ABC Conglomerate

Case Study Prompt

The CEO of a major conglomerate is dealing with poor profitability in each of her three divisions: A, B, and C.

What should she do to maximize value for her shareholders?

Case Study Overview

ABC Conglomerate is facing declining profits, and in this Bain case study, it’s up to you to dig into profitability to determine the cause of the issue and recommend a solution.

Want to prepare for a final round Bain interview? While you can use the Profitability Framework to solve this case study, the best case interview candidates blend frameworks and their own business acumen to create a custom framework.

There are no math exhibits in this case. The qualitative difficulty is 3 out of 4, which makes this a more advanced case interview you would more likely see in a Bain final round.

Bain Interview Tips

What does Bain look for in its case interview candidates? Practicality.

Make sure the structure you build consists of work-streams that you, as a potential Manager, would assign out to your team of analysts.

In this case, focus on a couple of things:

1. Time yourself throughout the case (2min to build structure and 2min to present it; 2min each for a brainstorming question; 2min for final recommendation)
2. Focus on your communication and polish as you walk through the case

For out-loud practice with an expert, book an hour with an ex-MBB coach.