Madhumita V. Menon (Madhu)

Warwick Business School

“I am a self-starter who is capable of spreading positivity to the people around me!”

Hometown: Mumbai, Maharashtra (India)

Fun fact about yourself: I am a passionate freestyle dancer who enjoys solving Sudoku puzzles.

Undergraduate School and Degree: H.R. College of Commerce & Economics, University of Mumbai

Degree pursued: Bachelor of Management Studies

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I worked as a Manager at Citi in Mumbai, India.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2022? NA

Where will you be working after graduation? Unknown

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Co-President of the Warwick MBA Women in Business Club

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? It gives me great pride and an immense sense of achievement to have been chosen to lead the MBA Women in Business Club at Warwick Business School. I have had the pleasure of organizing speaker sessions and in-person sessions from industry experts for the women of the MBA. Gender equality is a cause that I hold close to my heart, and this club truly holds a special place in my heart!

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Of my 8.5-year journey at Citi, I am proud of the deep impact I made in the last 3 years on the 40-member team I led there until August 2022. My biggest achievement was overcoming the challenge of keeping the team connected and together when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Almost overnight, my 24/7 research team had to shift from working in the office to working from home. To overcome the sudden disconnect that could have potentially formed, I structured 20+ team-building activities between March 2020 to March 2022. These helped give the team a sense of purpose and helped the members stay connected with one another. I was also instrumental in onboarding new employees into the team, and personally took an effort to look after their training needs, and I assisted them in seamlessly integrating into the team. My efforts did not go unnoticed and resulted in positive results for my team in Citi’s annual Voice of Employees survey with employees indicating satisfaction at over 90% in key areas such as ethics and manager appreciation.

Why did you choose this business school? Warwick Business School was my top pick when it came to selecting business schools to pursue my MBA. Besides being highly-ranked, the school delighted me with the fact that I’d get the opportunity to interact with people from over 30 nationalities. I yearned for a multicultural experience when it came to pursuing the MBA and I am very happy to report that I have got this in the truest sense!

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor would have to be Hossam Zeitoun – the module leader for Strategic Thinking: Strategic Evaluation and Analysis. He made the content relatable and engaging. His passion for the subject was evident and motivated me to think of strategy as a field I would like to explore further.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course as an MBA would have to be the WBS MBA flagship module – Leadership Plus. These workshops forced me to think critically as a leader and made me mindful of the impact each of us can have as leaders. The workshops have equipped me with eye-opening and thought-provoking experiences that would certainly come handy when I head back into the corporate world.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite part of Warwick’s MBA is the openness with which my classmates welcome multiple cultures. The tradition of celebrating key festivals and eating the delicious food of my classmates across the world is something I cherish! Whether it was celebrating Diwali, Chinese New Year, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Chinese Lantern Festival, or Easter – we have done it all! I have enjoyed indulging in Turkish, Nigerian, Peruvian, Pakistani, Chinese and Uzbek cuisine amongst many others.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I could, the one thing I wish I could change about my MBA experience would be the requirement of being better at scheduling! I wish I could organize my schedule better to be able to manage meeting assignment deadlines without rushing during the last hour prior to submission! Scheduling better would have helped give me the “me time” I much enjoy!

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth I had about my school was related to my classmates. Warwick is a top-ranked MBA and I expected that I would be intimidated by the high achievers surrounding me. While it certainly is true that all my classmates are highly intelligent and have multiple achievements in their illustrious careers – the part about them being intimidating is certainly untrue! Each and every one of them is here to learn and share their experiences with the class. We are all students here who have come to not just earn an MBA degree but also come together to learn from each other. My classmates are some of the friendliest people I have met, and I am grateful every day for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Coventry is very different from the city I come from. Mumbai is a bustling and lively metro where life is fast-paced. I love the peace and quiet that I experience in Coventry. It has given me the chance to experience a simpler and more peaceful life. I’d also like to make special mention of the fact that the air pollution levels here are incredibly low! It is definitely a good experience breathing in the fresh Coventry air.

What surprised you the most about business school? I have been mesmerized by the way the school is able to seamlessly integrate us into the program and ensure that we’re all on track with our lectures and assignments. Coming from India, I was excited and nervous about pursuing an MBA outside my home country. What amazed me was the way the lectures were structured in a pattern to address people coming from diverse industries and countries. I am deeply impressed by the support received from the CareersPlus team. The team has organized career sessions across so many industries, which helped in broadening my knowledge and my understanding of different sectors. My career coach, Claire McKeown, took the time to get to know me as a person, which has helped in her guiding me to embark on the right path when it comes to my career.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? I believe that being true to myself and my personality was what gave me the edge in the application process! My essays displayed the burning passion within me to be a “Change Maker”. I was true to my roots and wrote with the utmost sincerity about the impact I had and the changes I made during my time spent at Citi. I definitely can affirm that truly “being you” and displaying that in the essays would give you the edge to let the business school you are applying to know the person you are. If we think hard and dig deep, we are all capable of finding instances where we have impacted people/teams/organizations in different ways.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The one classmate I truly admire is Fulgence Ikpe from Ivory Coast. He has a highly analytical mind, and I have learned a lot from him in terms of having different perspectives while approaching case studies. His passion for the aviation sector is also delightful! He is truly a brilliant classmate and colleague.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The two items on my professional bucket list would be to work in the consulting sector in the United Kingdom and have the opportunity to work in an organization that takes sustainability goals seriously. Through my learnings in the MBA, I have grown to have a great interest in consulting. Pursuing Warwick’s MBA has shown me the importance of sustainability and the need for corporates to imbibe this as a part of their culture. Hence, having a combination of these two items would give me the perfect start to my post-MBA career!

What made Madhu such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

Claire McKeown, MBA Careers Coach, said: “Madhu is our motivator! She throws herself into every task and challenge that comes her way, and her energy and enthusiasm influence those around her.

“She finds the fun element in every activity and keeps everyone around her engaged. Madhu loves to work with people and thrives when she gets the opportunity to work in a team – both in her syndicate group and with the Women in Business club. Her openness to trying new things, challenging herself and to learn from others is admirable, as is her ability to be able to put herself in other people’s shoes, and see all perspectives and options.”