* University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa takes home top honors * First time an international school wins the event * Case analysis focused on minority supplier issues amid global competition AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For the first time, graduate students at the University of Stellenbosch from Cape Town, South Africa, competed for first prize and won $15,000 in scholarships at the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund-sponsored National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) National Student Case Competition held at the 28th annual conference in Atlanta, Ga. Hampton University and the University of Georgia received second and third place awards, respectively. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061010/DETU020-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061010/DETU020-b ) Since 1995, DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, along with DaimlerChrysler Financial Services has been the sole sponsor of the National Student Case Competition. The competition included MBA students from nearly 30 top business schools from around the country. The student teams developed business solutions to meet global business challenges while competing for scholarship awards totaling $35,000. In addition to participation in the academic competition, graduate students representing the top business schools in the United States and abroad gained valuable access and exposure to companies that could recruit and eventually hire them. "DaimlerChrysler is committed to sponsoring the National Student Case Competition at the National Black MBA Association Annual Conference to provide challenging business scenarios to better prepare MBA students for global business opportunities," said W. Frank Fountain, Senior Vice President - External Affairs and Public Policy (Auburn Hills), Chrysler Group, and President of the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund. "The team from South Africa presented a truly unique, global solution, and reinforces why the DaimlerChrysler/NBMBAA National Student Case Competition is a global event." The case study focused on the fate of an ailing minority automotive supplier. Students were asked to address the challenges facing a company who encounters global competition, declining automotive vehicle production and other hurdles. Elements of the presented proposals included financial liquidity issues, manufacturing capacity and the impact of global competitors. The teams were judged on the feasibility of their recommendation, quality of their content analysis, the custom solutions they provided and their presentation styles. "As an international enterprise, DaimlerChrysler relies on the brightest, most talented and diverse business leaders of tomorrow for its success," said Janet Marzett, Vice President - Human Resources and Administrative Services, DaimlerChrysler Services Americas. "This year's assignment to assess the viability of a minority supplier in the face of global competition and dramatic changes in the automotive industry presented a unique challenge to the students." Student teams participated from nearly 30 institutions across the United States including Clark Atlanta University, Emory University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061010/DETU020-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061010/DETU020-b http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Chrysler Group CONTACT: Kevin McCormick of Chrysler Group, +1-248-512-6218, Web site: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/ http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/

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