four cases presented throughout the week were “live”, offered by real business requiring real solutions. Although some newer universities added to the diversity of the competition, Canada dominated the podium.

2009 marked the inception of the “John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition”, the first multi-round business case competition. Under the leadership of Victor Esposito, the event brought twenty teams from ten international countries to the city of Montreal to compete in four cases. Unique to this competition was the 24-hour “live case”, a real-life business case offered by the Montreal Port Authority. It was apparent, even in its humble beginnings, that the competition was on the very brink of success.

Before we called it “JMUCC”, the competition began its life as the Undergraduate National Case Competition – an event that welcomed Canadian schools from sea to shining sea. Beginning in 2003, UNCC was a very different competition from what JMUCC is today. Taking place over the span of one weekend, teams were expected to crack two cases, and the team with the highest score after the two cases was crowned the winner.

Then, in 2009, as Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business moved into its new home, it was time for the competition to grow.