Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business students come to learn, explore, and build community. As they move forward in their careers, they take everything they’ve learned and use it to power innovation in industries and businesses across the globe. Before graduating, we sat down with a few students to find out what they’ve learned and what advice they want to give to other students.
Meet Anand Balu, who is graduating from the Executive MBA program with a Management of Technology specialization.
Where are you from?
McDonough, Georgia
What will you be doing to celebrate your graduation?
I will be taking a trip to the Middle East to ring in the new year.
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college?
My mentors and parents were integral in my pursuit of business school.
What was your favorite business course and why?
Strategic Management was my favorite course, because it provided the core foundation to solve business problems, supplemented with practical examples to sharpen my perspective.
What advice would you give to a first-year MBA student?
Time management is critical to ensuring success; it is easy to fall behind, but due to the volume of work, difficult to catch up.
What activities were you involved with on or off campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?
My immediate focus was on my work and education. However, I made time give back to the community through various service events.
Where will you be working after graduation?
Principal, The Boston Consulting Group.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
Advance to a CxO position and start my own business.
What was a moment when you had to practice persistence and/or resilience while in the MBA program?
In the middle of the second semester, I was chosen to lead a new case at work, which coincided with academic obligations. Managing the commitments was difficult, but I was able to manage my time effectively to achieve both.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from your Scheller MBA?
To achieve professional success, it is extremely critical to seek opportunities to satisfy intellectual curiosity. Scheller’s MBA program stretched my thinking, encouraging me to search for more. Lessons learned in the classroom were immediately applicable to the workplace.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I am an avid traveler who has stepped foot on six continents. Antarctica is the only one left, although I have seen it from a boat.