The KPMG International Case Competition (KICC) is a unique opportunity that gives students a chance to work on real-world business issues and experience what it is like to work with clients.

For these former KICC participants, the competition was the start to their career at KPMG.

Owen Foster, Assistant Accountant, Liquidations and Insolvency, KPMG in the Cayman Islands

Rita Szekely, Internship, People & Change, KPMG in Romania

Olivia Riva Boschini, Trainee for Management Consulting, Services & Outsourcing Advisory, KPMG in Brazil

Lara Butler, Will start in 2016 as a Trainee Auditor, KPMG in the Cayman Islands

Karthik Paratamsetti, Consultant, BPS-S&O-Strategy, KPMG in India

Jacob Martinsson, Associate, Advisory and Management Consulting, KPMG in Sweden

Debora Leite, Consultant, IT Advisory Service, KPMG in Brazil

Allison Hydes, Assistant Accountant, Audit, KPMG in the Cayman Islands

Staci Scott, Staff Accountant, Audit, Alternative Investments, KPMG in the Cayman Islands

Samantha Hennings, Staff Accountant, KPMG in the Cayman Islands

David Gao, Intern, Financial Risk Management, KPMG in Canada

Katrin Lopez De Madariaga, Financial Risk Management, KPMG in Spain

Agnès Mafra, Senior Financial Auditor, KPMG in France

Participated in KICC 2015, Dubai, UAE

Perhaps one of the greatest highlights from KICC was meeting individuals from all over the world that were both KICC contestants and KPMG employees. The networking events were also a big highlight and they facilitated everyone getting to know one another.

A key takeaway that I emerged with after participating in KICC is that of teamwork. I would encourage anyone who is considering participating in KICC to get to know their team mates well; identify everyone’s strengths and develop a plan of attack as to how to leverage them during the competition in order to arrive with the best possible solutions and delivery.

KICC helped me prepare for my career by giving me an understanding of what it is like to work in a globalized business that operates in a large number of jurisdictions. Additionally it embellished upon my critical thinking skills that will enable me to look at problems from various angles in order to have a deeper understanding of them.

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Participated in KICC 2015, Dubai, UAE

Every moment at KICC was incredible. This competition not only helped me professionally, but also in my personal development. The informal programs helped us get to know each other – on the desert trip our teams were mixed with students from other countries and we had the chance to network.

The competition simulates real business life, the case studies are written about real companies and real problems. Our presentations were evaluated by KPMG professionals and we received feedback on how we can improve for the next round. KICC prepared me for my career, I learned how to be a team player, to work under pressure and to work precisely and structured.

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Participated in KICC 2015, Dubai, UAE

At KICC I met some really important, intelligent and inspiring people who helped me to understand and analyze real life business scenarios with a different point of view, in order to come up with outstanding solutions! After this experience I felt much more confident and prepared to start my career at KPMG and face new challenges.

If you are considering taking part in KICC, GO FOR IT and DO YOUR BEST! You are about to have a one of a kind experience, so be prepared to make the most of it!

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Participated in KICC 2015, Dubai, UAE

It was fantastic to meet and interact with top students and staff from KPMG offices around the world, sharing ideas, experiences and stories and seeing how close knit and friendly everyone is, even with the global network being spread out so far and wide. While learning important lessons about teamwork I also made friends I’ll keep in touch with for my working career and beyond!

KICC has taught me valuable lessons in analyzing data and being able to prepare and present strong presentations and meetings to grasp the clients’ attention, without making it dull. Meeting business orientated accountants was most important for my career as it helped create global links.

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Participated in KICC 2014, São Paulo, Brazil

Be it the team video, interacting with people from different parts of the world, or exploring the city of Sao Paulo, the KICC experience has been ‘AMAZING’. Every time we were in the room discussing the case, it  felt like we were in a war room - with your team mates tearing into ideas and strategies until only the finest strategies remain. Coming out of it  made me truly understand the power of teamwork and all that it can accomplish with a diverse and yet complementary set of skills.

I would like to pass on to anyone considering taking part in KICC to have a strategy towards approaching the cases. Being a time limited competition, it is very important to understand the team composition and the different skillsets they bring to the table, and have specific roles and/or process in place before starting the case itself.

Throughout our journey we were in constant touch with some very senior personnel from KPMG and the constant feedback and guidance we got from them not only helped us in KICC but would also help us throughout our careers. In fact there was a tangible difference in our analysis, presentation skills and confidence as we progressed through the different stages itself.

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Participated in KICC 2014, São Paulo, Brazil

Working with my team on the KPMG International Case Competition was a great experience. During stressful situations with people pushing you to your limits is when you really get to know yourself.

Throughout the competition I gained some very useful skills: structurally solving business cases, working with people different from myself and presenting an idea in an understandable way.

Although my team did a great job of pushing ourselves and not settling for "good enough," I wish we would have taken the opportunity to try and experiment with new and unconventional ways of working and presenting. Once you have realized that your way of doing things has taken you this far, it is easy to stop there. But after I have seen people from all around the world solve and present business cases, I am certain that there are many great ways of doing that. KICC gave us a great opportunity to step out of our comfort zone.

It is not easy to completely understand what it is that you want to do, or even grasp what a management consultant does. The best way, I think, is to expose yourself to the business and the professionals. In that way KICC helped me prepare for my career.

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Participated in KICC 2014, São Paulo, Brazil

After participating in the KPMG International Case Competition, I was able to see the projects from the client perspective and identify their real needs and expectations. This helped me a lot.

I always compare it to getting your driver’s license. KICC was my “driving lesson” before starting my career. If I were to go back in time, I would certainly enrol in KICC again!

Be yourself, enjoy the experience as much as you can, learn from the program and do not be afraid of making mistakes. That´s how you will learn! And most of all, have fun!

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Participated in KICC 2013, Madrid, Spain

KICC helped prepare me for my career by looking at real life situations and thinking of solutions (outside of the box) that a potential client can use. In addition, being judged by KPMG partners that would be working on such clients and getting critical feedback for personal development going forward.

If I could do anything differently in terms of how I prepared for KICC, it would be to practice public speaking more because my nerves got the better of me during the presentation section of the competition.

One specific takeaway that I would like to pass on to anyone considering taking part in KICC is network, network, network. There are many individuals from all over the world and partners from KPMG's global network who can give insight into the field they are in that would be beneficial for anyone considering KICC to know.

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Participated in KICC 2013, Madrid, Spain

The KICC experience was amazing all around: creating our team video, networking with other teams and judges and learning about their country/firm culture, and exploring the city of Madrid. The opportunity to interact with so many individuals from such a wide array of backgrounds is a rare one, and an experience I'll never forget. Perhaps more than anything else, KICC displayed to me that the KPMG organization truly does have a global mindset and works diligently to encourage its people's personal and professional growth.

KICC honed three of the most important skills in any career, but particularly in public accounting: networking, public speaking, and teamwork. I have utilized these skills already at KPMG, and am much more confident in my ability to network, present, and act as an effective member of a team after my experience at KICC.

I would advise those considering taking part in KICC that they have a game plan prior to the actual competition. When your time is limited, it's easy to get distracted and overwhelmed, and it helps enormously if you already know team members' roles and the process you will be following to reach and present your decision.

I can't stress enough the importance of doing multiple cases ahead of the competition. Not only is it great practice from a presentation standpoint, but it also helps ensure that team members are comfortable in both their roles as well as the high pressure environment. The value of this can't be overstated.

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Participated in KICC 2013, Madrid, Spain

I first entered KPMG in Cayman Islands as a trainee accountant, mainly dealing with administrative tasks. Now I have graduated and work full time as a supervisor in the audit department in a more client facing role.

KICC was a fantastic experience that offered an invaluable opportunity to network with peers worldwide, listen to inspiring speakers, explore the city and test our business knowledge and organization skills with high pressure case competitions.

KICC emphasized the importance of three points to me: Team work, Working under pressure and networking. Team work and learning to work well in high intensity/pressure situations are both required in the work place on a day to day basis in order to get your job done and networking with people is required in order to learn and grow in your role in any firm.

For anyone considering participating in KICC, ensure that you follow the decision process with your team during the cases so that you can present confidently, even when you have had no time to practice your presentation!

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Participated in KICC 2013, Madrid, Spain

The KPMG International Case Competition was my first exposure to business cases that were not only challenging, but also very realistic. Being exposed to real life business scenarios has helped me greatly in school and at work. It hones your analytic skills while at the same time giving you a taste of what the field has to offer.

Spending a week in Spain with KICC has been one of the best experiences in my life and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. These kinds of opportunities don’t come up very often, so I suggest you enjoy it as much as you can.

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Participated in KICC 2013, Madrid, Spain

Taking part in KICC is a unique opportunity. It opens lots of professional opportunities. I highly recommend taking part in this contest, as you learn a lot, gain experience and have the chance to meet professionals that have achieved success in their careers.

The contest is based on real life business cases, you learn to analyze and solve real problems like the consultants that work at KPMG.

I would highlight the availability and friendliness of the KPMG partners and professionals, they offered their experience and expertise to help us, not only with the contest, but with our future professional career.

Taking part in the KPMG International Case Competition helped me decide that I really wanted to start my professional career in the area of financial consultancy.

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Participated in KICC 2012, Hong Kong

My first memory of the KPMG International Case Competition was the national finals in Luxembourg. Over two days, my team competed against German and French students. We were a team of girls from France.

When we were selected, it was the beginning of an amazing experience. We went to Hong Kong and met students from different countries. During our stay, we competed of course, but we also visited a class of young school children; participated in conferences and explored the city thanks to an orienteering race.

To participate in KICC students have to be motivated and believe in themselves. There is a lot of pressure and you have to be confident in yourself and work together as a team.

It was a good opportunity to discover KPMG.

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