Questions
Coach at CaseKey 2025
Please provide a short bio, which will be used on the official web page.
Hovhannes is Partner at CIVITTA (the largest international management consultancy originated from Eastern & Central Europe, present in 20+ countries).
Hovhannes has got 15 years of experience in management consulting. He has led 200+ projects for international, public, and private clients locally and abroad.
Hovhannes has work experience in 20+ countries in Eastern Partnership region, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Hovhannes has led projects for national governments in Armenia and abroad, international large organizations as World Bank, German Society for International Cooperation, USAID, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNIDO, ILO, FAO etc.), Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Swiss Development Cooperation, Austrian Development Agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency, SwissContact, Center for International Private Enterprise, National Governments (Armenia, Georgia, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc.), Caritas, Habitat for Humanity, Public institutions (American University of Armenia, Armenian General Benevolent Union, Ayb Educational Foundation, etc.) other.
Key sectors where Hovhannes has led assignments include the Public Sector, Private sector, Entrepreneurship, Environment and Sustainability, Gender, Education, Agriculture, Mining, Manufacturing industry (Textile, Wine-making, Brandy-making, Pharmaceuticals, Jewelry-making, Diamond-making, Watch-making) Tourism and hospitality, Retail, SMEs, etc.
Hovhannes’ functional expertise includes: Competitive analysis, Management consulting, Financial analysis, Strategic planning, Business modelling, Research, Market analysis, Needs assessment, Stakeholder mobilization and engagement, Policy making, Value chain assessment, Performance evaluation, Impact assessment, Feasibility studies, Performance improvement, Industry analysis, Investment Advisory, etc.
Highlights at CaseKey:
Actively involved at CaseKey since its establishment. The most awards and achievements as a coach at CaseKey.
2021-2022: (a) Coach of 2nd-place team at the CaseKey National Finals. (b) Coach of CaseKey International team at the Heavener International Case Competition in Florida, USA.
2022-2023: (a) Coach of the winner team at the CaseKey National Finals. (b) Coach of CaseKey International team at the Heavener International Case Competition in Florida, USA.
2023-2024: Coach of CaseKey International team at the Central European Case Competition in Budapest, Hungary. 4th place among 16 international top teams.
2024-2025: (a) Coach of 2nd-place team at the CaseKey National Finals. (b) Visiting advisor of CaseKey International team at the Central European Case Competition in Budapest, Hungary.
Describe a time when you helped someone improve their skills or knowledge significantly. What was your strategy?
In my position as Associate Partner at Civitta and Managing Partner for Civitta Kosovo office, last year I helped the local CEO there to grow and become Associate Partner at Civitta. He significantly improved his skills and knowledge via a comprehensive strategy devised to address his particular needs and challenges.
In particular, I implemented the following.
I started by doing an assessment of the current skills and knowledge level via interviews at the office and observation of the work processes to pinpoint areas for enhancement.
In the aftermath, I devised a dedicated training program to rectify the gaps. The program was interactive, practical, ensuring engagement and knowledge retention.
I provided external resources – a couple of books and free online training courses – to get valuable insights and real-world examples that boosted the learning experience.
Afterwards, I implemented a hands-on learning approach where the CEO was applying the recently acquired knowledge and skills in real-world scenario. This involved case studies, and on-the-job training sessions where he could put theory into practice.
Throughout the entire capacity-building process, I emphasized the significance of feedback and evaluation. We held regular assessments to measure progress and see areas that needed further action. These feedback sessions provided an opportunity to reflect on the learning journey and address any concerns encountered.
I encouraged a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing to exchange ideas, best practices, and lessons learned. This enriched the learning experience and also enabled a contributory environment.
We also developed long-term development plan, indicating goals and milestones for professional growth. This made sure that the skills and knowledge gained would integrated into ongoing professional development.
Overall, my strategy focused on customised learning experiences, external resources, practical application, regular feedback, collaboration, and long-term development planning. All this contributed to noticeable enhancement in the skills and knowledge of the CEO in Kosovo, facilitating his move to the next position.
What methods do you use to stay updated with the latest trends in business and consulting?
In current era, it is critical to keep updated with recent knowledge and trends in the business and consulting industry, particularly, as I work in the management consulting industry.
I do this via both personal engagement and office support. In particular, my company is subscribed to and provides regular publications to industry top journals as ‘The Economist’.
Myself, I am subscribed to and regularly read industry top journals of ‘Harvard business review’ and ‘McKinsey Quarterly’.
I regularly attend professional networking events in Armenia and also abroad, given that most of my work now is abroad. This enables meeting new professionals and establishing business relations and gaining new knowledge.
My company regularly organizes online and offline workshops and webinars in business and consulting areas where I learn from internal and external resources.
I also regularly read online platforms as Bloomberg and Yahoo Finance.