Hemadri Singh Kuntal 

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“I can quickly identify the strengths in people and the weaknesses in data.”

Hometown: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a self-taught jump rope enthusiast who can skip rope in eight distinct styles in less than 120 seconds.

Undergraduate School and Major: Vellore Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Deloitte, Consultant

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Kenan-Flagler’s MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Inclusion and unmatched ROI. I flourish when I can express myself authentically and freely. At UNC Kenan-Flagler, diversity and inclusion are so effortlessly blended within this small town of Chapel Hill, that it really feels like home away from home. Another key factor was the ROI. Getting an MBA is a costly decision and being part of a historic institution and having access to the best learning tools comes with a cost. At UNC, the cost burden was reduced when I was awarded with Forte Foundation Fellowship and Teague Fellowship. Also, the career and leadership team has been doing an excellent job at pre-MBA preparation by organizing early networking events with recruiters, giving me the opportunity to interview early on in my MBA journey.

What has been your first impression of the Kenan-Flagler MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Kenan-Flagler story so far. At of the pre-MBA events for a consulting firm, I ran into an alumni recruiter. Her “first” question to me was this: “Are you settled well in Chapel Hill? If you need any help, let me know. My parents have been in Chapel hill for over 40 years, so they know the place well!” The community is so strong and effortlessly inclusive that for an international student like me, these were comforting words.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Kenan-Flagler? I am excited to join the Healthcare Club at UNC Kenan-Flagler. After realizing the social costs of the failure of healthcare industry post-COVID, I want to learn more about the business side of healthcare industry. UNC Kenan-Flagler has one of the best healthcare programs and I want to use the opportunity to learn more about business in healthcare.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While working at Deloitte as a healthcare IT consultant, I provided life sciences and healthcare clients data-driven insights and digital transformation solutions. In March 2020, my sister was appointed as the physician-in-charge at a COVID-19 hospital. My empathy for the families of all healthcare practitioners motivated me to contribute to ensuring hospital personnel safety. I led a team of three executive clients and two consultants to proactively implement logic-based flags for potential COVID-19 patients in the electronic health record (EHR). This feature ensured that all healthcare workers operating in 800+ hospitals/clinics across the United States were alerted of potential COVID-19 patient around/near them.

My purpose encouraged me to contribute meaningfully, and I realized that IQ is often hailed as a crucial factor in success, but humanity’s greatest achievements need imagination, curiosity, and empathy.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I would suggest that prospective MBA students sign up and take a StrengthFinder test. It helps you identify any hidden strengths as well as re-confirm your own perceptions about yourself. My results helped me identify strengths I wanted to highlight in applications. I feel it will help prospective students with application essays as they can require a bit of soul-searching and a StrengthFinder test can help with a direction to start.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? Meaningful relationships. The relationships I build both within and outside of my class would make the entire experience successful.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program? Introspect and identify the core values you share with UNC Kenan-Flagler’s core values. It helps in communicating your story well and forming a meaningful connection with the admissions committee.