Julie Thorsen

Interview with Julie Thorsen

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

I was an active member of BI Case Teams from October 2021 to November 2023 during my first two years as a bachelor student at Stavanger campus. 
 
2. Why did you decide to join BI Case Teams? 

I decided to join BI Case Teams to further broaden my marketing expertise on both a professional and educational level, whilst challenging myself with an international mindset. BI Case Teams challenges your academic knowledge with real business cases which expands your network both nationally and globally.  
 
3. What was the name of your case team(s) and what did you do to create a good team dynamic?  
 
For my participation in representing Stavanger Campus, we named our case team the Norwegian word “Spire” as a symbol of growth. For international competing, we developed to the Latin name “Arbor” which translates to the word tree, furthering representing the case team’s development, growth and stability.  
The key to create the good team dynamic for Spire, was to strategically represent the different majors, clearly define individual roles and decide a definite team leader. The team leader is given the “last word”, meaning that in the situations where the team is divided by different outlooks, the team leader is to decide. This approach builds on leveraging each member’s expertise. 
 
4. Did you have a specific role in your team?  

As a marketing major, my primary role in the case teams was focused on marketing analysis and developing marketing strategies. I also had the opportunity to often open and close the presentation for my case team. Additionally, it is important to contribute to different subject like HR or finance to meet the specific needs for the case team. 
 
5. Which case competitions did you take part in (national and international)?  

During my two years of casing I have had the opportunity to contribute and performed at a total of five national and international competitions representing BI and BI Stavanger campus. I participated in BINCC 2021 (BI national), BIICC Open 2022, CCC 2022 (Copenhagen), ROCA 2023 (Rotterdam/Carleton) and BIICC 2023 (BI International). 

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

The best memories from my BI case journey are the connections and experiences shared with my case team and international students while traveling. To this day, I remain contact with several participants from the international competition and will always share a special bond with my case team members. 

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

BI Case Teams has been one of the most memorable experiences of my bachelor’s program. 

1. BI Case Team taught me how to push myself out of my comfort zone by confronting my strengths and weaknesses head-on, which significantly improved my overall confidence in professional settings.
2. I learned how to work effectively in a team under intense pressure while still maintaining clarity.
3. The experience of presenting to a larger crowd and how to deliver it strongly has been very beneficial. 

 
8. What skills did you learn from participating in case which were relevant to your development/career and how? 
 
By participating in BI Case Teams, I have gained confidence in my presentation skills. This includes everything from creating a professional PowerPoint, applying academic theory to practical cases, and delivering the presentation formally and professionally to a larger crowd.
 
9. Do you have any advice to students who are curious about BI Case Teams? 

You won't regret it, and don't let the second language barrier hold you back.