Four QUT students who claimed the runners-up trophy in a Los Angeles case competition for 20 of the world’s best business school teams are among a brainy cohort of QUT business students travelling the country and globe for competitions throughout 2025.
Sameel Deoji, Abbey Caller, Matthew Huehne and Isabella Fernando (pictured below, left to right) flew to California with faculty advisor Ingrid Larkin to compete in the 2025 Marshall International Case Competition (MICC) at the University of Southern California (USC) and came up with winning business ideas for real-world clients.
QUT Business School teams will also contest two major events in May – the L’Oreal Brandstorm national finals in Melbourne this week (with the global final to follow in Paris in June), and the Chulalongkorn International Business Case Competition in Bangkok.
In July, QUT students will be at the Sydney International Business Competition at the University of Sydney, in August they have the Trans-Tasman Business Case Competition back home in Brisbane, and in September it’s the Oceania Case Competition in Auckland.
Ms Larkin said the USC MICC in LA had tasked undergraduate student teams with solving real business problems in a five-hour case and a 24-hour case.
The client for the five-hour case was Omaha Productions, an American entertainment company founded by former football quarterback Peyton Manning, and the 24-hour case client was InvestCloud, a California-founded wealth technology company that has grown to $6 trillion in assets within just 10 years.
The QUT team was the only team across the five divisions to win the short and long case challenges, which put them through to the grand final where they came second to Ivey Business School from the University of Western Ontario.
“The team worked really hard over the Australian summer to prepare for the competition, completing nine practice case sessions and multiple training sessions over weekends and evenings,” Ms Larkin (pictured below left, centre) said.
The four QUT students who competed in Los Angeles now have memories to last a lifetime – and a hugely impressive addition to their resumes.
Matthew Huehne, who is studying a Bachelor of Business (Finance) and Bachelor of Information Technology (Computer Science), said he’d joined the team to get experience at applying his skills to real-world business problems.
“One of the biggest highlights of the competition was the opportunity to meet and compete alongside talented, like-minded people from top universities around the world while building stronger connections with my own team,” he said.
“And USC Marshall School of Business organised an incredible agenda filled with networking events, social activities, and even a visit to Universal Studios!”
Isabella Fernando is doing a double degree in business (economics) and IT (information systems) and said she had leaned into the habit of saying ‘yes’ to every growth opportunity that was presented to her at uni – including the chance to go overseas.
“I didn't really know what was involved in a case competition before joining, but I knew the skills would be highly applicable in the real world … and the opportunity to go global didn't hurt!” she said.
“The case competition provided an experience unlike anything I had encountered before. The intensity of working under tight deadlines, analysing a variety of cases, and researching unfamiliar terms broadened my understanding of different industries. It gave me valuable exposure to consultancy and allowed me to work on cases across industries like tech, travel, hospitality, and healthcare.”
Abbey Caller is in her final year of a double degree in business (economics) and law and has worked as a product analyst, undergraduate consultant and paralegal during her studies.
She said competing in the Marshall International Case Competition had given her an opportunity to expand her learning and work experience, and apply her skills to real business problems.
“The competition tested my ability to believe in myself and have confidence in the fact that I know what I’m saying and have done the work,” she said.
“It also tested the ability to problem solve and be proactive under significant time pressure. I learnt to embrace the nerves and turn them into excitement!”
Sameel Deoji is doing a double degree in business and journalism, and said he fell in love with business by dabbling in entrepreneurship (he has a side hustle, Chipita).
He said the LA experience had highlighted the benefit of having an all-round knowledge of current affairs, because business cases were often affected by factors being talked about in the news, such as inflation and tariffs.
“I found it beneficial to listen to podcasts about American affairs, read newspapers and be up-to-date with general news because I could create links between how the business case could be affected by macro forces,” he said.
“The fact that this wasn't just for an assignment made it really exciting because we got to work as real consultants who are trying to help a company.
“My number one highlight of the competition would be working with my fabulous team. I also found myself building networks with people from around the world, meaning I’ve got connections from around the world that I can help and vice versa.”
Next up on the QUT Business School’s case competition program is the Australian final of the L’Oréal Brandstorm’s 33rd global technology and innovation competition.
The team consists of QUT students Matthew Huehne and Isabella Fernando – who are both backing up from LA – and business and law student Michelle Dang, who is in her second year with the international case competition squad.
If they win, they will get to go to Paris for the international finals at L’Oreal HQ, with the winner of that event then invited to live in Paris for three months to develop their idea.
QUT teams have previously represented Australia in international finals for L’Oréal Brandstorm four times, including in 2024.
Another QUT team is heading to Thailand to compete in the Chulalongkorn International Business Case Competition in Bangkok from May 19 to 25.
Abbey Caller and Matthew Huehne will both be back to vie for international honours, alongside business honours student and finance and biology graduate Cameron Mah and Kate Bellars, who is studying a double degree in marketing and fashion design.
The team’s faculty advisor, Professor Larry Neale, is coaching the team and will travel with them to Bangkok.
The next generation of business case competition students will also be at QUT on May 10 for the championship round of QUT’s annual Blueshift case competition for high school students. This year’s school teams are brainstorming solutions for a QUT Sport business case on a virtual indoor rowing program and competition.
** To learn more about studying business at QUT, visit our business study page and/or come along to the QUT Open Day on July 27.
Pictured at top: Sameel Deoji, Isabella Fernando, Matthew Huehne and Abbey Caller (left to right in centre photo) enjoying their time in California, including Universal Studios, the MICC and Beverly Hills.
QUT Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, media@qut.edu.au
- After hours, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au
