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WWU business students win 2025 Boeing Northwest Case Competition

Annual competition challenges undergraduate business students to generate innovative solutions to complex real-world scenarios

by Jennifer Nerad

University Communications

Team “Phantom Workers” — Ian Barron, Sam Nocera, Jackson Hardy, Carver Johnson, and Rose Gendel — took first place in the 2025 Boeing Northwest Case Competition.

A team from Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics won first place in the 2025 Boeing Northwest Case Competition.  

The five-member team calling itself “Phantom Workers” was one of six Western Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management (MSCM) teams with outside representation from Accounting, Finance, Economics and International

Advancing to the finals on Nov. 14, “Phantom Workers” competed before a panel of four Boeing executives, up against teams from Portland State University, Central Washington University, and a team representing the various University of Washington campuses.

The members of the winning team were Ian Barron, a senior majoring in MSCM from Staunton, Virginia; Rose Gendel, a senior majoring in Accounting with a Management Information Systems concentration from San Jose, California; Jackson Hardy, a junior majoring in MSCM from Issaquah; Carver Johnson, a junior from Bainbridge Island majoring in MSCM; and Sam Nocera, a junior majoring in MSCM who is originally from Lucca, Italy.

“I don’t think our success could be traced back to any one individual,” said Johnson. “We really did a phenomenal job of utilizing each member’s unique experiences and skill sets when forging our solution and preparing for our presentation.”

The annual competition challenges undergraduate business students to generate innovative solutions to a complex real-world business scenario, focusing on supply chain, lean manufacturing, and finance. This year’s case centered on a strategic sourcing challenge related to a critical component.

Professor of MSCM Stella Hua and Professor of International Business Tom Roehl served as the faculty leads supporting the entire case competition. Professor Roehl’s primary focus was on the registration and coordination of all six WWU teams.

“Western had more teams participating this year than any of the other schools,” said Roehl. “Boeing made a point of telling us that the overall average quality of work coming from our teams was the highest all around. I’m very proud of all the teams and the overall strength that Western showed to this important employer of our students.”

Participating in this competition is something that Hua says is an achievement in its own right.  

“Balancing full course loads and midterms, these students dedicated themselves to late-night and early-morning discussions, debates, analyses, and presentation practices,” she said. “Their commitment and teamwork were truly impressive!”

“The ‘Phantom Workers’ delivered an exceptionally innovative solution and a seamless, professional presentation,” said Hua.

Learn more about degrees in the College of Business and Economics, including the MSCM program.

Jennifer Nerad covers Western's College of Business and Economics and College of the Environment and for the Office of University Communications. Have a great story idea? Reach out to her at neradj@wwu.edu.