The University of Alabama, USA and BabeČ™-Bolyai University, Romania were announced as the of the 12th Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC) at an awards dinner Saturday night—the culmination of an intensive four-day event convening on family business education. SG-FECC, hosted by ¶¶Ňő̽̽ (¶¶Ňő̽̽) the Grossman School of Business from January 8 – 11, brought 23 student teams from 10 countries to Burlington, Vermont from as far as Australia, Mexico, The Netherlands, Romania, Taiwan, and Thailand among others, to compete at this year’s "World Cup" of Family Business Case Competitions.
At the 12th SG-FECC there were 17 returning teams and six new teams competing for the first time. Teams received a different case each day highlighting varied dilemmas faced by family business leaders in different parts of the world. Competitors and judges were both challenged to determine pragmatic solutions to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the focal enterprises. Participants also enjoyed social and networking events including a visit to ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, the “Wear Your University” dinner, and a free evening to explore downtown Burlington, Vermont.
2025 Winners
At the closing awards dinner on Saturday, the winning teams, best presenters, and other awards were announced following introductions and remarks from members of the SG-FECC Leadership Team, SG-FECC Co-Chair and Schlesinger-Grossman Chair of Family Business Pramodita “Dita” Sharma, and ¶¶Ňő̽̽’s Interim President and SVP Patty Prelock, Ph.D.
The undergraduate winners were from the University of Alabama. The winning graduate team hailing from Romania was BabeČ™-Bolyai University.
Undergraduate League
- 1st place: University of Alabama, USA
- 2nd place: University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
- 3rd place: Ohio University, USA
Graduate League
- 1st place: BabeČ™-Bolyai University, Romania
- 2nd place: York University, Canada
- 3rd place: University of Adelaide, Australia
“Congratulations to this year's winners! SG-FECC is run by the undergraduate students of the Grossman School of Business. This edition was a resounding success bringing together more than 250 competitors, coaches, judges, business leaders, advisors, educators and sponsors. Seeing it all come together was remarkable, as it was fun to experience the growth and professionalism in our student leaders as well as the competitors. Thanks to our student ambassadors and Leadership Team who worked hard to provide a structured and enjoyable case competition experience for all,” said Dita Sharma.
“It was also great seeing the camaraderie of the competition and students learning from peers around the world and motivated students who take their work seriously—all with the mindset of finding solutions that challenge family enterprises specifically.”
A Student-Run Event
SG-FECC is a ¶¶Ňő̽̽ 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. This year, several for their commitment and positive contributions including the Student Ambassador Award and Outstanding Contributor Award.
“Our motivated organizing committee and student team this year were impressively organized, collaborative, and in lockstep planning SG-FECC throughout the year, which ultimately made for a tremendously successful event this year,” said Thomas I. Chittenden, co-chair of SG-FECC and a Senator of the state of Vermont. “Their outstanding leadership and professionalism made a lasting impression on our visiting competitors, coaches, and judges.”
Support From Esteemed Judges and Sponsors
Additionally, a total of 58 serving on 23 panels shared their time and expertise during the 12th SG-FECC competition. Judge Coordination Leaders – Professors Mira Bloemen-Bekx from the Netherlands and Professor Evelyn Micelotta, Grossman Chair of Family Business helped to orient the judges to ensure a fair and development experience for all competitors. Being an SG-FECC judge is a highly sought-after post, and it’s not uncommon for there to be a wait list for judging as there is already for the 2026 event.
“Our judges are global business leaders from various backgrounds who contribute to the advancement of SG-FECC participants. We’re grateful for all their time, knowledge, and contributions. I especially want to thank Jim Keller, Rino Caruccio, Michael Casella, Bruce Simmons, John Burton, Wendy Sage Hayward, and Adam Ifshin,” added Sharma.
Major sponsors of this event were Steven Grossman, Steve Schlesinger, Jim Keller, Robin and Chuck Tauck (classes of ’76 and ’77). Event sponsors include A&M, the Butler Brothers, Sukey and Davis Farmer (class of ’79), the Foley family, Lisa and Dan Lehan (class of ’88), Olivia’s Organics, and the ¶¶Ňő̽̽ Grossman School of Business Family Business Club.
View the full 2025 results on the SG-FECC competition website, /. For more information about SG-FECC or the Grossman School of Business, visit .