Master’s in Business Analytics: Edward Haryono Tanuwijaya, Duke University (Fuqua)

“Make sure that the Fuqua culture is something that resonates with you because it’s a big part of the experience. Also, do lots of research about Fuqua, the faculty members you are interested to work with, Duke in general, and Duke basketball. Everyone here is into Duke basketball.”

Student Name: Edward Haryono Tanuwijaya

Graduate Business School: Duke University Fuqua School of Business

Describe Yourself In 15 Words: I’m a passionate leader who loves soccer and wants to make the world better.

Master’s Graduation Class: 2020.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Washington, Finance and Entrepreneurship.

Current Employer and Job Title: Amazon, Business Analyst.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Onboarding virtually during a pandemic and going straight into Amazon’s busiest period of the year, Prime Day, as well as peak holiday season. It was lots of hard work and not always smooth sailing, but it was a big success. I was able to earn the trust of my stakeholders and came out stronger from this experience. I’m very proud of the work that me and my colleagues pulled off.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as a graduate student: My biggest accomplishment as a graduate student is navigating online learning during my last term at Fuqua. Due to COVID, Fuqua decided that our last term was to be fully online. This included the challenge of a fully virtual capstone consulting project. My teammates and I did this so successfully, without hampering our learning. This was a big accomplishment that the class of 2020 and myself achieved.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The three biggest reasons why I chose Fuqua over other business schools were Fuqua’s inclusive culture, reputation, and alumni network. I wanted to be part of a program where members not only push each other but also support each other. Furthermore, Fuqua’s respectable alumni network and reputation would open doors and help me in the future. Having gone through the process, I can attest that Fuqua’s alumni network has always been willing to help and is supportive in all aspects.

What led you to choose a Master’s in Business Analytics over an MBA? I have always been very interested in learning about data and gaining expertise in data analytics to make well-informed business decisions. That’s why Fuqua’s MQM program really appealed to me. Furthermore, during the early stages of my career, it was a good opportunity to upscale, prior to having enough work experience, to some day pursue an MBA.

What has been your favorite course and how has it helped you in your career? This is a difficult question, as there are lots of great classes, but Data Science for Business was my favorite. In this class, we learned the entire cycle of how to complete a data project in a team environment. We covered the spectrum from data understanding, exploration, model creation, and finally, execution. What I learned in this class, I have been using on a day-to-day basis and I’m truly grateful for the experience and skills that I received.

What role did your school play in helping you to land your first job out of the program? There are lots of ways in which Fuqua helped me land my first job out of the program. First and foremost, the program outfitted me with the skills required to stand out from other applicants and do my job well. Second, I was only made aware of this opportunity from a class I took and a faculty professor at Fuqua, and I’m super grateful for it. Analytics Careers Associate Director Meredith Bolon helped me prepare for the interviews too. Not only staff, the Fuqua community contributed, too. My classmates helped and encouraged me every step of the way. A colleague from Fuqua’s MBA program grilled me in mock interviews and made sure that I was prepared for all possible scenarios before going into real interviews. This is another reason why I’m so grateful to the Fuqua community.

How did your classmates enhance the value of your business school experience? I can’t stress enough how important my classmates at Fuqua were. The MQM curriculum is heavily team-oriented, so you spend lots of time with your teammates. I’ve spent countless hours in discussion and collaboration with my team members. We disagreed with each other, pushed each other, and learned from each other. These were invaluable practices that I value and believe helped me tremendously at my current job. Furthermore, having spent countless hours with my peers in class, at Fuqua Friday social gatherings (what keeps us sane some weeks), and knowing that I didn’t just meet classmates, but also friends that I can rely on later in life, helped elevate my own Fuqua experience.

Who was your favorite faculty member and how did this person enrich your learning? There are many faculty members who I really liked, however, my favorite faculty member is Professor Matthew Manary. The Customer Relationship Management class he taught was valuable in that it ties in many concepts we learned in other classes, such as data science for business into real world business problems. Not only that, Professor Manary gears his class towards getting students ready for the industry and is a constant advocate for his students. He is also constantly available for advice.

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s graduate Master’s program? Prior to applying or joining Fuqua’s MQM program, make sure that the Fuqua culture is something that resonates with you because it’s a big part of the experience. Also, do lots of research about Fuqua, the faculty members you are interested to work with, Duke in general, and Duke basketball. Everyone here is into Duke basketball.

What was your best memory from your Master’s program? My best memory during my master’s program was Christmas season at Fuqua. There was one year when Fuqua had a giant Christmas tree at the Fox Center and we had a Christmas celebration and a themed Fuqua Friday gathering. There were games, a cookie decoration contest, lots of freebies, and photo booths. It was around the time for team changeovers, too, making it extra special for my team members and myself. 

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MASTERS OF BUSINESS ANALYTICS