About
Name: Nahush Sathe
Nationality: Indian
Programme: MBA 2017
Education: MSc Applied Statistics and Informatics, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India; BSc Statistics, University of Mumbai, India
Current role: Senior Strategy Manager, Expedia Group ; Co- Founder, Indian Kaapi Company
Pre-MBA role: Independent Consultant
What stood out about the academic learning experience for you?
The collaborative approach to learning concepts and skills through class discussions, cases and projects helped by putting everything into context. Not only did that showcase how the concepts being taught could be immediately put to use but it also helped build confidence and understanding that would go a long way in terms of communicating these principles to peers in later life. Every single person is very humble and approachable – and always happy to help and discuss in depth.
What were the best extra-curricular activities you did?
The Cambridge ecosystem is unique in the opportunities it offers to mix with and learn from people who work on a wide spectrum of subjects – one day you could be having lunch with a nuclear scientist and the next day you could be discussing government policy over drinks at the College Bar. I also spent time at the Cambridge Union attending debates on a wide range of topics, and talks by eminent personalities. Judge SIGs helped me get better at skills that I knew would be important from an employability perspective and also let me interact with classmates with a deep interest in particular topics. Overall, the Business School and Cambridge are an inspiring setting to spend a year investing in yourself.
How would you describe the cohort of people in your class? What value did they bring to your MBA?
The cohort is, for the lack of a better word, an eclectic mix of people with varying experiences, personalities, outlook towards life and interests. What they have in common is a passion to excel, sharp wits, and the ability to collaborate on making things happen. While we started off the year barely knowing each other, we left Cambridge having made life-long friends and a network of trusted advisors. Two years out of the program and still the first instinct, when encountered with a challenge at work, is to seek advice on our cohort’s group chat or reach out to someone I worked with on a project or a case (or had beers with at the bar).
What aspect of the MBA learning/experience would you say you find most useful now in your professional life?
Three things stand out to me:
- The collaborative thought process ingrained in me during the year.
- The exposure to various facets of running a business.
- The belief and confidence that no business problem is too hard if approached with the right mindset and tools.
Did you switch any of the following after your MBA?
Job function, role and location.
If you did make a switch, what factors enabled you to do that?
Actually, I switched all 3 – I moved from consulting to tech, India to the UK, and from risk management to pricing and marketing. The exposure and opportunities created for me at Judge and the networks it affords the cohort are hugely the driving factors behind making the fabled ‘triple jump’ possible.
How has the MBA influenced your career journey in general?
It has made me more conscious of my strengths and has helped me build a set of skills that I can use to tackle any business problem. This in itself is a major personal transformation that has helped me aim for higher goals and helped me achieve them.
What would you say to others working at the same company you did before your MBA – would you recommend the Cambridge MBA to them, and if so, why?
Absolutely! What’s not to like about being surrounded by extremely smart individuals, being part of an 800-year-old university with its unique traditions, in a place that creates opportunities to springboard your career?