Arina Pambukyan
Questions
Coach at CaseKey 2025
Please provide a short bio, which will be used on the official web page.
I once skipped my classes to play tennis… and ended up making a slide deck in the middle of the court - and yeah, that pretty much sums me up as a person. Hi, I’m Arina, a case solver turned coach who loves staying curious and figuring things out. I’m a CaseKey 2024 participant and part of the international team, proudly representing CaseKey at leading competitions in Belgrade and Budapest, going head-to-head with some of the best teams worldwide. Beyond competitions, I study Computer Science and do research across different fields of mathematics. Currently, my interests lie in mathematical modeling of economic and financial phenomena, basically trying to quantify the things that seem impossible to quantify. I’ve had the chance to work with numbers and strategies in all kinds of settings, from ministries to Big 4 consulting firms. And after solving over 20 business cases across countries and industries, I’ve learned how to make sense of complex case asks, work under pressure, and turn bold but abstract ideas into practical strategies. Whether it’s cracking a tricky case, figuring out the perfect slide story or design, or adding small touches that make a presentation stand out, I’m here to push, challenge, support, but most importantly, have fun with you every step of your CaseKey journey and beyond!
Describe a time when you helped someone improve their skills or knowledge significantly. What was your strategy?
During a math course, I helped a friend who was really struggling with the material. They’d gotten a C+ on the midterm and felt stuck. Instead of explaining things the usual way, I tried speaking in their “language”, using examples and analogies that felt relatable to them. I never solved problems for them, I’d give advice but let them work through it themselves. Once they’d learned a concept, I’d have them explain it back to me or to others, so they’d reinforce what they knew. By the end, they not only got As on every exam after but ended up loving the subject. The key was meeting them where they were and making the subject feel approachable.
What methods do you use to stay updated with the latest trends in business and consulting?
Honestly, I use quite a few channels. I read big consulting firm reports when I want the big picture, but I’m also the type to scroll through their public slides to see how they’re structuring ideas and telling the story visually. I follow a few ex-McKinsey and ex-Bain consultants on LinkedIn and Instagram who post frameworks and breakdowns you’d never really get from a formal report. I also check Visual Capitalist, their infographics are one of the best ways to catch interesting trends without digging through 80-page reports. A lot of new information comes straight from social media for me too. I follow Forbes, Yahoo Finance, WSJ and a few other pages on Instagram because that’s where the news first shows up in everyday life. I also think podcasts are one of the best ways to pick up how people actually talk and think about industries. Overall, I try to keep a balance between high-level reports and more informal, accessible channels.