Bjørn A. Bentsen

Interview with Bjørn A. Bentsen

1. When were you an active case student at BI and at which campus?

I was an active student from 2022 to 2023 at BI campus Oslo

2. Why did you decide to join BI’s case activities?

Because I saw it as a beneficial opportunity to grow and learn more about actual practical problem solving and business solutions.

3. What was the name of your case team and how did you find your teammates?

During BI National Case Competition 2022 I was part of Atlas Consulting. During Marshall International Case Competition at USC in Los Angeles the organisers gave us the team name Malibu. In both cases I was assigned to a team by the case coaches in BI Case Teams. 

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

I mostly did marketing and some strategy solutions, however, I mostly worked with developing a marketing solution.

5. Which case competitions did you take part in? 

I took part in the national BINCC, BIICC and the MICC in Los Angeles. 

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

My best memory from my case journey is the case solving in Los Angeles, experiencing the energy and flow, and the solving of a larger case than we were used to is my best memory. 

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

My top three takeaways are probably the following. 

1. Use the time to prepare well. As Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”. Good preparation will allow for a more seamless transition into finding solutions.
2. Communicate well. Establish communication early, find ways to communicate that all team-members if comfortable with, this will allow for less misunderstandings, better team dynamic and a more seamless workflow. 
3. Have fun. This is the most cliché out of the three, however I still see it as important. I see it as important to remember that case solving is about utilizing the knowledge you currently have to create the best solution you can, and not putting an inhumane amount of pressure on oneself to create the best solutions. 

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

I learned mostly two skills, and that’s how to take apart problems into smaller parts, and finding solutions to the root of the problems. Working with cases taught me to work from the bottom up, and not the other way around. 

It also taught me how to analyse market segments and statistics in a way that gives you an overview over how one can expect certain actions to effect the market. Both of which have been massively beneficial in my career.

9. Do you have any advice to students who are curious about case?

Only one tip, and that is go for it, it’s an amazing learning experience that will allow you to learn more and get a better insight into how business solutions are created. Furthermore, it will give you an amazing social network, and allow you to find friends and people to work with.