Walmart Kicks-off Most Ambitious Student Challenge in Canada

Top CEOs from Walmart, Ford, Google, CN and SC Johnson to judge post-secondary students on game-changing green business innovations

TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2012 /CNW/ - Do you know a post-secondary student who has the vision to change Canada's business landscape and the confidence to pitch their creative ideas to top CEOs?

For the second year, Walmart Canada is running the Green Student Challenge where teams of post-secondary students from across the country have an opportunity to convince some of Canada's most successful business leaders that they have the most compelling breakthrough idea to change business as we know it. A total of $100,000 in cash will be awarded including $25,000 to the winners and $25,000 to the winners' school.

The preeminent panel of judges includes Shelley Broader, president and CEO of Walmart Canada, Dianne Craig, CEO of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Chris O'Neill, managing director of Google Canada, Claude Mongeau, president and CEO of CN, Ana Dominguez, president and general manager of SC Johnson Canada. The challenge is a celebration of our country's future business leaders and provides a rare opportunity for students from across Canada to showcase their talent in front of some of Canada's most accomplished business leaders.

"Every member of our judging panel has signed on because they recognize the value of discovering the young minds who will change the future landscape of Canadian businesses by thinking green," said Shelley Broader, president and CEO of Walmart Canada. "Businesses today are looking for ways to introduce sustainable business practices that improve the bottom line.  The Walmart Green Student Challenge gives students the chance to introduce Canada's next big sustainable business idea."

The winner of the inaugural Walmart Green Student Challenge in February 2012 was a team of three from the University of Waterloo that presented an integrated energy hub for retail distribution centres. The hub would integrate solar rooftop panels, be connected to the smart electricity grid to provide grid balancing and auxiliary services, and produce net economic benefits estimated at $1.35 million per year over 20 years.

"Last year's winners pushed the boundaries of innovative thinking, and I am thrilled to confirm Walmart Canada is investigating the feasibility of implementing their winning entry," said Andy Ellis, senior vice president of supply chain and logistics with Walmart Canada. "The leadership, vision and passion demonstrated by last year's semi-finalists were beyond what we expected, and it demonstrated the quality of leadership that exists among our country's best and brightest students."

The panel of judges will be looking for three key criteria when they evaluate the proposals of this year's Walmart Green Student Challenge submissions: the winning idea will present a new way of doing business, have a significant sustainability benefit, and have a strong business case to back it up.

To learn more about the Walmart Green Student Challenge and how to enter, please visit www.greenstudentchallenge.ca, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WalmartGSC or follow us on twitter at @WalmartGSC.

About Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of more than 330 stores, employing nearly 90,000 Canadians, and serving more than one million customers each day. The company's vision is to demonstrate environmental leadership by reducing the ecological impact of its operations through company-wide programs focused on waste, energy and products, as well as outreach programs that preserve and enhance local environments. Visit www.walmartcsr.ca for more company information or follow Walmart Canada on Twitter at www.twitter.com/walmartcanada.

Image with caption: "Shelley Broader, president and CEO of Walmart Canada (centre) today launched the 2013 Walmart Green Student Challenge. $100,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs as students race to showcase their best, most innovative green business ideas. (CNW Group/WalMart Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120925_C9323_PHOTO_EN_18444.jpg

SOURCE: WalMart Canada

For further information:

Melissa Cable-Cibula
APEX Public Relations
[email protected]/416-436-0396