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Three marketing students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have shown they have the X-Factor after being named winners of the global X-Culture business competition.

Almost 6,000 students from 150 universities in 78 countries on six continents took part in this year’s competition. Of the 1,277 participating teams, Will Boud, Krystian Mlodziejewski and Raashi Patel placed in the top 45 of the winning teams.

X-Culture is an optional assignment for senior year students in marketing courses to compete in virtual teams, produce a report for live clients, and gain international business experience prior to graduation.

Will’s team devised a plan to help a brewery in the south of France expand into new markets and different regions.

Will Boud

The 23-year-old from Devon said, “The X-Culture project aims to bring together students from universities around the world. My team worked worldwide when I worked with students from the US, Mexico, and Russia. It was certainly a challenge to communicate across time zones and to train everyone’s skills and talents remotely. “

Will completed a year of internship in London with a creative technology agency as part of his studies.

“I am very happy that DMU has given us opportunities that are not available at any other university. My company for the internship year is only recruiting interns from DMU, ​​and only three universities in the UK are participating in X-Culture. So these are really special things to add to my résumé, “he said.

“I would like to get into consulting in the future. Therefore, it is a good stepping stone to gain direct consulting experience during my internship year and to take part in this competition in order to achieve this goal.”

Raashi was “overjoyed” when her team’s project to expand a Colombian business internationally was deemed the winner.

Raashi Patel

She said, “It was a really interesting experience and I enjoyed learning from other students and getting a new perspective on marketing and business.

“The competition was not affected by the pandemic as everything was done virtually. This gives me more experience working remotely in teams and some additional preparation for joining work.”

For the competition, business and marketing student Krystian worked with students from Botswana, the Netherlands, China and the USA.

Krystian Mlodziejewski

The 21-year-old from Poland said: “Winning was a remarkable achievement that I am very proud of.

“The greatest motivation to participate was the opportunities for self-development that X-Culture offers. I knew that I wanted to take on the role of team coordinator to improve and test my leadership and organizational skills.

“It was also an opportunity to improve my resume and gain new perspectives by working in a highly diversified team.”

Alongside student success, Ellie Hickman, Lecturer in Marketing, was named one of only 30 tutors to receive the Best Instructor Award for going out of their way to support their students.

Ellie said, “I’m incredibly proud to receive this recognition, and it just goes to show that even during a global pandemic, great things can be achieved virtually with the right preparation and commitment.

“I would also like to especially thank the incredible efforts of the DMU students who did such good work. Without her diligence, I would not have received this recognition. “

Posted on Thursday February 4th, 2021