Team ‘Extra Drill’ brings the Unilever’s BizMaestros 2022 Champions trophy to IBA, DU

After a challenging contest among the top 6 finalists, team ‘Extra Drill’ from Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka (IBA DU) lifted the coveted champions trophy of Unilever Bangladesh’s ‘BizMaestros 2022.’

The finale event saw teams from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Faculty of Business Studies (FBS) and Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka presenting their ideas on real brands of Unilever, read a press release.

The Champion team, comprised of Sibbir Riyan, Akibur Rahman and Ferdous Hasan, will now prepare for a greater stage, the international level of the competition - Unilever Future Leaders’ League (FLL) 2023, that will take place in London with participants from universities across the world.

The First Runner Up title was awarded to Team ‘Inmates’ consisting of Ishrat Jahan Ikra, Syed Fatin Ishraq, and Naeem Abrar from University of Dhaka.

Team ‘Final Gambit’ was named the Second Runner Up.

The Second Runner Up team members are Marjuka Ahmed Chowdhury, Shelachi Mitra, G.M. Naimuz Saadat from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).

The overarching theme of BizMaestros this year was ‘Bangladesh Rising With U’. The theme focused on the potential and possibilities that the youth dividend can lead for Bangladesh from their respective areas of skills and passion.

As a platform for skilling youth for employability and entrepreneurship, BizMaestros provides the participants hands-on training, mentorship and exposure into the ways of work of leading FMCG brands throughout various rounds of the competition. Additionally, the members of the Top 6 teams will get fast-tracked into internship and management trainee programme opportunities with Unilever Bangladesh.

The grand finale event was held on Tuesday, November 22, at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in the capital, where the 6 finalist teams were evaluated by a panel of esteemed jury consisting of Waseqa Ayesha Khan, chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and, Finance and Planning Secretary, Bangladesh Awami League Central Committee; Md Jashim Uddin, president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI); Naser Ezaz Bijoy, chief executive officer, Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh (SCB); Zaved Akhtar, chief executive officer and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh Ltd; and KSM Minhaj, managing director of Unilever Consumer Care Ltd.

Speaking on this year’s competition, Zaved Akhtar, chief executive officer and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh Limited said, “There is no such thing as a job for life in today’s world, thus, it is more important than ever to have a plan for the future and the skills to match. At Unilever Bangladesh, we are committed to helping our people equip themselves to pursue their idea of meaningful work in an ever-changing world. Bizmaestros is our decade-old youth development initiative to prepare the youth of Bangladesh to become effective business leaders. Our aim has always been to bridge the gap between academia and corporate life for young business leaders by equipping them with the practical experiences and skills required to succeed in the corporate world. Every year we wait to encounter our country’s bright talent and nurture them to become ready for tomorrow, and this is our pursuit to create a better future for all.”

With a goal to develop the leadership and analytical skills for the future among the youth, Unilever Bangladesh Limited’s (UBL) flagship business case competition- ‘BizMaestros 2022’ kicked off early in October. More than 270 teams from over 30 campuses participated in the first-round of BizMaestros, where the three-member teams, from undergraduate final year, submitted their unique solutions to the real business cases. Following a competitive and challenging round, top 30 teams were forwarded to the semi-finale, and top 6 teams to the final round. The other 3 teams among the top 6 finalists were: team ‘Ramen’, team, ‘Oh No’, and team, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.