Darden Professors Win “Hot Topic” Category in 2026 Case Centre Awards
By Molly Mitchell
University of Virginia Darden School of Business professors Serena Hagerty and Luca Cian and case researchers Amy Klopfenstein and Demitri Kalogeropoulos this week won a top case writing award in the “Hot Topic: Leading in Turbulent Times” category at The Case Centre Awards and Competitions 2026.
The Case Centre Awards and Competitions recognize outstanding case writers and teachers, celebrating excellence in case writing and teaching around the world. The awards have been presented annually since 1991.
The Darden writers’ winning case “Tottenham Hotspur: Fielding Controversy” puts students in the executive suite of Tottenham Hotspur five days after the October 2023 Hamas attack. The club has deep roots in London’s Jewish community, the Premier League’s only Israeli player, and a massive Muslim fanbase across Asia. Traditional brand activism cases examine planned communications, while this one explores “forced activism,” where leaders lose control of the timeline and neutrality might not exist. Rather than a prescriptive take on whether to engage in brand activism, the case focuses on how to deal with the consequences of either decision.
According to The Case Centre’s press release:
“The Case Centre Awards and Competitions 2026 reflect the state of today’s rapidly changing global environment and the critical role of the case method in helping future leaders grapple with real-world complexity. This year’s winning cases bring the challenges shaping business decision-making directly into the classroom, from geopolitical instability and technological rivalry to sustainability and long-term resilience.
The relevance of this year’s Hot Topic competition, Leading in turbulent times, proved particularly striking. Four of the winning cases across all categories focus on business challenges arising from geopolitical uncertainty (including cases featuring Apple, ASML, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Ben & Jerry’s), underlining how closely case teaching is tracking the pressures faced by organisations worldwide.”
The case method is Darden’s signature teaching approach and the engine behind the School’s consistent high rankings for faculty and classroom experiences – including No. 1 for Best Professors and No. 5 for Best Classroom Experience.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s graduate degree programs (Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA, MSBA and Ph.D.) and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact. Darden’s top-ranked faculty, renowned for teaching excellence, inspires and shapes modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and business publishing. Darden has Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and a global community that includes 20,000 alumni in 90 countries. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Press Contact
Molly Mitchell
Senior Associate Director, Editorial and Media Relations
Darden School of Business
University of Virginia
MitchellM@darden.virginia.edu
