A team of LMU College of Business Administration accounting and finance students competing in the Deloitte National Audit Innovation Campus Challenge (AICC) was selected as one of the 12 collegiate national finalists out of 52 colleges and universities across the country. The LMU team, comprised of Natalia DAmorim, Eric Eskandarian, Corbin Mercado, Bianca Salinas, Gustavo Villar, and their faculty advisor Anthony Menendez, has advanced to vie in the final round of the competition in spring 2021.
“This has been a valuable experience and it was a pleasure to see the team thrive outside the classroom, in a real-world situation,” said Anthony J. Menendez, George A. Dasaro Distinguished Clinical Assistant Professor. “They put in the hard work and consistently demonstrated that they are creative, independent thinkers and great team members. No doubt, these are the skills that will give them a jump-start on their careers after LMU.”
The AICC, sponsored by Deloitte Services LP and The Deloitte Foundation, aims to harness the power of innovation to inspire the next generation of talent. The competition provides students nationwide an opportunity to generate innovative ideas that can be applied to the audit profession.
This year’s challenge statement focused on the future of work based on advances in technology and changes in society. Student team submissions were evaluated using three criteria: innovation, strategic alignment, and viability and potential. The LMU team’s submission concentrated on the development of an integrated virtual platform that would leverage current Deloitte information-gathering applications. Through the use of artificial intelligence, the platform would benefit Deloitte professionals throughout their careers by embracing diversity while focusing on individual interests, experience, and skills when building client specific teams, mentorship relationships, and professional networks. Additionally, the platform would reduce administrative burdens and assist in compliance with professional independence rules.
“CBA is so proud of this team and their accomplishment,” said Dayle Smith, dean of the College of Business Administration. “The students put in a lot of hard work to prepare for this competition and demonstrated outstanding teamwork and collaboration. We will be cheering on the students as they compete next spring in final round of the challenge.”
