Issam Hafy

"Don’t overthink it, join the case club!"

When were you an active case student at BI and at which campus?
I was an active case student at BI Oslo during the period between February 2018 and March 2020.

Why did you decide to join BI’s case activities?
Solving problems have always given me a feeling of gratification. In addition to that, I am a curious person who enjoys learning new things. The case activities offer exposure to a variety of sectors and industries giving you the chance to learn while solving problems. Therefore, joining case activities came as a natural decision.

What was the name of your case team and how did you find your teammates?
I have been a member of two case teams, Sigma Consulting and Nordic Guardian Consulting. Three of my classmates and I were interested in solving cases and once we had the chance, we teamed up in Sigma Consulting. After a couple of competitions, most of the members couldn’t compete anymore and it coincided with the time Nordic Guardian Consulting needed a new team member and I joined them.

Did you have a specific role on your team?
All the team members were participating in different activities we were conducting. But if I must highlight the parts I was contributing the most to, I will say developing strategic solutions, foreseeing risks, and assessing the financials. 

Which case competitions did you take part in?
The first case competition I took part in was the BBA Case Competition in 2018. After that, I have participated in BIICC Open, Münster International Case Challenge, and Deloitte Case Challenge Oslo in 2019. Finally, I was going to join Belgrade International Case Competition 2020 that was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19. 

What is your best memory from your case journey at BI?
I have to say that participating in Münster Case Challenge, my first international competition. I discovered the real meaning of representing my school and met a lot of brilliant people that I still have contact with up until now. 

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

1. Believe in your solution, it will take your presentation and your performance on the Q&A session to the next level. 
2. As cliché as it might sound, quality over quantity. It is always better to offer few solutions that you believe in than a lot that will most likely go out of your control. 
3. Finally, take care of your team members and they will take care of you. 

What skills did you learn from participating in case which were relevant to your development/career and how?
Filtering and assessing the reliability of information is an important skill a person should have nowadays. In the case club, I didn’t only learn how to do it, but I learned how to do it fast. Joining the case club also helped me to improve my presentation skills and taught me how to speak to the public. Finally, I became better at networking which in my opinion is also a skill every person should have regardless of what they are doing in life. 

Do you have any advice to students who are curious about case?
Don’t overthink it, join the case club!