News Release: Deloitte success for Grabowski

St Andrews student claims runner up prize in the Deloitte Business Competition

John Grabowski, a third year Management and History of Art student from the University of St Andrews, has won second prize in the inaugural Deloitte Business Competition.

As the official professional services provider to London 2012, Deloitte developed the competition alongside the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), with the aim of connecting the next generation of business minds to this once-in-a-lifetime event on home soil. Students were asked how they would create a positive experience for different groups at Games time - a business challenge that Deloitte helped LOCOG to address - and how they would measure success. Ideas could be set out in no more than 2,012 words, with students choosing from: athletes and officials, the media, local residents, spectators, sponsors, or the Games workforce.

John's entry was selected from entries received across the UK by a judging panel led by Sebastian Coe KBE, Chair of LOCOG.

Coe praised John's paper, which focused on what would make an optimal spectator event at London 2012, and highlighted John's concept of a 'Total Olympic Experience', saying "it resonated with the judges by highlighting the diversity of the London 2012 audience."

James Baird, Senior Partner for Deloitte in Scotland commented:

"Part of London's bid to become host city was to ensure that London 2012 would be for the youth of the world. The fact that the top three entries from the Deloitte Business Competition all came from outside London, demonstrates the power of the Games to connect with people across the UK and we are delighted to be playing our part in that vision in Scotland. The winning entries demonstrated the business awareness, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking that we were looking for and that will drive business and sporting winners in the future. Scotland needs winners, and based on the quality of entries we received, there are future winners out there who will play their part in Scotland's future success."

John's entry, which was narrowly beaten by Andrew Johnston, a second year accountancy student from Queens University Belfast, emphasised the importance of those travelling from outside the UK to attend the games. John was able to bring this unique perspective as he is an international student at St Andrews, originally from Philadelphia, and his efforts won him British Airways flight vouchers to the value of £500. Third place went to Caitlin Wallis from the University of Manchester.

Coe concluded: "When Deloitte first became a sponsor of the London Games, I commented on how passionately they shared LOCOG's values and vision for London 2012, and how their commitment to those values goes beyond their relationship with the Organising Committee. The Deloitte Business Competition has reinforced this, offering students across the UK a fantastic chance to see what is involved in organising an event of this scale."

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