Latvia wins SEB business simulation competition

A team from SEB Latvia won this year’s SEB Championship, an online business simulation competition, and will now move on to the BTS Tournaments semi-finals, where they will meet teams from other companies.

The competition is arranged by BTS Interactive, a consultancy company. It is designed for individuals to gain a holistic view on the complexities of running a multinational company, to improve business acumen and financial skills, strategic thinking and learn the importance of team work. Each team has three to five members.

This year one team from SEB Latvia, one from SEB Norway and two from SEB Poland participated in the competition which stretches over ten weeks and consist of five rounds.

“The simulation presented interesting intellectual challenges, some ambiguity and serious number crunching,” says Mārtiņš Krūtainis who leads the Latvian team in the competition.

BTS Interactive arranges similar competitions for other companies and industries around the world and in total 900 teams competed this year. SEB Latvia’s team will now face other winners from the initial rounds in the semi-finals.

Later, the best teams proceed to the BTS World Final, where top three teams are invited to the BTS Awards, held in Cannes on the French Riviera. SEB has participated the competition since 2001 and two teams from the bank have made it to the finals over the years.


About the SEB Championships
The idea with the SEB Championships is to form teams of 3-5 people and have the team run an online simulated company in direct competition with other participating SEB teams for market shares, profits and revenue whereby the best team wins by gaining the most shareholder value. It’s like a flight simulator, only in business!

Simulations are one of the most effective learning methods and BTS Tournaments, developed by BTS Interactive, are a growing trend in the area of corporate management training. You learn by doing through experience, and without real-life risks! BTS Tournament is the leading business simulation tournament in the world.

For further information contact:
James Baker-Duly
BTS, BTS Interactive
James.Bakerduly[#]bts.com
http://www.btstournaments.com/

SEB's team Plastixxx in the BTS Semi Final: going the first step!

SEBs team Plastixxx contains of five enthusiastic members from Norway, who daily work in the credit card business.

- Although telecommunication is a rather different business from ours, I believe we have been able to use some of our experience and business understanding in the BTS Tournament, says Brian Malm, teamleader of Plastixxx. We found the simulation very realistic and exciting, and we had a lot of fun during the four decision making rounds.

- I believe we won our division mainly because we did a thorough job setting up the company strategy, and following it throughout the whole tournament.

- We had a lot of exiting discussions in the decision making, but it really took both time and effort to complete the decision sheets during each of the four rounds. But it paid of, and we are now headed for the semifinal in September 2009.

- Plastixx is a team with great ambitions, and we have strong faith in the forthcoming semifinal in September 2009. We are really looking forward to the next rounds of competition, and we expect nothing less than advancing to the final next year!

Picture: The Plastixxx team is (from the left) Øyvind Christie, Brian Malm, Hilde Fredheim Høgberg, Ole Kristian Duaas and Eivind Løvig.

Tomm-Fredrik Olsen, Head of Marketing, SEB Kort

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BTS Awards 2008, Cannes, French Riviera, 3-6th of April

The Top 3 teams of the world’s biggest business tournament were again rewarded in Cannes on the French Riviera. The venue was again very chic and prestige with plenty of success stories around the business tournament together with some good wine and delicious food.

“This year we had the great pleasure of having 9 nationalities present in the Awards, which is the new record. All teams presented their own cultures in an informal way during the Award ceremony with super enthusiasm and on top of the business talent we could also see some great “show star potential”. I would like to thank all the business tournament stars and our host and hostess Mr. Stefan and Sirpa Widomski”.

Below you can still see the final rank of the top 3 teams in the world:

1. Pöyry Consulting, Finland

2. Tecpterol, Argentina

3. SEB, Lithuania

Many thanks to all the participants for this year’s tournament!

Taavi Thiel
SVP

BTS Tournaments

BTS Business Tournament - Results 2007

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all BTS Tournament fans for a great year. It has been a pleasure to work with you all. We are especially grateful for all the wonderful feedback you have given us through out the whole year. This will keep us going strong also in the years ahead.

We are pleased to announce the BTS Tournament Ranking 2008:

1.- Pöyry Group (Finland)

2.- Tecpetrol (Argentina)

3.- SEB (Lithuania)

4.- Ericsson (Croatia)

5.- Mix team (Czech Republic) - CSOB, Burinka, Prumstav and Kite*

6.- Rolls-Royce (UK)

* The mix team has participants from four different companies: CSOB, Burinka, Prumstav and Kite

We would also like to invite the top 3 teams from the 2007 tournaments to Cannes to the BTS Awards, next spring.

1. Pöyry Group - Finland

2. Tecpetrol - Argentina

3. SEB Group – Lithuania

Merry Xmas, many thanks and congrats!

The BTS Cannes crew!

BTS Tournaments
http://www.btstournaments.com

BTS Tournament Finals 2007

The BTS Semifinals were arranged successfully and we are proud to announce the 6 best teams of the BTS Business Tournament 2007! The six division winners of the business simulation will be participating in the BTS Finals that will take place on 28th of November 2007. The finalists represent six different countries. Here are the best performing teams:

- Ericsson (Croatia)
- Tecpetrol (Argentina)
- Pöyry Forest Industry Consulting (Finland)
- SEB (Lithuania)
- Rolls Royce (UK)
- Mix team (Czech Republic) - CSOB, Burinka, Prumstav and Kite*

On the picture from left to right Kimo Mikkonen, Petri Jokinen, Tuomas Salo, Juha-Erkki Nieminen from Pöyry (Finland)

The three best teams in the World will be invited to the BTS Awards in Cannes, on the French Riviera.

BTS Tournament is the world leader in web based business tournaments and organizes the biggest and most exciting business tournament in the world where leading international companies are fiercely competing for market shares and profits while developing managers and key people to lead their business in a profitable and more effective way. Just like pilots in flight simulators, only in business. Why should pilots have all the fun!

Good luck in the in the BTS World Finals!

* The mix team has participants from four different companies: CSOB, Burinka, Prumstav and Kite

Taavi Thiel
Senior VP
BTS TOURNAMENTS

taavi.thiel [#] bts.com