Malvern Prep Hosts Second Annual Business Ethics Case Study Competition

On Saturday, February 21, Malvern Prep welcomed students, judges, and corporate sponsors for its second annual Business Ethics Case Study Competition. Fourteen teams from six schools gathered on campus to compete, representing Malvern Prep, Villa Maria, Villa Joseph Marie, Agnes Irwin, Phoenixville High School, and Haverford High School. 

Prior to the competition, registered teams received one of four case studies rooted in real-world ethical dilemmas drawn from talks given by visiting alumni and supporters during the fall Business Ethics class. Each team developed a slideshow presentation analyzing their case, proposing the most ethical solution, and defending that solution through a clear value or ethical lens. Teams presented and fielded questions from a panel of judges, with the top four scoring teams advancing to a final round to present before the full panel of judges. The top four teams each selected a prize from a list of exclusive "Networking Day Visits" sponsored by companies with ties to the Malvern Prep Community.

The competition was organized and run largely by students themselves. Seniors Billy Beck, Luke Bobbitt, Jaime Schlichtig, and Boden Barry served as the primary leaders and organizers, with sophomores Mason Matlack, Joseph Crimmins, and Finn McCullough providing valuable support. Mr. Zak Hill and Mrs. Jessica Kenworthey co-moderated the event and co-coached Malvern’s five competing teams.

After a competitive final round, the rankings were as follows: 

• Taking first place were Malvern Prep seniors Max Swiderski, Mats Michlitsch, and Colin Fanning, who will visit Marsh McLennan. 
• Second place went to Malvern seniors Ryan Woerner, Dean Cipriotti, and Alex de Vries, who will visit Dechert LLP. 
• Agnes Irwin's team of senior Liz Storrer and juniors Dwyer Corrigan and Sophie Barnett earned third place and will visit The Boeing Company. 
• Rounding out the top four, Haverford High School's team of Carly Moore, Naima Traore, Gaytri Saddi, Ashley Espeut, and Gianna Dragon will visit AGF Manufacturing.

The competition would not have been possible without the generous support of four corporate sponsors, each of whom offered a Networking Day Visit as the prize for a finalist team: Mr. John Chicoli from The Boeing Company, Mr. Dave Frank '91 P'20'25 PT from Marsh McLennan, Mr. Joe McHugh ’10 from AGF Manufacturing, and Mr. JJ Moser ’12 from Dechert LLP.

Malvern Prep was grateful to welcome 17 judges from its community of alumni, parents, and friends, whose time, expertise, and thoughtful questioning made the competition both rigorous and meaningful.

Thank you to:
Mr. Joe Miele '77 P'09 PT
Mr. Eric Martin P’25 
Mr. Joe Carlini '13
Mr. Drew Donovan P’28
Mr. Ned Conway P’23
Dr. Zach DeCarlo '15
Mr. Kosta Hionis '19
Dr. Mark Promislo (Prof. of Business & Management at Rider University) 
Mr. Joe Downs P'28'31
Mr. David Frank '91 P'20'25 PT
Mrs. Kristen Waterfield P’27'27
Mr. JJ Moser '12
Mr. Matt Clymer P’30
Mr. Joe Andronowitz P’28
Dr. George Sillup 
Mr. Ed John '95 P'28'30
Mr. Ryan Bonner '12 

As the event continues to grow, the Business Ethics Case Study Competition is becoming a wonderful experience for students who want to tackle the real-world challenges of ethical leadership. We look forward to seeing it expand in the years ahead!

Click here to view photos from the event.