Winning business case students

The 10th edition of the School’s annual business case competition took place recently. This year’s event saw twelve teams of students tackle a live business case set by Arnold Clark. Undergraduate, postgraduate taught and MBA students presented their findings to a panel of academic staff, alumni and representatives from industry, including Barclays, NatWest Group, Deloitte, HSBC, Terumo Aortic, and Morgan Stanley.  

More than 170 students applied to take part with successful applicants undergoing intensive case-solving training from Alison Gibb, Adam Smith Business School case competitions lead. The event was organised by a team of thirty student volunteers led by the presidents of the Adam Smith Economics Society and the Glasgow University Consulting Society.   

This year, Arnold Clark challenged students to explore how artificial AI could optimise the use of electric vehicle charging hubs in busy locations. The winning team developed a surge pricing model for the Arnold Clark app, which focused on cost, personalisation and efficiency for the customer. 

Winners were announced by Luke Coffey, Head of Regulatory Controls at Hiscox and a member of the first team to win the competition in 2015. Luke went on to develop the competition in his subsequent years of study. Other past organisers and participants recorded their memories and best wishes on video which were played throughout the day. 

The competition is now an integral part of the Adam Smith Business School student experience and continues to partner with high-profile companies such as Santander, Amazon, and Barclays.

The competition’s continued focus on sustainability, innovation and real-world business challenges mirrors the School’s commitment to equipping students with the skills needed to succeed in today’s dynamic business environment. 

First published: 28 May 2025

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