A team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) emerged victorious from a tough field of MBA candidates competing for $35,000 in scholarships at the 2009 National Student Case Competition, sponsored by Chrysler Group LLC and The Chrysler Foundation.

The next generation of business leaders representing 22 of the nation’s top business schools wrapped their collective minds around complex business cases, which tested their knowledge and problem-solving skills.  The teams were presented a hypothetical business case and tasked with developing solutions to it.  Each student team then prepared and presented its case before a panel of experienced business executives.

The UNC team took home the first place trophy as national champions of the competition and $15,000 in scholarships money. The winning team members were Taalib al'Salaam, James Bryant and Aeisha Williams, all MBA students at UNC. The second and third place teams hailed from Emory University and Winston Salem State University, whose members earned $12,000 and $8,000 in scholarships respectively.

"Over the years, the Chrysler Group has enabled more than 1,300 students to present their analyses and recommendations to real-world problems during the National Student Case Competition,” said Lisa J. Wicker, Director -- Talent Management, Global Diversity and Leadership Development, Chrysler Group LLC. “This competition has evolved into the premier showcase event for student achievement and an important way the Chrysler Group demonstrates its continuing commitment to diversity, scholarship and leadership.”