Eugenia Palombo

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

I was an active member at BI Case Teams for two years (second and third year of my bachelor). I took my studies at the campus in Trondheim.  
 
2. Why did you decide to join BI Case Teams?  

I decided to join BI Case Teams because I believed it would be an excellent opportunity to open new doors for my career. I was totally right! When I applied for an internship at school, the experience that I got at BI Case Teams set me apart from other candidates. This allowed me to secure my place as an intern and I later got a job in the same company as Marketing Manager.  
 
3. What was the name of your case team(s) and what did you do to create a good team dynamic?  

At some point it was Zenith Consulting. Later, when I got other team members, it changed to Compact Consulting. I had the pleasure to be part of several teams during my years with BI Case Teams. This allowed me to learn to adapt better in different situations and roles. Being part of diverse teams also enhanced my ability to collaborate effectively, making me a better team player in my professional environment.  
 
4. Did you have a specific role in your team?  

I had the responsibility to develop the situational analysis, strategy implementation/timeline and risk and mitigation. I was also in charge of the PowerPoint as Slide Master. As a result of these diverse roles, I became a more efficient multitasker. This enabled me to become more efficient when it came to balancing work and studies. As a result of the analytical skills I learned from BI Case Teams, I was able to get a better picture when it came to analyzing cases at school. This allowed me to better distinguish between relevant information and key focus areas when writing exams at school. As a result, I ended up increasing my performance at school and getting better grades 😊 
Of course, being part of the BI Case Teams also taught me how to excel at presenting. Therefore, giving oral exams or pitching to clients and sponsors at work is no longer intimidating. I’m now able to transmit what are the key takeaways in each presentation, making sure that the audience remembers what I need them to.  
 
5. Which case competitions did you take part in (national and international)?  

I took part in BI National Case Competition 2022 and 2023 and I represented BI Case Teams in BI International Case Competition 2023. I also got the chance to travel abroad to compete, to Corvinus Undergraduate Business Experience 2024 in Hungary and The University of Münster Case Challenge 2023 in Germany. Th latter was a Bachelor + Master level competition, where we got the second highest score in the competition.  
 
6. What is your best memory from your case journey at BI?  

It is hard to pick one memory since I got to make good friends with many of my teammates. I think that one of the non-academic things that I’m taking with me is the feeling of camaraderie and belonging that you get after solving cases with those on the team.  
 
7. What are your top three takeaways from case training and competitions?  

1. Being able to keep a cool head: Case solving is all about time management. When being under pressure things will come up. It might be between the team or the ppt getting a bug. But you still must keep a cool head, fix it, and keep moving forward and to master this skill became extremely handy at a personal and professional level.  
2. Team Collaboration: If we all play to our strengths and support each other in our weaknesses the team will be stronger. At work this approach has led to stronger, more cohesive teams capable of delivering high-quality results. 
3. When creating a presentation, always consider your audience. This experience taught me the importance of tailoring presentations to the audience’s level of familiarity and background. When choosing companies for school projects, I ended up picking companies that teachers and sensors are not familiar with (example: Pokémon). Understanding that my audience lacked context and knowledge of certain markets became crucial for effectively conveying my message and ensuring that my points where understood.  

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

BI Case Teams is one of the main reasons that set me apart from other students when applying for an internship. This allowed me to later secure a job position as Marketing Manager. The company that I work at is a startup where I’m the main person in my team that works with marketing efforts. BI Case Teams is the main reason I was able to do my job and adapt to the fast pace working environment. As a result of BI Case I now have better analytical skills, strategic thinking mindset and enhanced multitasking proficiency. 

• Analytical skills: better understanding of the overall picture of a market or situation.  
• Strategic thinking: Learning to prioritize what is most important to achieve the best positive outcome. As a result, I can now identify high impact tasks and strategies, manage my time more efficiently and ensure that my efforts are aligned with key objects.
• Enhanced multitasking proficiency: I now can manage multiple tasks simultaneously without losing control. This experience has honed my ability to juggle various responsibilities efficiently, ensuring that I meet deadlines and maintain high-quality work in my professional environment.  

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

Don’t overthink it. Apply! By far it has been the activity that BI has provided for me that taught me the most. It has allowed me to become a better version of myself both personally and professionally. I guarantee it, it’s worth your time!