Global competition, near-flawless execution
The team from RSM STAR Case Club captured the championship title at this year’s TUBC in Bangkok, outperforming competing university teams from eleven different countries.
After topping Division C in both Case A with 30 points and Case B with 70 points, the RSM student team advanced to the final round to secure the overall win, thereby scoring a perfect 100 points. This marks the RSM STAR Case Club’s fifth competition victory of 2025, following earlier wins at UNICC in Spain, CUBE in Hungary, ICC@M in the Netherlands, and CIBCC in Thailand this past May.
So many wins in one year is rare, something which adds to the strong international reputation of RSM in regard to the quality of both its students and its education.
The team of RSM STAR Case Club members who won at TUBC includes Anezka Pospichalova, Rebecca Armando Serrano, Juan Alba Praska, and Erik Finlay Holzkamper. They were coached by Willem Koolhaas, director of Corporate Marketing Communications and International Relations at RSM. Weeks of preparation, clear strategy and defined roles underpinned the team’s strong performance in Bangkok.
RSM’s division at TUBC included the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanyang Technological University, the University of Florida, and the University of British Columbia. Finalists included HKUST, the University of Manitoba, and National University of Singapore (NUS), with Nanyang joining from the Wildcard position.
Strategic cases with smart solutions
Case A focused on Lazada Mall or ‘LazMall’, the e-commerce platform of Lazada in Thailand. Case B explored growth opportunities for of STECON, a facilitator of engineering construction companies and an investor in infrastructure. The team proposed a premium, AI-powered customer experience for LazMall, and for STECON, an expansion into green data centres and a startup accelerator powered by RFID-driven execution upgrades.
TUBC Judges praised the RSM team’s precision, customer insight and balance between innovation and practicality. In particular, the judges commended the RSM team’s dual focus on both buyers and sellers.
A culture of learning and connection
RSM STAR Case Club members see case work as “applied problem solving.” As participant Anezka Pospichalova shared, “We asked ourselves why a company would come to a case competition instead of hiring consultants. This question pushed us to deliver bold, well-researched ideas.”
Team culture also played a role, and the team drew from different perspectives and learned from peers across the field. Rebecca Armando Serrano: “It’s always unbelievable to meet so many like-minded people from around the world.”
Beyond competition, the event fostered global friendships and cultural experiences – from temple visits to Thai boxing – culminating in a celebratory dessert after their first-round victory. “We’re deeply grateful to our coach, Willem,” said Rebecca Armando Serrano. “Nothing makes us prouder than bringing home the win.”
