Meet Queen’s University’s Smith MBA Class Of 2021

Ramya Tangirala

Smith School of Business, Queen’s University

“An avid reader, a cook, an artist – with an uncanny ability to strike up conversations!”

Hometown: Andhra Pradesh, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: In 2018, after a trip to Santiago Bernabeu – home of Real Madrid (my favorite soccer team), they lost five games straight – this was right after they won the Champions League that year!! Talk about being an unlucky charm…

Undergraduate School and Major:  Bachelor of Engineering with a specialization in Computer Science from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: ZS Associates, Pune, India as a Business Operations Consultant.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment was finishing a challenging project while working out of Shanghai. It was my first onshore project in an area that was very unfamiliar to me and I was working with senior partners in the firm. It was an intense experience where we stumbled a lot along the way, made a lot of mistakes, and tried a lot of innovative methods. At the same time, we learned some important life lessons – how to work as a team, build resilience, survive, and eventually thrive in a culture very to new to me in a country where the language was unfamiliar (we even had to use Google Translate every day in our work). The hours were very long, and we had to work almost every weekend – it was the hardest month of my career with a very steep learning curve. It was an unforgettable experience and my biggest accomplishment so far.

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? The small class size was the key factor in choosing this program. I felt that a small class would expose me to every individual in the class. Getting to learn from every individual in a multicultural environment would make me a truly global leader. It was the reason I chose to pursue an MBA outside my own country – a chance to be exposed to a diverse set of people.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to the Business Analytics and Consulting Club from a career standpoint. I don’t believe that there is a dedicated art (literature, painting, and music) club for MBA students, which is something I would love to start or hold a few events around as I’m an avid reader, music is my first love, and painting is my favourite hobby. I am also looking forward to learning photography from some of my peers.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process?  The interview during my admissions process was really conversational and friendly. However, a question that really stumped me was, “What do you mean by networking and how would you do it at business school?”. I did begin my answer by honestly admitting that I did not know but I would do XYZ to start off. When the interview ended and it was my turn to ask the panel any questions, I asked them what the right way to network was – and they graciously spent five minutes telling me how to go about it and that they would teach me the right way at business school.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? As a business consultant at ZS Associates, I leveraged my problem-solving skills and statistical knowledge to develop solutions to client business problems through a bottom-up approach relying heavily on data analytics. As I was growing into a senior role in the firm, I became more interested in providing solutions to strategic business problems which tend to occur more upstream in the organization (such as at the CXO-level) and thereby shape the future of the company or industry. While at ZS, I discovered crucial skill and knowledge-gaps (given my computer science engineering background) including my understanding of core business knowledge (business strategy, corporate finance, and economics), which inhibited my ability to assist my clients with critical strategic business issues. I chose to pursue an MBA to bridge these gaps and improve my skill set as a consultant.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Melbourne Business School (Australia) was the only other school where I applied.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I was looking for a school that had a diverse class, was renowned for consulting, and located in a country that was immigrant-friendly. Instead of traditional ways, such as looking at rankings, I reached out to friends and alumni to understand the following:

  1. Kind of consultants a school produced
  2. Career paths and opportunities the program opened up
  3. Experience and overall feel of the journey

Particularly attractive to me was the fact that the Smith School of Business encourages a highly collaborative culture, evident in its unique “team-based” approach, as it was a similar culture that inspired me to choose and pursue a seven-year career at ZS Associates, a firm well known for its positive and friendly work environment.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The decision to not become a software engineer and instead pursue consulting was a pivotal decision in my life. I was well aware that the path I had chosen was filled with long hours and extreme stress, but I took the risk and it paid off. I loved my work and it has helped me become a well-rounded individual – I have had the chance to explore a variety of projects, work with brilliant colleagues, and improve my communication and teamwork skills. Most importantly, I have become a good leader. I took the opportunity to lead teams very early on in my career. Though some skills came naturally to me, there were some that I struggled with – such as providing candid feedback or holding my ground through difficult and tense conversations. However, I am so glad that I had a chance to learn these important life lessons and soft skills by the time I was 28!

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself leading an organization as the CEO or as a senior partner at a consulting firm and making it to Fortune’s 40 under 40 list.

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