Irfan Vengasseri

University of Washington, Foster School of Business

“A storyteller who is enthusiastic about bringing people, data, and technology together.”

Hometown: Malappuram, Kerala, India

Fun fact about yourself: Cooking is one of my favorite stress busters. Cooking, especially Indian dishes, reminds me of home and calms me down when I am feeling overwhelmed.

Undergraduate School and Degree: National Institute of Technology Calicut, India

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Software Engineer, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? AstrumU Inc., Bellevue, WA

Where will you be working after graduation? Undecided

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Dean’s Merit Fellow
• Dean’s Scholar (Top 10% academic performers in the batch)
• Fritzky Leadership Fellow
• Club President: Out in Business (2023 – ‘24)
• Club VP of Allyship: Women in Business (2023 – ‘24)
• Foster MBA Association Executive Vice President of Operations (2023 – ‘24)
• Foster MBA Association Interim President (Winter ’24)
• Social Media Coordinator (2023 – ‘24)
• Leader of the Quarter, Fall ‘22
• First Year Representative on Club Boards: Foster Consulting Society, Out in Business, Women in Business (Allyship) (2022 – ‘23)
• Foster MBA Association First Year Representative: Wellness (2022 – ‘23)
• MBA Student Ambassador

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My work as a Fritzky Leadership Fellow is one that I hold close to my heart. In this capacity, I served as a one-on-one leadership coach to nine first-year students and (across two quarters) seven first-year teams. As a coach, I held regular meetings where we would delve into experiences, team dynamics, and any concerns or struggles that the students had, fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment. In addition to the opportunity to guide and mentor others, what made this experience particularly rewarding was the personal growth I experienced. The Fellowship provided extensive leadership development and coaching training, which enhanced my abilities and allowed me to engage with and support my mentees authentically. Witnessing their development and my own throughout this period was immensely gratifying and stands out as one of my proudest achievements at Foster.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? During my tenure as a software engineer at JPMorgan Chase & Co., I had the opportunity to serve on the Site Reliability Engineering team. In this critical role, I was a member of a crisis management team tasked with quickly addressing and resolving failures in one of the firm’s vital applications. This responsibility involved working closely with multiple stakeholders to rectify users’ issues, often within stringent deadlines of less than a week. My time in this position aligned with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time marked by significant market volatility and an influx of critical issues needing immediate attention. In a span of five months, I successfully resolved over 50 complex issues, ensuring the stability and reliability of the application, and received praise from both users and senior management for my efforts.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Foster for my MBA because of the school’s emphasis on collaboration over competition. I am someone who thrives in a team-based environment, and I sought a program that not only acknowledges but actively fosters a collaborative culture. There is a huge focus on “We>Me” at Foster, and this is embedded in the program structure, the course activities, and the extracurriculars. This focus on collective success and support was key for me.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Jennifer Graves, who taught core statistics and Project Management, is one of my favorite MBA professors. Jenny stood out for her ability to simplify and connect theoretical content to practical application, stemming from her extensive industrial experience in consulting and strategy. She consistently highlighted the relevance of classroom teachings to our future careers post-MBA, ensuring that we understood the practical significance of our learning. Jenny was proactive in seeking and incorporating student feedback, and her passion for teaching was evident from the sheer energy and enthusiasm she brought to every class.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? One of my favorite MBA courses was Customer Analytics, taught by Professor Simha Mummalaneni. The course struck the perfect balance between challenge and reward, deeply engaging me with its hands-on approach to learning. What set it apart was the practical nature of the assignments, which were based on actual companies and real business problems. These assignments solidified my understanding and made the learning process exciting, especially as it involved working with R programming language, which thrilled the programmer in me. Professor Mummalaneni designed the course to set us up for success in roles where managing and interpreting large datasets may be necessary.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? One of my favorite MBA events at Foster was the C4C auction, organized as part of our participation in C4C (Challenge for Charity)- a friendly competition among West Coast Business Schools to volunteer the most hours and raise the most money to support local nonprofit service organizations. Students, alums, faculty, and staff attend the auction to bid on items and experiences and raise money to support Special Olympics Washington, Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, and the University District Food Bank. It is one of the most anticipated events every year and is an example of how we, as a program, come together to support and give back to our community.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Reflecting on my MBA journey, if there’s one aspect I would approach differently, it would be my course selection strategy. I cherished the moments when I stepped out of my comfort zone in networking, mentorship, and project pursuits. However, when it came to academics, my enthusiasm led me to choose courses within my areas of interest, inadvertently overlooking those that were completely new to me. In hindsight, I would have enrolled in more courses outside my immediate interests or expertise.

What is the biggest myth about your school? One warning I received before coming to Foster was that the academic intensity was too high. While there were indeed some courses that presented considerable challenges, the academic rigor is often overstated. The workload is entirely manageable with adequate planning, prioritization, and the supportive network of your teammates and faculty members.

What surprised you the most about business school? Coming to business school, I knew I would meet talented people from different backgrounds. Despite this awareness, the incredible diversity of talent and experiences within the classroom still surprised me. My classmates came from a wide range of backgrounds including sales, marketing, accounting, healthcare, the military, technology, and linguistics – to name a few. Despite these varied origins, both geographically and professionally, we all meshed well together, supporting one another in our collective journey. It was inspiring to see how individuals from different parts of the world, with distinct skills and experiences, shared a common drive to enhance their lives and positively impact their communities.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? One of the people I admire the most from my MBA program is Amélie Touroyan. Amélie truly embodies the Foster spirit, always eager to bring people together, embrace new challenges, and learn new things. She genuinely cares for others and is committed to building a strong community within the program. In addition to her incredible work as a Fritzky Leadership Fellow and the MBA Association’s VP of Academic Affairs, Amelie went above and beyond to make everyone feel included, organizing activities, outings, and games that nurtured community building. Her proactive approach to fostering a sense of belonging and unity within the program has made a significant impact on our collective experience, and I am grateful to have her as my friend and classmate.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1) I want to work with a nonprofit service organization that focuses on increasing accessibility to higher education, particularly for students from minority and marginalized backgrounds.

2) Having greatly benefitted from my professional mentors at Foster, I hope to give back by returning as a professional mentor to MBA students.

What made Irfan such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Irfan is one of the most well-respected students in the Foster MBA community. The impact he has is nothing short of extraordinary. His forward-thinking approach, coupled with a dedicated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion sets him apart as an exceptional transformative leader.

One example of his commitment to DEI was seen in his self-journey in gaining understanding of Black history in the United States and applying that knowledge in the professional academic context. Starting with a genuine desire to understand racial inequities in the United States, he has undertaken the challenging task of learning and unlearning how race and business intersect. By prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in his leadership position and the power he had within these roles, Irfan not only fostered a more inclusive environment but also advocated for marginalized voices and bridged gaps between different student groups. This approach not only enriched the educational experience for everyone at Foster, but also set the stage for a more equitable and just learning environment.”

NORAH FISHER
Director, MBA Student Affairs

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024