Sandeep T D S

University of Oxford, Saïd Business School

“An eternal optimist who is passionate about unlocking people’s potential using technology.”

Hometown: All of India (Grew up in 7 Cities)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve only gone camping once in my life; With no food or water, I was miserable and freezing through the night. Still, watching the sun shine over the Matterhorn (the mountain on Toblerone bars) makes me want to try camping again, only this time I plan to pack at least one bottle of water.

Undergraduate School and Major: Manipal University Jaipur (B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering), Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani (M.Tech in Software Engineering)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: SAP, Product Specialist

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Oxford Saïd’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Students come to Oxford to experience the world through wonderful people; I am no different. However, apart from the people, a reason I chose Oxford was its focus on Entrepreneurship. While I didn’t see myself starting a venture immediately, I wanted to surround myself with entrepreneurs. With a dedicated Entrepreneurship Project as a part of the core curriculum, Creative Destruction Lab, and access to the broader entrepreneurship network at Oxford, the e-bug is rubbing off on me.

What is the most “Oxford” thing you have done so far as a full-time MBA student? From studying in magnificent libraries to dressing to the nines for formal dinners, I’m fortunate to be living my Harry Potter fantasy. But what I consider the most Oxford thing I’ve done is sitting across a pond in the university parks studying and feeding the cute duckies while soaking up the sun (at least when it’s out).

Oxford is known as a place where world collides, be it in the classroom or the dining hall? What has been the most interesting interaction you’ve had so far as an Oxford MBA student? The most interesting conversation I’ve been a part of at Oxford involved discussing religion with people holding different beliefs in my college’s (Harris Manchester) middle common room (MCR). Hearing the perspectives of a devotee, a theologist, an atheist, and an agnostic in the same conversation was liberating.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I helped three colleagues unlock their potential and accelerate their careers. I guided a new joiner to become the lead developer of a product in our software suite. I coached a colleague returning from maternity leave on agile principles to become a scrum master. I encouraged my manager to focus on her abilities to navigate the team during turbulent times. In the ensuing months, she managed teams twice as large and was on the fast track to become a vice-president.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Developing a growth mindset.

As someone who is generally risk-averse, even the thought of failing makes me sweat bullets. However, working with my coach through the leadership development program has helped me adopt a growth mindset. Perhaps it is early to tell, but I can already sense a fundamental change in my thought process.

It’s only a failure if you’ve failed to learn from it.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Kellogg, Haas, Indian School of Business, Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad)

What has been the biggest epiphany you’ve gained about yourself or the world since you started your MBA program? No matter who the person is on the other side of the table, I can find something in common that can function as the foundation to build a meaningful relationship.

DON’T MISS: MEET OXFORD SAÏD’S MBA CLASS OF 2022