Student in CSSE part of Auburn FMA's Global Case Competition winning team

Wesley Lowman, a junior in computer science and software engineering from Decatur, Alabama, was part of a four-student team to win the 2023 Global Case Competition – one of the most prestigious student-organized case competitions in the world.

Lowman, who is also double majoring in finance, was joined by Financial Management Association (FMA) team members Jameson Fecteau, Jack Perkins and Lauren Rutherford, to beat out more than 175 collegiate teams for first place and $10,000 in the Harvard University event.

Teams were presented with the hypothetical case of multinational technology firm Siemens purchasing Vestas, a wind turbine company. After an initial round of judging, the top 10 teams had three weeks to prepare a 75-page deck discussing the feasibility of the transaction, as well as outlining a possible alternative acquisition. Additionally, each group was tasked with analyzing industry research to perform valuations that detailed the financial implications of alternative deals.

“Our students went above and beyond in their analysis,” said Tracy Richard, director of the Harbert College of Business’ Integrated Financial Leadership Program (IFLP) and FMA faculty advisor. “They rejected the proposed acquisition, and then did extensive research to propose an alternative acquisition that would not only be accretive but would align with Siemens’ forward-looking strategy.”

In announcing the competition winner, Asya Potemkina, a competition judge with HSBC Private Bank, stated the Auburn team was a unanimous choice among the judges.

“We had no doubt that (Auburn) was the winner,” she said in the online video announcement. “You have done a great presentation, an absolutely great video…and you killed the Q&A. You completely helped each other in answering the questions, and your answers were right.”

Lowman, a NASA Pathways intern, is also president of the Auburn Robotics Club, took second place in the 2021 Halloween Pitch Competition, and was a recent recipient of the college’s Jeff and Linda Stone Leadership Award.