Meet the MBA Class of 2024: Ananya Bala, IMD Business School

Ananya Bala

IMD Business School

“A left-handed, only child, and third-culture kid.”

Hometown: Hyderabad, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have had all three movies of the Lord of the Rings fully memorized from the age of 13.

Undergraduate School and Major: McGill University, Canada, Economics and German

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Branch Furniture, Lead Product Manager

What has been the best part of being in a small class with this group of classmates? There’s a lot of care for each other in the class, whether it’s helping someone get through a tough time, baking a cake from scratch for someone’s birthday, grilling 100 burgers for the class’s pre-summer BBQ, or cooking a cultural dish for 100 people for the international potluck. We’re all extremely busy, but I find it beautiful that we never make others feel as if we don’t have the time to support one another.

Aside from classmates, what part of IMD’s MBA programming led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I liked the abundance of ‘hands-on’ learning opportunities integrated into the curriculum. I learn better by doing and prefer being thrown in the deep end to figure stuff out rather than having a lot of theory presented to me. Our integrative exercises, the startup project, the international consulting project, and our several group assignments are all chances for me to apply the hard and soft skills I have learned. As an example, I don’t come from an accounting background, but being thrown into projects where I need to construct financial statements forces me to get comfortable with the subject.

IMD is known for its academic rigor. What is one strategy you used that would help a future IMD MBA better adapt to the workload early on? Don’t feel guilty about saying no! I’m an introvert, and I need time to reenergize alone after a long week of classes, speaker presentations, and club events. With the MBA’s one-year program, I had pressured myself into being as social as possible until I realized how draining it felt. I now focus on quality over quantity and don’t push myself into plans I don’t like. I like being in my pajamas by 10 pm, so I know plans of going out any later are just not for me, and that’s okay!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I enjoyed building the digital product team from the ground up at Branch Furniture. This was the role where I transitioned from being an individual contributor to a manager. As a people manager, I developed a greater curiosity and interest in leadership and influence. My team was filled with extremely smart, successful colleagues, and I learned a lot about hiring, communication, delivering for impact, and much more during my time there. I’m grateful for all these learnings and hope to apply them to my own company.

Describe your biggest accomplishment at IMD so far: I am excited to be one of four finalists out of 19 pitches for the IMD Venture Competition. My startup, marleys, is a consumer brand for modern, comfortable, and accessible dance shoes. I’m proud to make it to the final round, but prouder to have done so within dance, which feels personal and authentic to me.

Where is your favorite hang-out in Lausanne? Why do you (and your classmates) gravitate there? My favorite solo hang-out spot is picking up a Flat White at Ça Passe Crème, a croissant at the bakery next door, and then sitting on a bench in Parc de Milan to read a book. There’s a lovely phone booth library on the southwest exit of the park. With friends, I like to walk west along the lake – the path goes on-and-on, and you’re faced with the most beautiful views of the French Alps. We often find a spot to sit, take in the view, and chat. In the summer, I love taking a dip in the lake or going to the Bellerive Plage.

What has been your best memory at IMD thus far? When the MBA band won second place in the Battle of the Bands at MBAT and performed for over 200 people! I’ve always wanted to be in a band and feel lucky to have one with fellow musicians at IMD. I’m a singer, so I love having my solo moments here-and-there, but leading the band has also taught me valuable leadership lessons. I coached fellow singers on performance and vocal technique and was happy to see them shine as they performed for the first time on stage! Honestly, seeing them happy and proud of themselves made me happier than the win itself.

What do you hope to do after graduation? I would like to start my own business and go through the trials-and-tribulations of being an entrepreneur. I learn best by doing and believe the best way to apply all my learnings from this MBA is to build something from scratch. My time at IMD has also given me the confidence to invest in my creative side, so I hope to find a band after graduation, as well as restart my podcast or blog to share my voice with the world.

DON’T MISS: MEET IMD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2024