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Concordia hosts JDC, ties for third  

By Russ Cooper

Concordia’s undergrad team of 84 students tied with the University of Ottawa for third place at the Jeux du Commerce, this year held right here at Concordia Jan. 8 to 11.

With 1 200 students from 13 universities from Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick competing, the JDC is the largest undergraduate competition in North America. This marked the first time Concordia hosted the games in 18 years, and organizers say the timing was absolutely perfect.

“This is the first event of this magnitude to happen in the new MB Building. It was a once in a lifetime honour to show the world all we have to offer,” said JDC corporate relations organizer Victor Esposito. “It’s not something we could do every year.”

Taking the overall title this year was the Université de Laval, followed by HEC in second. Over the competition’s 22-year history, Concordia has taken overall gold in the competition twice, most recently in 2007. (See Journal, Jan. 25, 2007).

More than just a standard business competition, the JDC encompasses athletic and social competitions. Eighty-four students from each school participate in everything from debates to spirit competitions to stock simulations along with academic case competitions to determine the finest all-round business school.

For its part, Concordia did remarkably well earning podium places. At the end of the three-day competition, JSMB folk stood at eight platforms, earning first in finance, debate, international business and soccer (the first time JMSB has won a JDC sporting event since 1996); second in human resources; and third in tax and accounting. The final podium was for the overall third place finish.

“We put on an amazing performance with some serious competition,” said part-time marketing instructor Mark Haber, JMSB’s head coach. He explained the difference between first and third place was a slim 1.2 points out of 100 points.

“It’s fun to be back and get involved,” said Julie Bergeron, who helped organize media relations for the student-run competition. “It was exhausting but it was a fantastic experience.” Bergeron (BComm 04) is now in medical sales at the Laval branch of pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim.

Twenty of 25 organizing committee members were JMSB alumni, while the remaining five are current students of the JMSB as well as other Quebec business schools.

Esposito Jr., a Journal Great Grad in 2009 and a member of the gold medal team of 2007, has been part of the games’ organizing committee since 2008 when Concordia was granted the privilege to host the games. He graduated last year, and he’s just accepted a position with IBM Global Business Services in Toronto as a consultant.

JDC organizers would like to thank their exclusive partner TD Assurance Meloche Monnex for their continued support.