MBS Case Competition Finals Program
Welcome to the 2026 MBS Case Competition
The MBS Case Competition continues to celebrate innovation, teamwork and strategic thinking. With over 343 registrations and 68 high-quality pre-screening submissions, this year’s competition has once again demonstrated the talent and drive of our Melbourne Business School cohort.
Congratulations to our four finalist teams, and to every student who took part in this year’s competition.
Reaching the Final is a remarkable achievement, but today is also an opportunity to reflect on the journey that brought everyone here. Throughout the competition, students have developed strategies from the ground up, navigated uncertainty and learned how to turn ideas into clear, practical recommendations.
The experience has demanded creativity, critical thinking and effective teamwork. Participants have had to listen to different perspectives, respond to feedback and remain composed under pressure. These are not only valuable academic skills; they are qualities that will continue to serve students throughout their careers.
Every team should be proud of what they have accomplished. Success in this competition is measured not only by the final result, but also by the confidence gained, the challenges overcome and the lessons learned along the way.
On behalf of the MBS Student Association, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the competition and helped make it such a rewarding experience. Congratulations once again to all our participants, and especially to the teams presenting at today’s Final.
Kiara Alvares and Arjun Mathur
Presidents, MBSSA
Order of Proceedings
Date: Wednesday 23 September
Venue: Science Gallery Melbourne, Melbourne Connect, 114 Grattan St, Parkville VIC 3052
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5:00pm | Welcome by Professor David Pitt |
| 5:10pm | Case introduction |
| 5:20pm | Team presentations 3. Powerpuff Consulting: 4. Hydrogen: |
| 7:00pm | Judges’ deliberation |
| 7:30pm | Lucky door prize draw. Winners announced and closing remarks |
| 7:55pm | Networking |
| 8:15pm | Conclusion of event |
Established in 1932, HCF began with a clear purpose: to bring a human touch to healthcare. Proudly Australian-owned and run, HCF is the nation's largest not-for-profit and third largest overall health fund. Covering the lives of more than 2 million Australians, HCF offers a strong whole-of-health proposition across health, life, travel, pet, overseas visitor, home, car and funeral insurance.
As one of Australia’s leading for-purpose organisations, HCF puts its members' health first. That’s why they offer a range of holistic health programs to give members the support they need wherever they are in their health journey. Whether it’s help managing weight and joint pain, improving heart health, coaching support for diabetes or offering treatment at home, HCF makes it easy for members to get the care they need.
The case challenge provided by HCF focuses on how to successfully enter the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) market and stand out in a category where products are largely standardised. Despite strong credentials as Australia’s largest not-for-profit health insurer, HCF faces a market where insurance is often treated as a compulsory purchase rather than a meaningful choice. This creates an opportunity to redefine OSHC as a proactive, value-adding health partnership rather than a transactional product.
Participants are tasked with developing a strategy that positions HCF as the preferred health partner for international students. The solution must drive both acquisition and retention, build trust before students arrive in Australia, and leverage HCF’s broader health ecosystem to create a differentiated experience. Responses will be judged on insight, creativity, feasibility, financial rigour, and alignment with HCF’s purpose-driven model.
The solution should consider:
- Pre-arrival engagement: Reaching students before arrival, when OSHC decisions are made
- Customer experience design: Creating a seamless journey from pre-arrival through to graduation
- Digital-first delivery: Leveraging apps, telehealth, and online platforms to engage students at scale
- Value-added services: Activating HCF’s mental health, telehealth, health and wellbeing ecosystem
- University and channel partnerships: Collaborating with universities, agents, and student communities
- Retention and lifetime value: Encouraging switching, loyalty, and post-study conversion to long-term members
- Cost-effectiveness and scalability: Operating within a $500K annual marketing budget
- Governance and compliance: Meeting OSHC regulatory requirements and maintaining trust
Celine Dickson, General Manager - International Business, HCF Australia
Celine is an accomplished Executive General Manager recognised across the financial services industry for designing market-leading portfolio strategy and delivering sustained growth via digital and intermediated channels.
Across senior leadership roles at Aon, Allianz, and HCF, Celine has managed large, complex portfolios valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, consistently achieving strong year-on-year commercial performance and building high-performing, customer-centric teams and businesses.
Celine is equally committed to people leadership and organisational culture. As Chair of Allianz’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, she fostered a culture of belonging and inclusion, personally mentoring 33 women and leading a flagship program that supported the development of more than 378 employees across the insurance sector.
Currently, at HCF—Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund—Celine leads the International Business portfolio, including Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC). She is driven by the belief that true success is measured not only by growth but by the positive impact created for customers, partners, and the teams she develops.
Sam Bourke, Director – KPMG Strategy
Sam is a leader within KPMG Australia’s Strategy team focused on delivering work across the Financial Services sector. He has over 13 years of management consulting and professional experience across a variety of industries, including Financial Services, Asset & Wealth Management, Superannuation, Insurance, Public and Higher Education Sectors.
Sam is passionate about improving the outcomes financial services deliver for customers; he has worked with some of the largest Australian and global organisations across the financial services sector, including corporate strategy engagements for Australia’s largest banks, diversified financial institutions, pension and sovereign wealth funds, insurers, asset managers and technology providers.
In addition to strategic initiatives, Sam has significant experience optimising business operations and designing effective organisational structures. He has supported many organisations across the various stages of the mergers and acquisitions lifecycle, including market opportunity identification, due diligence, and corporate execution.
Sandra Stoklossa, Director of Finance at Melbourne Park, ACCA
Sandra is a seasoned finance executive with a strong track record of leadership across the public, cultural, and not-for-profit sectors. She currently serves as Director of Finance at Melbourne & Olympic Parks, where she leads strategic financial management and operational performance for one of Australia’s premier sporting and entertainment precincts.
Sandra has previously held senior executive roles, including Chief Financial Officer at the Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Melbourne Recital Centre, and Arts Centre Melbourne. Across these positions, she has developed deep expertise in finance, strategy, governance, procurement, risk management, asset management, and IT services, consistently delivering sustainable outcomes in complex organisational environments. Before relocating to Australia in 2011, Sandra built her career through a range of finance and leadership roles in the United Kingdom and Canada, bringing an international perspective and broad commercial insight to her work.
In addition to her executive career, Sandra is an active contributor to the arts and community sectors. She currently serves as Treasurer and Board Member of the Polyglot Theatre and previously spent more than four years as Treasurer of the Emerging Writers’ Festival Board.
Siobhan Blewitt, Founder & CEO, Frais Capital
Siobhan Blewitt's extensive thirty years of experience includes Partner EL & C Baillieu, Executive Director of Morgan Stanley.
Siobhan is an Honorary Adviser, Chair Investment Committee, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Honorary Member of FCJ and Cottage by the Sea Investment Committees, Mentor to Rising Stars, Women in Banking & Finance and Director of Sid & Fiona Myer Family Foundation.
With deep marketing and macro-economic knowledge, Siobhan provides holistic and tailored investment advice, seeking to understand a client's full financial position, providing advice specific to their needs, while also presenting unique insight and access to the highest quality macro and stock-specific research, translating to actionable investment opportunities.
Dr Christopher Woods, Assistant Lecturer and Case Writer, University of Melbourne
Dr Christopher Woods is a Lecturer in Experiential Learning at the University of Melbourne, where he delivers industry-engaged learning experiences across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. He works closely with a range of corporate partners to develop applied student projects and case-based learning, including collaborations with organisations such as BMW, Grant Thornton and GHD.
Chris has previously taught strategy and international business at the University of Queensland and the University of Liverpool.
Prior to academia, he worked as a project manager in software development, bringing practical commercial experience into the classroom.
The Faculty of Business and Economics extend our gratitude to our sponsors and partners for their continued support and commitment to fostering excellence in business education.
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KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing a full range of services across tax, audit and advisory to organisations across a wide range of industries, government, and not-for-profit sectors. In Australia, KPMG has a long tradition of professionalism and integrity, combined with a dynamic approach to advising clients in a digital-driven world. KPMG Australia comprises approximately 10,000 people, including more than 600 partners, with offices around the country.
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ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is a globally recognised professional accountancy body that provides qualifications and advanced standards in accountancy worldwide. Founded in 1904 to widen access to the accountancy profession, we’ve long championed inclusion and today proudly support a diverse community of over 257,900 members and 530,100 future members in 180 countries. Our forward-looking qualifications, continuous learning and insights are respected and valued by employers in every sector. They equip individuals with the business and finance expertise and ethical judgment to create, protect, and report the sustainable value delivered by organisations and economies. Guided by our purpose and values, our vision is to develop the accountancy profession the world needs. In Australia and New Zealand, we have established a Strategic Alliance with CA ANZ, offering ACCA members a pathway to mutual membership recognition after five years. Additionally, ACCA members can also benefit from a streamlined membership process with CPA Australia.
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Frais Capital provides specific and tailored investment advice to families, individuals, businesses, trustees and not-for-profit organisations, providing a level of service and advice which encompasses discretion and understanding.
Drawing on expert advice across a range of industries, through strategic partnerships, Frais Capital creates a seamless investment and management experience. They provide a tailored, insightful, and educated approach to investing. Institutional rigour, access, analysis and specialist advice are provided with discretion and understanding of individual client requirements and their specific needs.
Frais Capital assists clients to align their specific and targeted investment goals and values with their investment objectives, with a strong emphasis on governance and an alignment of social, environmental and investment values.
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The CFA Society Australia represents the interests of over 900 local members of the investment profession.
Their mission is to serve members of the Society and enhance the reputation of the CFA® designation in Australia by promoting ethics, integrity and professional excellence; and to improve the competency and standards of the investment profession in Australia. Their independent voice aims to ensure the integrity and efficiency of the capital markets that underpin our profession and the broader economy.
CFA Society Australia's vision is to be an indispensable part of the investment profession in Australia.
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The Melbourne Business School Student Association (MBSSA) is one of the largest student groups at Melbourne Business School in the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE). As a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation, MBSSA works with FBE to deliver a range of high-quality social and professional events. MBSSA aims to create a strong and supportive community by connecting students with their peers and industry professionals.
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180 Degrees Consulting is the world's largest pro-bono consultancy for non-profits and social enterprises. They create a ripple effect of positive change by leveraging the skills of passionate young professionals to help social organisations increase their impact. By offering pro-bono services, they democratise access to expertise and help organisations achieve greater sustainability and growth. Through this process, 180 Degrees Consulting is cultivating a new generation of leaders, dedicated to creating positive social and environmental change around the world.