Chasing a Beanpot title is nothing new to the Northeastern University community, and over the years, our business students have helped make it happen both on and off the ice. Started in 1997, the Beanpot B-School Case Analysis Competition focused on real-world business problems and challenged undergraduate teams from Boston College, Babson, Bentley, MIT, Boston University, and Northeastern to provide superior solutions to with their competitors. Led by the Associate Professor of International Business Raymond (Ray) Kinnunen, many Northeastern business student teams have won these Beanpot case competitions. While the iconic competition ended in 2009, the impact it left on participating alumni and the school went beyond its function.
Each racing team consisted of five to seven students and was carefully selected by Kinnunen, or “Coach K” as he was fondly called. A spot on the team was highly coveted, and members say they felt a sense of pride and accomplishment at being included on the roster. Samuel Clare, DMSB'06, recalls, “There was a lot to live up to. My teammates and I felt a huge responsibility to maintain the gold standard set by previous teams.” Rani Wise, DMSB'11, agrees, saying, “We competed side-by-side with some of the brightest, most driven, and talented business students at Northeastern. It was truly an honor.” While it was a remarkable achievement to make the roster, the hard work had only just begun.
Preparation was the cornerstone of Coach K's approach to success. Klar recounts a famous line from Coach K: “I'm going to teach you how to hit the fastball high. if you can do that, you can do anything.” Essentially, Coach K's method was to design practice sessions that would far exceed any challenge presented on game day. With rigorous preparation, team members were heavily equipped for the win.” Wise recalls, “We had to be self-motivated and open to criticism. We sacrificed every Saturday and Sunday throughout the semester for teams to spend eight or more hours on Saturday to create case solutions.The following Sunday, teams would present their solutions to a panel of faculty and staff judges for intensive consideration.
Hard work pays off
Although it was difficult at times, being on the team had many advantages. “Preparation for the case competition and the competition itself allowed me to look holistically at my professional education. It blended all aspects of my lessons beautifully,” she says Ben Matheson, DMSB'97. The case competition also presented a unique experiential learning opportunity outside of the co-op, allowing students to apply their lessons in a competitive environment that reflected the tough business world that awaited outside Northeastern's four walls.
By many accounts, Coach K's method has paid off both in competition and in life. “We were taught useful lessons that we all use as professionals,” says Matheson, who is now the senior vice president for Global Marketing at Oracle. He says the leadership and critical thinking skills he gained through the case competition have prepared him to effectively lead Oracle's international marketing team. Specifically, his team consists of over 1,000 people.
Wise is the founder and CEO of Rani Wise Consulting, which aims to help small businesses and nonprofits thrive. She credits her experience on the Beanpot Competition team with her current success. “Coach K taught us the fundamentals of successful consulting analysis, strategy and presentation. It was the formula that won the race day and the formula that now helps me win a big client or project.”
Hard work also builds friendships and bonds
And just as sports teammates often form lifelong friendships, so does any Beanpot business team. “Over the years, alumni have worked together at the same companies, helped each other with career opportunities, attended weddings and baby showers, and even two couples met on the team and are now happily married,” says Wise.
Many beanpot alumni also continue to be involved with the university and D'Amore-McKim. Matheson has since brought training partnership opportunities to Oracle. Under his guidance, the company has hosted 10 cohorts of co-op students. He is also a member of the D'Amore-McKim Board of Visitors, which helps shape the school's strategic goals and strengthen its relationships and visibility within the business community.
Klar is now a Portfolio Manager at GMO. Over the years, he has graciously given up his time to travel around campus and share career insights with student groups like the Alternative Investing Group. Like Matheson, he has proudly worked with Northeastern co-ops and at his company.
Since their time at the university, many Beanpot alumni continue to contribute their time, talents and resources to the school because they are invested in D'Amore-McKim's future. This is a true testament to Coach K's impact as an educator and coach.
In recognition of Coach K's outstanding career and as a gesture to honor this outstanding season, a scholarship was created. The Ray Kinnunen Scholarship was recently established at D'Amore-McKim to honor Coach K's impact in and out of the classroom. The scholarship recipients represent the continued success of the Beanpot alumni community and Coach K's lasting legacy at Northeastern.
