Lakehead University’s Business Administration team placed 2nd in ACHIEVE competition

February 7, 2020 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Four students from Lakehead University Thunder Bay earned second place in a competition held during the ACHIEVE conference in Toronto on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1.

The team included Bonnie Donaghy, Mitchell Argue, Adam Kok, and Laura Siegers.

ACHIEVE is Canada’s premier undergraduate accounting conference, hosted by the Ted Rogers School of Management. This year’s case competition dealt with Technology, Automation and Innovation.

Sixteen teams from across Canada participated in the two-day conference at the Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel in Toronto, which included an accounting-based case competition, guest speakers, and networking events.

“It was an honour to be able to represent Lakehead University at such a large accounting competition alongside my teammates,” said Donaghy.

“This is a testament to the quality of Lakehead's professors that we were able to do so well despite the tough competition from other teams. Attending ACHIEVE truly was an unforgettable experience,” he said.

“It was interesting to learn from industry leaders about AI and innovation in accounting,” Argue said. “It really got us thinking about what we can do as accountants to remain relevant amidst so many changes to the industry. It was a challenging opportunity to apply the skills and ideas we learned through Lakehead’s accounting program.”

The second-place win comes with an achievement plaque and $1,000 prize to share between the students. The Lakehead University Accounting team won the ACHIEVE case competition in 2018.

“ACHIEVE was an amazing networking opportunity and our team gained many important insights into the emerging trends that will have an affect on CPAs in coming years, particularly in relation to advancements in technology,” Kok said.

“ACHIEVE also provided us with a new appreciation for the quality of our own accounting program here at Lakehead University. We are truly lucky to learn from the gifted professors within the Faculty of Business. Students from Lakehead University's accounting program have shown time and time again that they can compete with other major universities across Canada,” he said.

“I had such an amazing experience at ACHIEVE and am so proud to have been able to represent Lakehead beside my incredibly smart teammates,” Siegers said, adding that she is looking forward to getting more students involved next year.

The Faculty of Business Administration is accredited by both the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA). Fewer than five percent of business schools in the world have AACSB accreditation and only 15 business schools in Canada have this dual accreditation.

“We are very proud of our team’s accomplishment,” said Dr. David Richards, Dean, Faculty of Business Administration. “Their performance reflects our faculty’s mission to enable students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in their chosen careers.”

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8177 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.