Unilever Bangladesh searching for future business leaders

Unilever Bangladesh Limited, the leading multinational fast-moving consumer goods company in Bangladesh, is searching for future business leaders through its flagship business case competition "BizMaestros".

The company launched the 12th edition of the competition, "BizMaestros 2021", on 17 October this year.

With the theme "Navigating in the New Normal" Unilever Bangladesh has been organising the competition for the last 11 years with a view to developing leadership quality and analytical skills for the future among youths studying at the university level.

This year, the company is expecting a direct engagement with over 600 students in the first round, said Shamima Akhter, head of corporate affairs, partnership and communications at Unilever Bangladesh.

Conceptualised in 2010, BizMaestros has been working with the promise of providing final year university students the "Thrill of Real Business" and has turned into one of the biggest business competitions in the country with the participants having to go through multiple rigorous rounds of assessment to reach the finale.

Each year, there is an overarching theme based on real life business needs and challenges. The cases are similarly futuristic and deal with real business challenges.

Last year, the company engaged with more than 30 universities across the country, where over 400 students in 145 teams participated in the first round, Shamima said.

Presenting the main features of BizMaestros, Sibat Nuhas, employer brand diversity and inclusion manager at Unilever Bangladesh said this year, the first round of the competition will focus on the context of the new normal highlighting significant shifts in the consumer landscape.

It will also give attention to how Unilever's purpose-led brands can have a dynamic way to connect consumers to drive sustainable business growth. Three-member teams hailing from the same university will submit their solutions.

The second round will be a live presentation assessment round where 30 qualifying teams, selected from the first round will present their solutions virtually to the judges.

At the end of the second round, the members will be aided with mentoring and learning sessions.

Once the virtual two rounds are over, "BizMaestros 2021" will conclude with an in-person grand finale where the top six teams will compete for the championship.

The panel of judges comprises renowned business leaders Rupali Chowdhury, managing director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd; Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex Footwear Ltd; Zaved Akhtar, chief executive officer and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh Ltd; and KSM Minhaj, managing director of Unilever Consumer Care Ltd.

The champions will have the unique opportunity to represent Bangladesh in the Unilever Future Leaders League (FLL 2022) – the global competition of Unilever that takes place in the UK every year where champion teams from across the world battle it out to win the global championship.

The champions will also get fast-tracked in the recruitment process for Unilever's flagship Management Trainee programme, the Unilever Future Leaders Programme.

Moreover, the top three teams of the competition will be given the opportunity to avail an internship programme under Unilever Leadership Internship Programme.

Apart from the top three teams, those who qualify for the second round of the competition will be in the talent pipeline of future recruitment opportunities in Unilever Bangladesh.

Sakshi Handa, human resource director at Unilever Bangladesh Limited, said, "BizMaestros is the gateway for students to experience the thrill of real business, receive quality mentoring from industry leaders and gain access to recruitment opportunities at Unilever Bangladesh.

"We have identified some of the brightest young minds and molded them into future leaders through this competition. I am truly excited to see how the students will respond to our challenges this year."