The CFO (Chief Financial Officer) is an international, annual multi-round business management and leadership-focused case study competition organised by The CharterQuest Institute. It challenges university students around the world to prove they can compete at the highest level: by solving a set of complex and integrated finance, operational, strategic and ethical problems that beset a real-world global business in the emerging markets. The objective is to hone the participants' entrepreneurial and business acumen, teamwork, analytical, critical as well as the strategic thinking skills that will be required of them to thrive as future finance and global business leaders. 

The maiden edition of the competition, launched in 2016, was a spectacular success –entries sat at 1278 aspirants, organised into 320 teams from 53 universities in 25 countries and 5 continents, all aspiring to be crowned global champions and scoop the ZAR100,000 cash prize (See our last issue on why it was launched, the format, judges and sponsors). 

After multiple stages of rigorous case analysis and video presentations over a gruelling period of 6 months, South Africa was ready to host its first ever global case study competition; pitting the best 6 of the 320 teams from around the world who had entered - the 6 teams came from top universities in Australia, Ghana, Indonesia, South Africa and Zambia.  

DAY 1 SAW THE ARRIVAL OF THE TEAMS AT THE OLIVER TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 

After months of preparations, a CharterQuest team of 6 was ready to welcome our guests –the teams, their mentors, international judges and university representatives –led by Tshegofatso Makhene (ACCA student) as well as Tshenelo Ramewela (CIMA student) both of whom had inspired the Institute’s own success at the Barclays-sponsored CIMA 2015 Global Business Challenge (GBC) in Poland, returning with a 3rd place finish in the future business leader category. As the teams arrived at different times, they were welcomed with

flowers, fanfare and a red carpet treatment; typical of the (South) African hospitality. It was exciting to witness some members of the diplomatic corps from the participating countries who had arrived to welcome and support their teams. Emmerentiana Bweupe of the Zambian High Commission in South Africa (and First Secretary of Education), shared her excitement on camera (paraphrased): "The CFO Case Study Competition' is what Africa has been waiting for. It is about time that the students stepped outside the classroom to find themselves in the global business environment."

DAY 2 WITNESSED THE SEMI-FINALS AT THE JOHANNESBURG STOCK EXCHANGE (JSE) 

To read more on how The CFO Case Study Competition unfolded in 2016, subscribe to the FREE February issue of The Future CFO Magazine.