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Gabelli School team going to nationals

Undergraduate | Jan 26, 2017 |

When you stay at a hotel, you probably have some suggestions on how the experience could be improved.

You probably do not bring your ideas to a panel of KPMG leaders who expect your presentation to measure up to a professional firm’s.

In the regional round of the KPMG International Case Competition, that’s what one Gabelli School team did.

Fordham competed against teams from Bentley University, Boston College, UConn, UMass, SUNY Binghamton, and NC State to secure a victory based on a case surrounding the luxury hotel brand Jumeirah.

The winning team, consisting of Michael Kontolios, George Morfogen, and Jonathan Savorgiannakis, all BS ’18, and Gabriella Puma, BS ’19, had just three hours to come up with recommendations on reducing costs and improving the company.

How did the group handle the pressure?

“We all dealt with it by communicating effectively and efficiently with each other so that nobody felt like we were wasting time,” Puma said.

Savorgiannakis echoed her statement, adding that “as stressful and difficult as it was, it was pretty cool to see the final result of those three stressful hours.”

Plus, the skills they learned will stay with them throughout their careers, Kontolios said, as they had to “work with a team to conquer a challenge quickly, which is very important in any aspect of business.”

The foursome will be tested again in the national round of the competition, which will be held at KPMG’s New York office on February 24.

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