Trinity College students place third in international business competition
A team of four
Trinity College Dublin
students placed third at the Global Finals of the Boston University Susilo Business and Ethics Case Competition. The students were the first Irish team to reach the world finals in the competition.
'We were pretty ecstatic even just to make the finals, nevermind to finish third,' said Trinity's Conal O'Gara, first-year business, economics and social studies student and president of the DU Consulting Group.
The comeptition focuses on developing business strategies for real-world companies based on ethics, sustainability and real-world impact.
Mr O'Gara and Andrew Brennan, both 19, alongside Raj Upadhyaya and Rhea Singhal, both 20, formed one of the youngest teams in the competition. They were one of a series of Trinity teams to enter it and eventually won a place in the global finals, for which they were flown to in Stockholm.
READ MORE
In addition to the Dublin college, the other five finalist teams were from the US (Stanford and UMass Boston), Indonesia (Gadjah Mada), Italy (Tor Vergata) and Georgia (Caucasus University).
In the competition, the students developed business and marketing strategies for different companies with a focus on ethics, from helping to launch businesses to new markets to advising on sustainable business development.
'We were evaluated on how well we understood the ethical considerations involved in business growth and the balance between the two,' as well as the applicability of the business strategies, said Mr O'Gara, who is aiming for a career in consultancy.
'It was a great experience and a fantastic opportunity to network and to meet people involved in business and consulting in Sweden, Indonesia, the US and the competitors from all around the world,' said Mr Brennan, a first-year business and German student and a senior analyst with the Trinity Managed Fund.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Irish households save €8.2 billion in first quarter
Irish households saved €8.2 billion in the first three months of the year, new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveal. The rate of saving was lower in the first quarter, dropping to 14.0 per cent, compared with 14.8 per cent in the final three months of 2024. The decrease represents a return to the regular savings level set out since early 2023, following two high-saving quarters in the latter half of 2024. Saving is defined by the CSO as the proportion of income left over following all current spending, and includes additions to pension funds and investments in housing and home improvements. READ MORE Before adjusting for seasonal factors or inflation, households saved €8.2bn in the first quarter of the year, this figure included €3.8 billion of investment in housing, and pension funds additions of €1.1 billion. The CSO pointed to figures from the Central Bank of Ireland which show households' net deposits into banks in Ireland rose by €3.0 billion in the first quarter. Households collectively increased their loan liabilities to banks by €0.7 billion in the period. Will rent reform make building apartments viable? Listen | 40:12 Spending levels In the first quarter, households spent €38 billion on goods and services. While this figure is 9 per cent lower than the final quarter in 2024, adjusted for seasonal and inflation factors, the figure was slightly higher, up 0.8 per cent. Sales volume of in accommodation increased by 3 per cent, while food service dropped 3 per cent. Accommodation services was up 3%, while Food Service was down 3%. The Retail Sales Index seasonally adjusted volume of sales in Bars was down 7 per cent. The most significant increases in prices for customers were seen in alcoholic beverages and tobacco which rose 4.2 per cent, as well as food and non-alcoholic beverages which increased by 3.3 per cent. The only areas to see prices decrease in comparison to March 2024, were clothing and footwear as well as furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance. CSO statistician Peter Culhane said that household income rose during the period 'mainly driven by compensation of employees', noting that average pay and total workforce figures grew in the period. 'At the same time, households are spending more on final consumption such as food, rent and transport. Increased spending is due to higher prices - inflation - as well as higher volumes of goods and services being bought,' he said. 'Households saved 14.0 per cent of their income in the first three months of this year which is in keeping with the 2023 and 2024 average. This level of saving adds to overall household wealth in the form of buying new homes, growing bank deposits, pension savings, and paying off debt.'
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Irish inflation eases back to 1.7% as cheaper fuel and lower airfares reduce costs
Headline inflation in the Irish economy eased back to 1.7 per cent in May as transport costs linked to cheaper fuel and airfares fell. This was down from an annual increase of 2.2 per cent in the 12 months to April. The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), the State's official measure of inflation, come as inflation across the euro zone continued to slow (it fell to 1.6 per cent in May) and as EU and US negotiators continue talks to avoid the imposition of higher US tariffs on EU exports. Prices – on a monthly basis – remained unchanged in May having risen by 0.4 per cent the previous month. The most significant increases in the 12 months to May were seen in food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose 4 per cent. READ MORE The Central Statistics Office (CSO), which collated the data, said the annual change in food costs 'reflects a rise in prices across a range of products' . [ Euro-zone inflation slows below 2%, strengthening case for ECB cut this week Opens in new window ] The cost of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels was up 2 per cent year on year primarily because of the increased rents, which rose by over 5 per cent. Transport costs, however, fell by 2.4 per cent when compared with May 2024. 'Transport decreased primarily due to lower prices for airfares, petrol and diesel,' the CSO said. Petrol and diesel prices were down 6.6 per cent and 5.1 per cent respectively in tandem with falling oil prices internationally. The underlying inflation rate, which excludes energy and unprocessed food, was 1.9 per cent in the 12 months to May. ECB president Christine Lagarde signalled last week that the bank was coming to the end of lowering interest rates, after recently cutting its key deposit rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 2 per cent. There is increased speculation that the ECB will pause its cycle of rate cuts in July amid the uncertainty posed by US trade policy. While headline inflation across the bloc is slowing, the euro zone could hit by a tariff-induced shock if US president Donald Trump's threat to impose 50 per cent tariffs on imports from the EU materialises. 'Victory laps are always nice, but there is always another battle,' ECB president Lagarde told reporters when asked of the bank was prepared to finally call victory in the war against inflation after its eighth rate cut in 12 months.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Penneys O'Connell St revamped in €5 million ‘commitment to bricks and mortar'
Penneys has invested €5 million in a refurbishment of its O'Connell Street store as part of a 'commitment to bricks and mortar' which it hopes will boost sales. The 'key, anchor store' O'Connell Street location, which is one of the brand's 10 busiest stores, underwent a 16-week refurbishment. In addition to the aesthetic changes, 16 new self-service checkouts have been added while the store's Nails studio has undergone a revamp and has reclaimed an additional 1,217 sq ft of floor space to its home department. The store employs 250 people with around 90 working in the store on a given day. READ MORE The refurbishment is part of an ongoing €250 million investment programme into Ireland by Primark with further store redevelopments planned in the coming months at stores in Portlaoise, Limerick, and Ennis. Penneys operates 38 stores in the State, in 21 different counties, and recently invested €10 million in refurbishing its first store on Mary St. 'People are voting with their feet, we are really pleased with the performance of the store to date,' said Penneys area manager Andrew Murray, noting that footfall at the store had increased since the commencement of the works which have opened up the store to more natural light. The majority of the refurbishment work took place at night, by a team of 70 contractors from Bennett Construction, while the shop remained open for customers during the day. Sales in Ireland are 'improved', he said, 'but we could definitely do with a blast of good sunshine which is always the key determinant of our summer, but we are confident that sales are definitely on target'. Primark which trades as Penneys in Ireland, revised down its sales outlook for 2025 in January having reported a 6 per cent drop in like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland. Primark's parent company, Associated British Foods, reported a 10 per cent fall in first-half profit in April, expecting a 'challenging' period of trading in the rest of the year. While the company is trialing a click and collect model in the UK, Mr Murray said the brand is committed to 'bricks and mortar stores in all of the markets we trade in'. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, who cut the ribbon to reopen the store, said O'Connell Street is 'the beating heart of Dublin's cite centre' and said the 'iconic brand' of Penneys is at the centre of that heartbeat. She said the investment into the refurbishment of the store was a 'vote of confidence in O'Connell Street, in Dublin city and its people'. 'Penneys is more than just a shop to Dubliners, it is a beloved institution and a real success story for our city,' the Lord Mayor said.
