HSG at International Competitions: USA, Canada, Europe

Samuele Predonzani und Team an der RSM Star Case Competition.

The Case Class applications are open until September 27th. What you can expect if accepted is explained in detail by former member and current Head of Case Class, Samuele Predonzani.  

If you are interested in consulting as a possible career field, you’ve probably already heard of the Consulting Club at HSG, where you can gather first real-life experiences. The Club also offers the so-called Case Class, which is an opportunity to not only gather experience as a consultant, but also to push yourself to your limits and officially represent the University of St. Gallen on an international stage.  

prisma asked the Head of Case Class a few questions, to better understand the goal and function of Case Class: 

  

What are Case Competitions?  

Case Competitions are international, week-long events where the world’s best universities compete to find the best solution to a business problem proposed by a sponsoring company. Dozens of universities participate each sending a team of four students to the competition. During the week, two to three cases are solved. A good case is characterized by financial solidity, creativity and an equilibrium between short-term and long-term goals, all ideally packed in an exciting story. Between cases there is lots of free time, and participants can get to know each other. You can explore the city and the country hosting the competition.  You’ll get a chance to meet the top managers of the case company, who can answer your questions about the business. The Consulting Club covers the travel and competition costs for all Case Class members.  

 

 What is the Case Class? 

The Case Class is an initiative which stems from a collaboration between the University and the Consulting Club, started in 2014. Its objective is to prepare HSG students to represent the University at major international case competitions. It is financed by the Consulting Club and done with the help of Bain & Company, who assist at various stages in the development of Case Class students. For example, they offer exclusive seminars. HSG professors, most notably Prof. Simon Pfister, have collaborated in the past and offered focused a focused finance seminar to students.   

 

What type of people would like Case Class?  

If you want to spice up your bachelor and challenge yourself, then you’re in the right place. You should be curious about how different types of businesses operate and possess tenacity to find creative solutions. A big part is also presenting your work; in competitions you have a very short time to present your solution to the managers of the sponsoring company. Being clear and concise is fundamental.   

  

What does the one-year timeline at Case Class look like? 

The first phase and perhaps the most difficult is the selection. Many students want to become part of the case class as it offers free travel, exclusive workshops, and a unique experience. Once selected, we start with an intensive weekend-long workshop, where the major tools for solving cases are provided. Then we meet every week and alternate between case solving and strategy/finance workshops (including those of Bain and those of professors). There is no work required during the study phase. In the spring semester, we hold a weekend-long workshop to freshen up the skills before a competition. Then the big day comes, and the teams travel to their competition destination. The journey can lead you to Los Angeles, Montreal, and many European destinations. 

 

How much time does one invest in Case Class? 

A common question. It is quite variable and depends in the end mostly on yourself. At a minimum, I would suggest ten hours per week. This seems like a lot, but other university teams train for even longer. Some teams do nothing but their case class for an entire semester before they come to a competition. In every competition, there are about 16 different universities, and each university sends its four best students. We try to keep up with the high standards.   

 

What is your personal experience with Case Class? 

My personal experience was positive. I got to know great people with whom I enjoyed working a lot. The motivation of fellow students is a strong driver both in the Case Class and outside of it. I applied almost by accident, at the very last moment and I was very surprised when I was accepted. In the beginning I didn’t quite understand what this was all about. I learned simply by participating. It is a unique experience which I would recommend to most. 

 

What do the coaches/Heads of Case Class do?   

Heads of Case Class have to both coach and organize the program. Case competitions are a unique format with specific intricacies. For example, you only have 10 minutes to present a strategy but which you have worked on for 24 hours. It is a huge challenge to explain the strategy in such a short amount of time. This is a key skill to practice but is also transferable to any other presentation you’ll hold in life. We also coordinate all seminars with Bain & Company as well as with HSG professors. A big part of our work is also to provide feedback about case solutions to teams. In the beginning, people come up with some strange ideas. Last year, a team projected that if Coca-Cola developed an app, they would have an extra billion-dollar EBIT. That’s unrealistic. 

  

 What was a special moment for you? 

A special moment was being a finalist in the Domino’s Case at the RSM STAR competition in Rotterdam. We worked for twelve hours on a human resources problem. At 8 p.m. the time was up, and we submitted our presentation slides. However, we still had to prepare the oral presentation for the next day. We worked on that until about 1 a.m. The next morning, we first presented in front of a small jury against four other teams. We were selected to present in the finals in front of a large theatre full of students, and with a jury of real Domino’s managers and board of directors. After the presentation, the managers asked us questions to try to undermine our strategy. We did really well, but in the end a Canadian team won that case. The relief after presenting is huge, especially because nobody wants to ruin a case that they worked for two straight days on.   

  

Where do you still feel lasting impressions from your time at Case Class to this day? 

I developed a stronger entrepreneurial mindset. Throwing money at a business problem by itself won’t work; the smaller the costs, the more likely it will be accepted by management. This requires creativity and innovation. I also became much better at presenting. During the Case Class I had to do so many presentations, and some in front of full theatres, that no presentation will scare me ever again. Lastly, I got to meet some great people both in the Case Class and during the competitions. I am still in contact with my former colleagues. After every case there are big social events with fancy gala dinners and nights out. Everyone is so excited and wants to meet each other. For these reasons, I decided together with Tim Gander and the Consulting Club to bring forward this tradition.  


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