KCC-P&G StandOut Commercial Challenge Expands Nationally in its 11th Edition
Now in its eleventh year, the El-Khazindar Business Research and Case Center (KCC) at Onsi Sawiris School of Business partnered once again with tprominent multinational Procter & Gamble (P&G) to host the KCC-P&G StandOut Commercial Challenge.
This year marked a major as the competition expanded its reach to universities across Egypt, welcoming participation from students nationwide.
A Nationwide Competition
The eleventh edition of the challenge attracted over 500 students from 24 different universities, including Alexandria University, BUE, MIU, Minufiya University, Banha University and Helwan University. For the first time, the competition opened its doors to applicants from across the country, establishing itself as a truly national platform for young talent.
This competition invites top university students to form teams and tackle a real-world commercial case study prepared by P&G. Over the course of four immersive days held at the AUC New Cairo campus and P&G’s Cairo headquarters, participants sharpened their skills in brand management, finance and sales, while gaining invaluable insights from industry experts.
From an initial pool of 110 individuals and 345 teams, 221 students and 50 teams were shortlisted to compete.
“Our partnership with P&G on the Standout Commercial Challenge reflects KCC's mission to bridge theory and practice. Expanding the challenge nationally this year gave more students the chance to build key business skills and gain invaluable exposure to the corporate world,” shared Engy Magdy, director, El-Khazindar Business Research and Case Center.
Kickoff and Training
The competition officially launched on April 15 with an introductory session hosted at AUC, where executives from P&G presented the challenge brief. The session featured opening remarks by Samer Atallah, associate dean for graduate studies and research and Kareem Yassin, vice president and general manager – P&G Egypt.
To prepare for the challenge, students attended expert-led training sessions by P&G, Ipsos and FP7 McCann, along with a practical workshop by Ahmed Tolba, professor of marketing and chair of the Heikal Department of Management, who shared strategies for effective case-solving.
Competition Highlights
During Phase 1 on April 29, 41 teams presented their case solutions to judging panels composed of P&G executives and faculty from the Onsi Sawiris School of Business. The top 16 teams advanced to Phase 2, which featured a “Day in the Life” experience at P&G’s offices. This immersive experience enabled students to step into the shoes of P&G professionals and gain firsthand insight into corporate life.
The final round, held on May 6, saw the top teams presenting their refined solutions to a panel of judges from P&G, the Onsi Sawiris School of Business and strategic partners at FP7 McCann, Ipsos and Starcom.
Celebrating Creativity and Strategic Thinking
The competition concluded with a closing ceremony, where the winning teams were announced. Speeches from Ahmed Tolba and Assem Abdelhamid, sales director at Procter & Gamble, celebrated the participants’ creativity, strategic thinking and entrepreneurial spirit.
“This was an exceptional experience from day one. I have never been more excited to put in so much effort into something beyond grades,” shared Nour Arafa, a junior marketing student at the Onsi Sawiris School of Business. “What I loved the most was getting to work on real challenges we can already observe around us by simply walking into a supermarket. The challenge felt real and we wanted to create a real solution.”
Fares Elsayed, a senior from the faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University, added” “Being shortlisted to take on the role of brand managers in a simulated market really pushed us to think strategically and be team players under pressure. Working as a team, we conducted in-depth research, analyzed competition and developed a growth plan. It was a great mix of learning, creativity and real-life problem-solving.”
Reflecting on the students’ performance, Assem Abdelhamid commented, “The dedication and passion of the students was nothing short of amazing. The ideas that they presented and brought to the table are actually very relevant to the discussions we have on a daily basis while on the job.”
A Commitment to Hands-On Learning
The national expansion of the KCC-P&G StandOut Commercial Challenge reinforces the Onsi Sawiris School of Business’ commitment to hands-on learning, industry engagement and nurturing the next generation of top business leaders. By bridging the gap between academia and the corporate world, the competition continues to prepare students for dynamic careers in Egypt and beyond.