Mark Moujabber knew he wanted to explore consulting in the engineering
sector from the beginning of his college career. In his freshman year at
Drexel, he co-founded the
Drexel Consulting Group
(DCG) and has remained on the executive board since. Now, the fifth year BS/MS mechanical engineering student is wrapping up his college
career as co-President. In the span of a few years, DCG has grown to host
more than 20 events a year with partnerships and recruiting events with
companies like McKinsey and the
Boston Consulting Group
. This year, they’re hosting their largest case competition yet.
“This is the third case competition that DCG’s hosted, but it’s the first
one of this scale,” Moujabber said. “While I was going through the
recruiting process for consulting jobs this past summer, I met people from
Temple, Penn, and Villanova who are very involved in their consulting clubs,
which gave me the idea to pitch this competition to them.”
Teams were given a deadline of February 3 to register. On February 4, they
received the case: a real-world problem presented to them by SEPTA, which is
kept confidential from non-competitors but utilizes real data. Students will
work in teams to analyze the case, develop solutions, and advance through
various rounds before the final competition on February 22 at LeBow. The
competition encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration, with students from
a variety of majors combining their skills to tackle complex challenges.
Setting up a competition of this scale wasn’t easy. Moujabber made a
connection with Boston Consulting Group while going through the recruiting
process for consulting jobs this past summer, which helped secure BCG as the
lead sponsor. BCG is providing both funding and judges for the event, and
offering an exclusive office tour as part of the prize for the winning team.
In addition to BCG, several other sponsors contributed to funding the
competition and supporting the prizes. Coordinating the schedules of four
different universities, securing sponsors, and managing the logistics of an
event of this size required extensive effort from Moujabber and the DCG
team. Despite the challenges, they remained positive and committed
throughout the process.
“I can’t really complain about it,” Moujabber said. “I’m lucky to have such
a great e-board that has been by my side throughout the entire process,
especially my co-President Lyla and our co-VPs of Consulting Chloe and
Jesse. This event would not be happening without the work they’ve put into
this.”
When asked what keeps him motivated through all the hard work, Moujabber
pointed to his passion for consulting and the problem-solving mindset it
fosters.
“Consulting is the industry of problem-solving. Your client has some sort of
issue they need an outside perspective solving, and it’s the consultant’s
job to help provide solutions and recommendations to help their client,” he
said. “It’s interdisciplinary, and there’s not one specific major that can
guarantee your success in the industry. My engineering background has
provided me with a lot of problem-solving skills and knowledge of how to
dissect a case and identify the key problems a client is facing.”
Moujabber is slated to join BCG after he graduates in the spring. He’s
leaving behind a legacy of work that highlights the skills his peers have
built in their time at Drexel.
“We know the potential that Drexel students have, and we know they would
thrive in this situation,” he said. “Being part of a competition this scale,
especially for the finalists, is going to be a big part of their
conversations when they get to their interview process. Our main goal behind
this competition is prioritizing student success and making sure that our
students are competitive when it comes to the consulting recruiting
process.”