Two senior student teams from St. Thomas University (STU) have earned notable international recognition in the prestigious Business Strategy Game (BSG), a sophisticated online global business simulation developed by McGraw-Hill Education, Inc. In a competition involving over 10,000 teams from business schools across 30 countries, STU’s Team A SMIF tied for first place worldwide, while Team BMJ secured a spot in the top 100, ranking 73rd overall.
This victory highlights STU’s commitment to experiential learning, as students manage virtual athletic footwear companies in a dynamic, global market environment. Over several simulated years, teams strategize on production, distribution, marketing, operations, and competitive positioning across four major regions—Europe-Africa, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Their performance metrics encompass earnings per share, return on equity, stock price, credit rating, and image rating.
Notably, Team A SMIF outperformed prominent universities, including California State University, University of Maryland, Texas A&M, and Florida Gulf Coast University. The team members—Luca Vogel, Jan Gewaltig, Tobias Mattson, and Josh Cronje—are all students of the Business Policy course at STU’s Gus Machado College of Business, taught by Lloyd Mitchell. Their exceptional strategic acumen reflects the university’s focus on developing future business leaders.
Professor Mitchell praised their professionalism and teamwork: “The A SMIF team, all student-athletes fluent in six languages collectively, demonstrated outstanding strategic insight, leadership, and collaboration. Their performance exemplifies the excellence we cultivate at STU.”
This hands-on experience offers students invaluable insights into managing complex global enterprises under competitive conditions, preparing them for real-world business challenges. STU President David A. Armstrong emphasized, “The outstanding performance of our teams, competing against the best universities worldwide, is a testament to our pursuit of excellence and the spirit of being a giant!”
As one of the South’s leading Catholic universities, STU is committed to cultivating ethical, successful professionals. With a diverse student body and a wide array of programs—including undergraduate, graduate, and online degrees—STU continues to foster innovation, leadership, and global engagement.