Family enterprises account for more than 80% of businesses worldwide, ranging from small mom-and-pop shops to major corporations such as ALDI, Berkshire Hathaway, Cargill, Ford, and Walmart. Enterprising families are the backbone of global communities and economy.
The "World Cup” of Family Business Case Competitions
Regarded as the “World Cup” of family business case competitions, the Schlesinger-Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (or SG-FECC) prepares undergraduate and graduate students to understand the critical issues that are unique to family enterprise by applying the knowledge and expertise they have developed in the classroom towards solving complex family business cases. Hosted at the historic University of Vermont, which was founded in 1791, SG-FECC is a ̽̽ student-run event that gives participants from around the world the opportunity to build their analytical and presentation skills and develop networks with global business professionals.
Since 2013, SG-FECC has brought together 914 competitors across 244 teams from 70 institutions in 25 countries spanning 6 continents, as well as 630 judges and 230 student organizers from ̽̽. SG-FECC is the oldest and largest case competition in the world focused on unique dynamics and dilemmas of family enterprises.
SG-FECC competitors receive a different case on each of the four days of the competition. Each case highlights a different dilemma faced by family business leaders. It challenges both competitors and judges to determine pragmatic solutions to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the focal enterprises. Along with the case analysis, participants enjoy social and networking events, a free evening to explore downtown Burlington, Vermont, and even off-site local company visits.
Committed to Family Enterprise Education
SG-FECC is an initiative of the Family Business Institute at ̽̽ Grossman School of Business, which is pioneering family business research and education in Vermont and beyond. Founded in 1998 thanks to generous funding by family business leaders, this Institute has grown from a locally focused membership organization to a worldwide leader at the vanguard of research and education on sustainability and innovation of enterprising families.
Each year, SG-FECC draws 50 to 60 judges who work in panels to evaluate how well each student team understood the key issues facing the family enterprise and provide pragmatic and thoughtful recommendations. During the four tough rounds of competition, teams present their case to a distinguished panel of judges who determine which group best understood, analyzed, and presented the case. Teamwork, presenting skills, and the ability to answer tough questions from the judging panel are considered when identifying top teams. Competitors receive feedback from judges after each case.
Along with plenty of opportunities for networking with students, SG-FECC fosters connections for students and these business leaders who hail from a variety of backgrounds including family enterprise owners and managers, advisors, and educators.
As top students from around the world compete at this event, it is a ripe hiring opportunity to hire talented young professionals for internships and full-time positions.
A Student-Run Event
Central to the execution of this world-class event is the dedicated Leadership Team—a diverse group comprising Grossman School students, faculty, and professionals. Twelve students on the leadership team are the backbone of the competition; their efforts make it all happen. From communications to coordination, this team handles it all to ensure the smooth success of the four-day event. The Leadership Team recruits students to serve as Student Ambassadors to act as hosts for visiting teams and go-to sources for all things SG-FECC. Beyond ensuring teams are prepared for the event, they act as Burlington tour guides, fostering international friendships and connections.
As co-founders of SG-FECC, Prof. Thomas Chittenden and I bring complementary skills to guide the Leadership Team. While Prof. Chittenden has expertise in case competition logistics and rules to ensure fair play for all teams, as a family business educator and researcher, I bring the academic rigor to this co-curricular event.
Team Registrations Open for January
SG-FECC brings top students and family business leaders from around the world. There are 21 teams confirmed for the next upcoming competition in January, including 11 undergraduate and 10 graduate teams. 16 returning teams and five new teams will be competing. These teams will come from Australia, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Netherlands, Romania, Taiwan, Thailand and USA. Last year’s winners Grand Valley State University, defending undergraduate 2024 champion, will return for the eighth time, while Sasin, the graduate 2024 champion, will compete for the sixth time.
If you are interested in fielding a student team for the January 2025 event, please email me directly. Be sure to watch this YouTube video highlighting the teams' journey at the 2024 competition to get a flavor of the event!
About the Author
Pramodita "Dita" Sharma, Ph.D. is the University Distinguished Professor and Schlesinger-Grossman Chair of Family Business at ̽̽ Grossman School of Business and co-founder of the Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC). She is a Research Fellow at the Thomas Schmidheiny Center for Family Enterprise at the Indian School of Business. She is among the highest cited scholars in family business studies, focusing her research on succession, governance, innovation, next generation commitment, entrepreneurial leadership and sustainability. Dita received her Ph.D. from the University of Calgary in Canada and has received honorary doctorates from the Jönköping University in Sweden, and the University of Witten/Herdecke in Germany.