We are honored to welcome two special guests: Britt Deaton and Ben Northern. Britt and Ben will provide Master Classes to demonstrate how they think about and solve cases in competition and answer questions about how their experiences translate to real-world problems.
In addition, a panel of student competitors will tell stories of their experiences and how the MECC competitions have elevated their career trajectories.
Britt is a finance transformation leader at Unum, currently holding the role of AVP, Finance Technology. In this role, she leverages technical and problem-solving skills to develop the finance transformation strategy, support the finance technology portfolio, & execute on modernizing processes.
As a Fellow in the Society of Actuaries since 2018, Britt has held a diverse set of finance and actuarial roles. Throughout her 10 years at Unum, she has been an avid user of Excel and in 2022 she started participating in the Microsoft Excel World Championship, taking a top-4 place in the finals.
Britt graduated from Lee University in 2014 with a degree in Mathematics. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Brett, and two young daughters, Piper and Madi.
Ben was a part of the University of Tennessee's first World Champion Excel team at the 2024 MECC Team Finals in Las Vegas. Ben found his interest in Excel Esport competitions in the spring of 2024 and began competing in the MECC. While in Las Vegas, Ben also competed in the MEWC, placing 24th globally, where he continues to compete after graduation.
Ben is currently a Project Manager at Pilot, who specializes in Excel automation and development. In this role, he serves as an advisor across various Excel-related projects and acts as an in-house Excel consultant.
Ben began his studies at the University of Tennessee in the Fall of 2019, earning his BS in Industrial Engineering in May 2023 and his MS in Industrial Engineering in December 2024. As a student, Ben was a member of the Ice Hockey Club, serving as Club President in his final 2 years.