Deepi Agarwal

UC Davis Graduate School of Management

“Energetic and passionate marketing professional fond of technology.”

Hometown: Greater Noida, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I enjoy traveling. I have been to nine countries so far.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Undergrad: Bachelor of Technology, Electronics & Communication, Amity University, India

Graduate: Post Graduate Diploma in Management, IT & Marketing, Balaji Institute of Modern Management, India

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Arkadin ConferIndia (now NTT Communications), Marketing Manager–India

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA curriculum or activities that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The small cohort size of our MBA program attracted me the most. I believe an MBA is as much about networking as learning management. This networking starts right with your cohort. The smaller the cohort size is, the better the opportunity for stronger and more meaningful networking with classmates. A smaller cohort size also results in more effective in-class discussions.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and why? My fellow students have diverse backgrounds and experiences. This diversity and my classmates’ curiosity to learn with the desire to be successful make them different. Despite their packed daily schedules, they go the extra mile with all their energy and enthusiasm to explore opportunities through different channels, such as clubs, leadership sessions, and networking events.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Reaching a position of Country Marketing Manager from Management Trainee in five years is my biggest achievement in my career so far. Being Marketing Manager–India gave me the opportunity to work closely with the Marketing & Product Marketing Director–Asia Pacific and with team members located in different countries—Japan, Korea, Singapore and Australia. In this role, I also had a chance to work with the global marketing team based in London. Working with such a diverse set of people provided me with a great learning experience.

What has been the biggest surprise in your first three months of business school? I was new to the U.S. higher education system when I started my MBA in the fall. So the ease with which I adjusted in this new system surprised me. The support I received from the school’s leaders and second-year students has been incredible and made my transition so smooth.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? In my six-plus years of corporate experience in marketing, I realized the power of data. In every industry and organization, there is an increasing amount of data and I want to make use of that data to derive business insights and make business decisions based on those facts. This curiosity led me to pursue an MBA with a concentration in Business Analytics and Strategy.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

Marshall School of Business, USC

McCombs School of Business, UT Austin

Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University

Mays Business School, Texas A&M University

What do you see yourself doing ten years from now? In 10 years, I see myself as global marketing and strategy head at a Fortune 500 tech companies responsible for establishing the organization as a leading brand strategically in their target market segment. My experience in marketing, business analytics and strategy would be my biggest asset to bring to the organization.

DON’T MISS: Meet The UC Davis Graduate School of Management MBA Class of 2022