Meet Pittsburgh Katz’s MBA Class Of 2021

Anil Mathew Roy 

University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business

“Goal-oriented, fun-loving motorbike rider and marathon runner with a passion for traveling and facing challenges.”

Hometown: Trivandrum, Kerala (India)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a risk-taker and driven by the spirit of adventure. A month before joining B school, I took a solo ride from South India to North India on my motorcycle covering 2200+ miles across 3 weeks and experiencing temperatures from -10°C to 48 °C.

Undergraduate School and Major: Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering – Major: Bachelor of Technology in Electronics & Communication

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Associate Technical Analyst, Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a technical analyst for Oracle Flexcube Application, I worked on tuning the Oracle Flexcube Core Banking System. Within a year, I was giving performance solutions to 10+ top banking clients. At Oracle, I have received customer appreciation from six banks for delivering innovative solutions in improving their end-of-month performance.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? They are all ambitious and cooperative in nature. Everyone has been open in sharing their experiences and arranging meetups to network with each other. Many of us share the excitement of doing an MBA from a globally recognized school. That instills a cheerful team spirit among us and forms stronger bonds.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? At Katz, I am doing the MBA/MS in Management Information Systems (MIS) dual-degree program. The dual master’s degree allows me to combine my experience in the information technology industry and leverage that experience with new skills I learn as I complete my MBA degree.

Pittsburgh is a city that has seen growth during the past few years in the information technology industry. With the additional MIS degree, I will be in touch with current trends in the technology industry. By the time I graduate from b-school, I expect to be an expert in two of the most sought out fields in today’s industrial world—technology and business.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to the Kenneth R. Woodcock Fellowship program. If I am selected, this allows me to work alongside the board of directors for non-profit organizations or work on activities of social importance. In today’s business world, where corporate social responsibility is considered a required skill, I believe the experience I gain from working with these organizations will add to my leadership values.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? The most challenging question I faced during the admissions process was one seeking a recommendation that I would make to change processes in the business field.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?  I have close to four years of work experience in the IT industry and my ambition is to be the CEO of a multinational company one day. I felt that now is the time to upgrade my skills and add on to my credentials. An MBA degree will give me the business skills I need to transform technical knowledge into impactful business solutions. While I have some basic knowledge gained through work experience, a formal business education will give me the framework with which to structure my ideas. Further, the structured formal general management education will broaden my view and give me the tools to leverage my experience and lead a successful company.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? The University of Texas at Dallas, Boston University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Personally, the major factor that led me to decide my fit was talking to the current students and alumni. I have connected with many students and alumni from target schools and learned about the culture and the depth with which the career management team supports each of the students to reach their dream roles. I can’t stress enough the importance of connecting with alumni through LinkedIn.

Researching the positions and roles that alumni are currently working gives you an idea of where you can be a few years down the road. In my case, I had done my research mainly through LinkedIn, but also gathered information from the school’s website and GMAT club forums.

I wanted to study in a small cohort where the individual attention would be more prevalent and the resources available would be utilized to a larger extent. In addition to that, I also gave priority to programs that can leverage my experience in the technology industry and has a strong leadership and management track.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My background is marked by a strong focus on discipline and perseverance. I used to be a shy person with stage fright ten years back. From perseverance, I have come so far I won the election as student captain in my 11th grade, became chairman of the IEEE student branch during undergrad, and then participated in professional skills sessions with the new undergrads as an alum. As a teacher taking a workshop on profile building and networking, I was able to share my insights as a working professional and guide the students on building their profiles. This helped me perfect my presentation skills.

Another defining moment was when I got hired at Oracle. As an IT engineer, working in one of the most known names in the industry, I have gained in-depth knowledge of critical engineering operations in the development of a product and challenges across the banking industry. I have led teams of professionals while doing onboard projects and had direct interactions with banking clients with whom I shared a healthy professional relationship.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?  In ten years, I hope to be heading the product management division of a multinational technology firm I have joined after graduating from Katz. I would be taking the lead in solving strategic issues and driving the success of a product in the market. I plan to be an industry expert who can solve multi-pronged business problems.

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