ABERDEEN, S.D. – Students in Dr. Sal Villegas’ Business Policy and Strategy class at Northern State University have earned global recognition, tying for ninth place in the GLO-BUS business strategy simulation during the week of Nov. 25–Dec. 1. Competing against 1,417 teams worldwide, the group showed impressive leadership and decision-making skills. It’s the second time in two years that Northern students have placed in the top 10 globally in this competition.
The team, known as Flair Technologies (Company F), performed strongly in several areas:
- Overall Game-To-Date Score: Tied for ninth globally with a score of 107.0.
- Earnings Per Share: Ranked 12th at $26.47.
- Stock Price: Secured 19th place at $666.34.
Hannah Menzia, Jordan Sedivec, Roniel Tejeda, and Alexis Wald worked together to make thoughtful decisions, earning their spot among the top performers.
Dr. Sal Villegas, assistant professor of banking, financial services, and management, praised the students’ success in the competition.
“I am immensely proud of these students in our online Business Policy and Strategy class for their outstanding performance in the GLO-BUS business strategy simulation,” Villegas said. “Securing a top 10 global ranking among over 1,400 teams worldwide is no small feat, and this recognition is a testament to their hard work, strategic thinking, and collaborative spirit. This accomplishment underscores the value of experiential learning tools like GLO-BUS, which help to bridge the gap between academic concepts and practical application. Congratulations to the team for their well-deserved global recognition!”
GLO-BUS is a simulation that lets students manage a virtual company, making decisions about operations, finances, and market strategy. It mimics real-world business challenges, giving participants valuable hands-on experience. Each week, teams are ranked based on metrics like their overall score, earnings per share, return on equity, and stock price.
Team member Alexis Wald, an accounting major at Northern, shared her thoughts on the experience.
“We did not expect to perform as well as we did, and part of that may be because our different backgrounds and diverse areas of study prepared us to focus on parts of the simulation we otherwise might have missed,” Wald said. “We were fortunate to have a well-rounded team whose primary focus was to outperform our fellow classmates. Imagine our surprise when we were notified we placed so high globally. Not only did we place first in our class, but we placed in the top 25 teams out of so many others. It was certainly shocking, but I’m glad I had such an amazing team to work with.”
Another team member, Hannah Menzia, also an accounting major, reflected on the challenges and success of the simulation.
“GLO-BUS was a fun experience,” Menzia said. “Not only did I learn a lot, but it was an awesome opportunity to work with a group of people I have never met, and we all had different ideas on how to manage a company. As we moved through the simulation, we were faced with many challenges and still continued to put in our best work and figure out how we can do better than the year before. Noticing how good the other schools were doing, we never thought we would place in the Overall Game-To-Date Score, especially ninth—besides Jordan … he said we could do it, and we did!”
Northern students’ outstanding performance in the GLO-BUS competition highlights the university’s commitment to providing students with experiential learning opportunities that prepare them for success in the business world.