About the Author

About the Author

Cam Welsh is an award-winning educator, executive coach, and one of Canada's most experienced case competition coaches. Over themore pastthan two decades, he has coached and mentored more than 300 business case competition teams at the undergraduate, graduate, and interdisciplinary levels, helping students achieve more than 180 podium finishes at regional, national, and international competitions.

Throughout his coaching career, Cam has worked with students competing in many of the world's leading case competitions,competitions whilearound the world. He has also servingserved as a judge, mentor, andorganiser, workshop facilitatorfacilitator, and advisor for universities, organisations, and innovation challenges. TheseThose experiences watching teams succeed, struggle, adapt, and improve have providedshaped his understanding of what separates teams that simply solve a unique perspective on what distinguishes exceptional teamscase from those that performsolve it exceptionally well.

His coaching philosophy is built onaround a simple belief:

Great case solvers are developed through deliberate practice, thoughtful reflection, and the courage to embrace difficult challenges.

RatherFor thanCam, focusingcase solelycompetitions onhave competitionnever results,been Camonly emphasisesabout buildingwinning. They are powerful environments for developing the habitscapabilities ofthat students will carry into their careers: critical thinking, strategic decision-making, effectivefinancial reasoning, communication, teamwork, adaptability, leadership, and collaborativeconfidence leadershipunder that prepare students for long-term professional success.pressure.

The Discover Your MadMAD Skills Philosophy

The Discover Your MadMAD Skills series wasgrew createdfrom more than 20 years of coaching, teaching, judging, and learning alongside students. Its purpose is not to give competitors another collection of frameworks to memorise. It is to help studentsthem movelearn beyondhow memorisingto frameworksthink.

Outstanding case solvers know when a framework is useful and towardwhen developingit theis mindsetnot. ofThey outstandingchallenge businessassumptions, professionals.distinguish

symptoms

Whilefrom manyroot resourcescauses, focusfind on analytical models or presentation techniquesmeaning in isolation,evidence, make difficult strategic choices, develop practical recommendations, and communicate those recommendations with clarity and confidence. The five manuals in this series integratesbring those capabilities together across the complete case-solving processjourney: fromunderstanding definingthe problemsproblem, andanalysing the situation, developing strategystrategy, to communicating recommendationsworking with confidencefinancial information, building implementation plans, presenting persuasively, and responding effectively under pressure.

At the heart of the series is theanother beliefimportant thatidea:

confidence is not something people are born with.

Confidence is built.built, not given.

It growsdevelops through preparation, repeateddeliberate practice, constructive feedback, reflection, and learningthe experience of tackling challenges that initially feel uncomfortable. Over time, students begin to recover from setbacks. Those experiences help students discoverrecognise abilities they often didmay not realisehave realised they possessed. That journeyprocess of discovery is what Discover Your MadMAD Skills is all about.

Deciphering Cases

Cam is also the author of the Deciphering Cases, series,a whichcontinuing exploresseries exploring the deeper thinking behind successful case solving. Rather than presentingtreating business frameworks as formulas, Deciphering Cases encouragesexamines competitors,the academicsquestions andcompetitors othersshould be asking: What really matters here? What assumptions are we making? What does the evidence actually tell us? What are we choosing not to askdo? betterAnd questions,what challengewould assumptions,make identifythis meaningfulrecommendation insights,credible andto thinkthe moredecision strategicallymakers aboutin complexthe businessroom? problems.Many Theof the ideas developed inthrough thoseDeciphering articlesCases have influencedhelped shape these manuals and the philosophybroader andDiscover structureYour ofMAD thisSkills masterclassphilosophy. series,The encouragingobjective readersis tothe becomesame throughout: develop thoughtful problem solverssolvers, rather thannot simply competent users of frameworks.

Beyond the Competition

Although theseThese manuals were writtencreated for casecase-solving competition teams, thebut skillstheir theypurpose develop extendextends far beyond competition weekend. StrategicThe thinking,ability financialto reasoning,analyse executivean communication,unfamiliar leadership,situation, teamwork,identify decision-makingwhat undermatters, uncertainty,make decisions with incomplete information, work effectively with others, defend a point of view, communicate with senior decision makers, and resilienceadapt when challenged are essential capabilitiesvaluable in almost every profession.

Whether readers pursue careers in consulting, entrepreneurship, engineering, finance, marketing, healthcare, public service, or the non-profit sector, or somewhere entirely different, the principlescapabilities exploreddeveloped throughoutthrough thesecase manualssolving arecan designedcontinue to supportserve betterthem decisionslong andafter strongertheir leadership.final competition. Ultimately, the goal of thisDiscover seriesYour MAD Skills is not simply to help readersstudents win more case competitions. It is to help them become better thinkers, stronger communicators, more confident thinkers,decision more effective communicators,makers, and more capable leaders.

Connect and Continue Learning

The Discover Your MadMAD Skills journey extendscontinues beyond these manuals through a growing collection of videos, articles, conversations, and additional learning resources. Continue your learning by exploring:resources:

• Discover Your MadMAD Skills Masterclass and The 2-Minute MAD Skills Discovery Clinic on YouTube: practical lessons, tools, frameworks, and coaching insights for case competitors.

• Innovatank TV: ,access whereto the complete masterclass seriesseries, is also availableincluding for learners in regions where YouTube ismay unavailablenot be available.

• Deciphering Cases on Patreon and LinkedIn: , featuring articles, practical insights, and coaching resourcesperspectives fordesigned developingto develop stronger case-solving skillsskills.

• UnBarred Conversations on YouTubeYouTube:  featuring long-formlonger conversations with former competitors and studentsbusiness leaders exploring communication, critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, adaptability, leadership, empathy, problem-solving, and the skills that matter beyond the classroom.

Learning isdoes not aend destination;with itthe final slide, the judges' decision, or even graduation. It is a continuouscontinuing process of asking better questions, seeking deeper understanding, reflecting on experience, and applying thosewhat insightswe learn to increasingly complex challenges.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope these manuals help you become a stronger case solver. More importantly, I hope they help you discover not only how to solve cases more effectively, but also the confidence, curiosity, judgment, and leadership skillscapabilities that will serve you throughout your career. Discover your skills. Develop your confidence. Find your MAD Skills.