Abyl Kizatbay

Interview with Abyl Kizatbay 

1. When were you an active member of BI Case Teams and at which campus did you study?

Active member from August 2022 till January 2024, coinciding with my bachelor studies from 2021 to 2024. 
 
2. Why did you decide to join BI Case Teams?

I decided to join BI Case Teams because of a recommendation from a friend who also planned to join, in addition to wanting to gain insight into consulting and case-solving. 

3. What was the name of your case team(s) and what did you do to create a good team dynamic?  

One of the teams I was part of was ‘Kurtgyarmat’, which was a name assigned to us in a Hungarian competition (CECC). One of the reasons we had a good team dynamic was that we were all respectful of one another, and willing to work with different viewpoints. Another reason why we had a good team dynamic was that we had aligned expectations of the competition – both to be competitive but also to simply enjoy a new city, culture, and community.

4. Did you have a specific role in your team?

I usually took the role of finance, which included financial modelling of impact (P&L, KPIs), as well as other quantitative parts of the case. This part also often included presenting the implementation plan, risks, and concluding our recommendation. At other times, I worked on the initial part of the presentation – market/trend analysis.

5. Which case competitions did you take part in (national and international)?  

BI National Case Competition 2022 and 2023, The Central European Case Competition (CECC) 2023 and NHH International Case Competition 2023 

6. What is your best memory from your case journey at BI? 

The best memory had to be when we reached the finals and were called up to present at the big stage of the CECC.

7. What are your top three takeaways from case training and competitions? 

1. Understand the problem and what the client wants vividly, before trying to solve the case.
2. Have a clear structure when problem-solving (MECE) -- so that it is easy to explain your thought process, and to back-track if necessary.
3. Presentation performance is impacted by both the content and delivery, so be confident on stage.

8. What skills did you learn from participating in case which were relevant to your development/career and how? 

Public speaking, from the times when we had to present our solutions to small and big crowds. This skill helped me be more comfortable when talking in a work setting, but also for personal growth.

Financial modelling, as an important part of the case is always to quantify and forecast impact. Relevant for my aspirations in investment banking/consulting.

Teamwork, the ability to work in teams is valued everywhere.

9. Do you have any advice to students who are curious about BI Case Teams? 

Try it out, put yourself out there, and learn by doing.