It is a pleasure to announce the celebration of 30 years of the Global Management Challenge. We are delighted to celebrate, with all that have contributed to the global success of the GMC, with our partner Expresso in Lisbon on the 5th March 2009. The celebration will take place in the Ritz Hotel in Lisbon, a place full of significance for the Global Management Challenge. We welcome all our partners to join us for two days of celebration and preparation of the future. We will develop our next 10 year strategy and announce the initiatives that will take GMC into the next decade.

The year of 2008 was a record year for the Global Management Challenge, in number of countries organising the competition, participants and sponsors.

Our numbers:
1980 - Global Management Challenge began in Portugal;
1983 - 1st International Edition;
2007 Edition - 26 Countries;
Approximately 15 000 participants annually;

Worldwide since 1980:
375 000 University Students and Company Managers;
93 000 Participating Teams.

“The fundamental objective of the EFMD CEL programme is to raise the standard of technology-enhanced learning programmes worldwide. EFMD CEL aims to facilitate standard setting, benchmarking, mutual learning, and the dissemination of good practice. It allows for different approaches and diversity in designing and implementing such programmes. EFMD CEL is directed towards educational management programmes incorporating ICT-based learning.”

“EFMD is a global organisation devoted to the continuous improvement of management development.
It brings together leading academics and senior executives from business schools and companies and provides them with unparalleled benchmarking and networking opportunities. The members who communicate through the array of network activities learn from each other and use this knowledge to manage more effectively and to increase their competitive edge.
The EFMD head office is in Brussels, Belgium. EFMD has also established an office in Asia that is based in Shanghai, China.”

José Galamba de Oliveira, President of Accenture Portugal highlights: The Global Management Challenge has become a core part of Accenture’s recruitment Strategy - The company supports 40 student teams in Portugal and is involved with the competition in three countries - Networking events bring Accenture into contact with new customers from the major players in each sector.

Why Accenture gets involved?

Accenture aims "to get the best people in our ranks" and values the chance to engage directly with them directly via the GMC.

The matching process ensures that Accenture is brought into contact with the most relevant students, facilitating an innovative direct recruitment channel. It typically provides two training sessions for the teams it is sponsoring, and views the competition as an important pre-selection mechanism.

Accenture sees the GMC as a key part of building its campus brand, and raising awareness of its graduate scheme. It values the public exposure, and by investing in the leaders and managers of tomorrow, sees the GMC as a good project within its corporate social responsibility strategy.

The university contacts Accenture has built up, has enabled the company to influence the curriculum in certain areas, helping to ensure students have the right skills when they graduate.

Networking with other sponsors and supporters at the GMC is invaluable, particularly in helping the company foster relations with Expresso newspaper, “the most important newspaper in Portugal”. It sees the other sponsors as the major players in each industry sector, and as potential customers for Accenture.  

The International Final will take place in Lisbon on the 23rd of April 2009, where teams from 30 countries will compete in the Global Management Challenge, the International Competition of Strategy and Management. This will be the moment were Luis Alves Costa and Francisco Pinto Balsemão, the founding forces behind the Global Management Challenge, will share the completion of 30 years of successful association.