‘IMPRESSED BY THE MATURITY’
During Welcome Week at NHH, the new bachelor students met mentors from the business community. Many of the students greatly impressed the mentors during the case work.
‘Let’s do a quick round of presentations,’ says Torleif Madsen, mentor and CEO of Compact Carbon Capture AS, a company in the global Baker Hughes group.
Madsen is one of many NHH alumni who spend the whole day giving new students a quick introduction to case work.
In one of the smaller auditoriums at NHH, new bachelor students have worked throughout the day on a case assignment about the payment service Vipps. They will now do a presentation for their mentors and fellow students.
A verdict is quickly reached
‘I think you’ve done a good analysis based on the case assignment, both in regard to the challenges Vipps currently has and those they will face in the future,’ says Madsen.
He also emphasises another important quality that future leaders should have: The ability to convey a message in an understandable and interesting way.
‘All of you are very good at presenting. It’s an underrated skill that everyone should master,’ he says, and nods appreciatively to the students.
‘THINK LIKE ECONOMISTS AND LEADERS’
The year's collective mentoring effort is part of NHH's Welcome Week, where students are served lunch and have compulsory gatherings. On the case day in the middle of the week it is NHH's Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Stig Tenold, who welcomes the students.
‘The point of case days is to start thinking like economists and leaders. You will work in groups and see the advantages of different approaches. As you discuss, remember that there isn’t one single answer,’ Tenold says, before the students divide into different groups.
‘We were once new students, so we know that good tips and advice are appreciated,’ explain Markus Lille from Trondheim and Hans Christian Midelfart from Oslo. They are both second-year students and members of NHHS Case Club.
RECEIVED USEFUL ANSWERS
Most of the mentors are very experienced leaders in the world of business, and all are NHH alumni. The day of mentoring is extremely useful for new students at NHH and is definitely recommended, is the endorsement of 20-year-old Andrine Ubøe from Haugesund.
‘The best thing about it is that we get to meet very experienced business leaders. The groups are also just the right size. It’s easier to have a good conversation with a mentor and be able to ask questions that are a bit naive, than if we were all gathered in the large auditorium with 500 other students.’
‘Did you find a lot out today?’
‘Yes, I especially liked what he said about relevant summer jobs. You don't necessarily need many cool internships in big companies to learn something. Any type of summer job can provide useful experience.’
She looks forward to continuing at NHH.
‘There are many exciting directions to take, but I personally want to move towards energy, the environment and sustainability.’
Fellow student Bendik Skarpnes (20) from Stavanger also got a lot out of the day.
‘It’s been really good, especially working in groups. I’m convinced that what came out of the group discussions was far better than if I had tried to do it alone.’
‘Were you nervous when you gave your presentation?’
‘No, I actually wasn’t. It went very well.’