FW: Applications open: Volunteer Consulting Group 2016

[Kathrin Graetz]

From: Joris De Schutter
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2015 8:44 PM
To: mseg <mseg at mit.edu>; dmse-postdocs <dmse-postdocs at mit.edu>
Subject: Applications open: Volunteer Consulting Group 2016


Hello,





Every winter the Consulting Club at MIT offers the opportunity for students and postdocs to participate in the Volunteer Consulting Group (VCG) program. This is a great chance to work part-time on an interesting real-life business problem from a carefully selected company, to participate in a team project, and to gain valuable consulting experience for yourself and your resume! MIT VCG's Winter 2016 engagement will kick off with an in-depth consulting workshop led by representatives from Accenture, Roland Berger, and BCG.

This year CCM will start the VCG on January 11th for 6 weeks total (including the first week of preparation). Please see below for brief project descriptions, more details will be shared to applicants at a later time.

HOW TO APPLY:
Applications are now open, the deadline to apply is Dec 6th 9pm. To apply, please follow the link; you will be required to fill out an online form and submit a one page resume and short personal statement.



https://form.jotform.com/53264476979170

VPs of the VCG

Additional questions can be addressed to: ccmvcg2016 at gmail.com<mailto:ccmvcg2016 at gmail.com>



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PROJECTS:



VCG Project 1: Life Science, new market entry

Today trauma centers and ER's face a chronic shortage of blood-replenishing supplies as the supply relies entirely on donors. The client is local start up that has developed a technique to produce components of blood on commercial scale and they have identified a potentially lucrative opportunity to leverage this technology for a different product. The client has engaged CCM to determine its commercial viability and devise a strategy to bring it to market. The project will include: sizing the addressable market and competitive pricing; identifying potential competitors or strategic partners; planning the most efficient approach through the regulatory pathway.

Based on these findings the team will compile a report detailing all sources, build an excel model and a pitch deck to be presented to the executive board.



Coach: A professional consultant from a boutique firm specializing in life sciences has already committed to assist the team during the VCG engagement. Her extensive expertise and knowledge in the field are exceptionally well suited for this project and she will mentor the team, providing guidance to appropriate resources and advising on how to produce professional quality deliverables.



The Engagement Manager is a MIT postdoctoral fellow on the CCM executive board and has participated in the 2015 Summer VCG and 2015 MIT vs Harvard Case Competition.




VCG Project 2:  Finance, guidance in a new market
Recent legislative changes have made it possible for companies in the United States to raise the capital they need by means of crowdfunding and for non-accredited investors to invest in Small Cap Private Companies and Non-Publicly Traded Funds.  The selected VCG Winter Engagement Company, ("the Company"), is developing an integrated approach for addressing the challenges of this market, including the development of ratings and the creation of an online financial technology platform that provides a transparent framework for investors and creates the mechanisms for the market participants to comply with regulations and benchmark their performance.  This VCG project will evaluate the feasibility of a social network model for the small cap private placement market, design a ratings framework for enterprises seeking to raise capital through alternative financing channels, finalize the Company's minimum viable prototype, and design a go to market strategy for the Company.  Selected candidates will have the opportunity to develop and to apply skills in the areas of econometrics, technology/web development/coding, computational science, and social science.

Coach:  This project's coach is a Professor Emeritus of Finance at a prestigious academic institution as well as a managing partner at a leading independent asset management firm.  He has over fifty years of experience in investment and managing assets; he will help team members further develop skills that are essential for successful consulting and finance.

The Engagement Manager for this project is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard.  He is currently a co-manager of CCM's website and has participated in both the 2015 MIT VCG Summer engagement and 2015 Harvard vs. MIT case competition.



VCG Project 3: Hotel Management - Navigating Disruption

The rise of Online Travel Agents (OTAs) such as Expedia.com have democratized travel by rapidly disseminating information to consumers. As a consequence, the hospitality industry has seen a dramatic change in landscape - it has become imperative for hotels to perform a "balancing act" of utilizing OTAs for customer acquisition yet trying to be sheltered from hefty commission fees. Our client is a hotelier whose Cambridge property has been a local icon since the mid-20th century. The VCG team is tasked to identify the most efficient and sustainable operational and marketing strategies for the client to navigate the rapidly changing travel industry: the omnipresent OTAs, and the emerging metasearch engines such as Kayak. VCG consultants will draw insights from the current business's financial, operational, and marketing data, and will dissect an intricate industry consisting of many variables and stakeholders.



Potential mentors include an industry executive with deep OTA management and digital development expertise, as well as former/current consulting professionals. The Engagement Manager is a Harvard PhD student with training in business fundamentals and entrepreneurship; prior to joining VCG, he co-organized the 2015 Harvard vs. MIT Case Competition.




VCG Wildcard Project: Energy Marketplace Expansion:
This project may be offered depending on the applicant pool.
The client is a disruptive start up with 10+ employees and the goal to provide the leading technology in global energy procurement, i.e., to provide an automated platform for commercial energy buying. The platform is already working and successful and the goal of this project is to evaluate the market in the US and where to expand next: What are the risks? What is the competitive landscape? What is the potential of the market? Create a comprehensive go-to-market strategy for the expansion of the business. We will work directly with one of the founders. The company has the local bandwidth to assist the team and can provide mentoring insight in both the headquarters and Boston if required.

Coach: A senior consultant and an industry specific mentor. More detailed information will follow before interviews in case we decide to interview for this project depending on applicant pool.








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ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

WHAT?: the VOLUNTEER CONSULTING GROUP (VCG) is organized by the Consulting Club at MIT (CCM) to give students/postdocs valuable experience and introduce them to consulting work. You will work on a project in a small team with one of the three local companies on a real business problem they have. Representatives from these companies will be available to the VCG team as needed.

WHEN?: the program will run for 6 weeks January - February, 2016. After the first week of preparation (consulting/mini-MBA workshop and meeting with CEO of the company), you will need to commit approximately 10 hours per week for the following 5-week period of time, including two weekly meetings, one with the team and one with the host company.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?: any student or postdoc in the Boston area who is interested in consulting, working with start-up companies or simply looking for a different, interesting experience during the Winter of 2016.

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FAQ's:

I have no consulting experience, can I still participate?
- Some experience in consulting case practice is preferred, but not necessary as long as you can demonstrate your interest and willingness to commit to VCG. You will also be coached by professional consultants in how to approach the case and you will be mentored throughout the 6-week project by a team manager with more experience.

I am not a MIT student, can I apply?
- We will give preference to MIT students and postdocs, but members of institutions in the Boston area are encouraged to send in their applications, especially if you have been active with consulting clubs before.

What is the time commitment for these projects?
- This is a volunteer assignment, so up to you! But typically around 10 hours per week is sufficient to produce a high-quality project that you can be proud of. You will be required to attend a minimum of one brainstorming meeting with your team per week, and one 1-hr meeting with the host company (meeting times to be decided together).

I will be away for some of the period of 6 weeks. Does that matter?
- Preferably you will be in Cambridge for the duration of the project, but if you will be away for a couple of days, absolutely still apply. Please indicate the dates you expect to be away.

What is the final deliverable?
- In the final company meeting, you will present your recommendation on the company's strategy to the management of the company and the executive committee of the CCM. In addition, we may organize a separate presentation meeting with everyone participating in the VCG so you can see how other teams' projects as well.

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