Schulich Keeps the Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec Crown
Competing against more than 180 teams across the nation, two Schulich students, Jaclyn Shapiro (MMgt ’19) and Michelle Vacarciuc (MMgt ’19), won first place in the annual Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive competition. As 2019 champions, the pair took home the grand prize of $25,000 and claimed the title of Canada’s Next Top Ad Executives. In addition, they were awarded the Market Research Award for providing the most insightful and innovative use of data for the competition.
This is the second year in a row that a Schulich team has won the competition. Last year, Phil Gingras (MBA ’18) and Marta Michalek (MBA ’18) were the first Schulich students to win.
This year’s sponsor, Microsoft Canada Inc., asked competitors to develop a marketing plan to attract more millennials to their Azure website and to establish the company as the thought leader for artificial intelligence across Canada.
The competition was divided into three increasingly competitive phases that began with an open call for submissions back in January. Teams had to provide a brief of their creative marketing solution. Of the 184 submissions from 28 schools, only 25 teams were selected to advance to the semi-finals and had to produce a detailed strategy report for their concept.
The top 10 teams entered the third and final phase, in which finalists gave a 25-minute presentation to a panel of senior marketing executives.
The two students believe Schulich marketing instructor, Joe Fayt, played a key role in their success. “He was so supportive and would arrange his schedule around ours for the two weeks leading up to the finals,” shared Shapiro. “Schulich’s strong and supportive community is unlike any other and we are very proud to be a part of it.”
“Jaclyn and Michelle created a well-researched and insightful recommendation, and delivered it very professionally,” said Fayt. “They represented Schulich in the best possible light, and I am very proud of them both.”
Congratulations, Jaclyn and Michelle, for helping Schulich keep the crown!