Gaurav Bhattacharya

Texas A&M, Mays Business School

“Accomplished oil and gas professional, analytics enthusiast, and guitarist-beatboxer. Drives progress with passion and precision.”

Hometown: Kolkata, India

Fun fact about yourself: I have somehow always found myself involved in a musical performance, band, or with a group of musically-inclined friends at every workplace or academic institution since my undergrad, even without actively seeking such experiences.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Applied Petroleum Engineering – University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, India

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Team Lead at Shell

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Product Management MBA intern at Halliburton

Where will you be working after graduation? Undecided

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Closely worked with the MBA admissions office since Dec 2023 for prospective student outreach and mentoring incoming students of all program offerings. Also, volunteered for thanksgiving community service in College Station (Winter 2023), service at the Houston food bank (Summer 2024), and at the Big Event in Bryan-College Station (Spring 2024)

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Placing 3rd at the National Energy Finance Challenge at UT Austin in 2023. We competed against 20 other top schools across the nation with the smallest team, in a highly technical case study with 20+ years experienced industry leaders as judges.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? It was the strong, lasting relationships I have built with colleagues and leaders at every organization I have worked, consulted, studied, or volunteered at over the entire course of my career.

Why did you choose this business school? Core values and brand of excellence. Mays alumni are accomplished, helpful and welcoming, and display a professional standard that inspires respect and admiration. I have had a high appraisal of Texas A&M since 2016 during my 3rd year of bachelors when I studied under a professor who was a Texas A&M alumni – well before I had any ambitions for business school or any higher studies.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Dr. Bala Shetty. He is tough but fair, always recognizes those who put in effort. He is also always available for help, and is extremely passionate about providing the best quality education to his students. Dr. Shetty’s contribution to my education, career, and personal growth has been absolutely incredible and I am grateful for the close personal relationship I have with him both in and out of the classroom.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Finance – Valuation-Directed Studies with professor Philippe Hercot. The mark of a great course such as this is one where the learning objectives are clearly defined and aligned with real world applications. As a result, learning feels encouraged not enforced, and every second of effort is rewarded. In a timeframe much shorter than a traditional semester-long course, I was able to learn an advanced concept with such clarity that I recall my learning as if I had just completed the course yesterday.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would prioritize quality over quantity in networking. Focusing on building deeper, more meaningful relationships can be more beneficial than a broad but shallow network.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Mays Business School has strong and well-reputed brand value so honestly I did not hear any myths or negative feedback about the school. All references to Mays or Texas A&M in general I’ve come across have been positive.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? It is the quiet and peaceful nature of the town, but still with activities enough to keep a grad student sufficiently entertained. Also, I love the sheer size and beauty of the campus.

What movie or television show (e.g. The Big Short, The Founder, Mad Men, House of Lies)

best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? I would choose Moneyball (2011). There were two key takeaways for me – A smaller, less skilled team can outperform superior competitors with analytics and data-driven decision making, and resilience in he face of risk and doubt prevails in the end.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Several of my professors have encouraged the use of AI to complete course objectives. The projects and assignments were framed such that I was inclined to use my strategic skills to lay out the objectives and desired outcomes of the project, and use AI as a complementary tool to perform the granular level research or data analysis. This enabled me to complete bigger, more complex tasks better and faster and not be burdened with the grunt work.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Jonathan Staton. Jonathan is hardworking, reliable, loyal, and goes above and beyond to help his peers. He is a close friend who’s always supported me.

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

1. To be director of an organization vertical involved with AI enablement in oil and gas operations or decarbonization initiatives.

2. To be recognized as an energy industry expert and published technical author in the field of energy transition research (renewables technology / CCUS / energy security / policy and regulation)

What made Gaurav such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Gaurav has made an incredible impact while in the MBA Program, due to his engagement with peers, faculty, staff, and employers. For instance, Gaurav served as the graduate assistant for our Admissions and Recruitment office, and while doing so, he was responsible for administering and ensuring the success of the mentorship program, among other tasks. His attention to detail in matching current students to incoming students was the starting point for creating many lasting relationships amongst his classmates. He also led and participated in several prospective student events, always representing the program with the utmost professionalism, while still being authentic and relatable. His kindness, smile, and willingness to pitch in wherever needed, whether that be to help his classmates or help with program events, is what makes him stand out amongst his peers as a servant leader.

In addition to his GA role, Gaurav also participated in extracurricular activities such as the 2023 NEFC Case Competition, where he led his team to 3rd place, competing against 20 other highly competitive schools. His expertise was also apparent in the classroom and the workplace, as evidenced by his near-perfect GPA while pursuing a combined degree in MBA and MS Analytics. Employers also noticed his talent and specifically commented on his “great interpersonal skills that will be valuable to any organization” and how “his main strength was the way he collaborated with multiple individuals in the organization to gather information and research” (Halliburton Supervisor).

Perhaps my most fond memory of Gaurav was when he demonstrated his beatboxing skills in front of classmates. He showed authentic vulnerability, which is imperative as a leader in establishing psychological safety among a team. This was an explicit demonstration of leading by example, and not only showed his outstanding leadership qualities, but it also showcased a fantastic hidden talent! Gaurav is a rare individual who effortlessly balances academic prowess with a variety of interpersonal skills, ultimately allowing him to exponentially capitalize on his unique talents for the benefit of others.”

Sarah Jaks, Director
Full-Time MBA Program
Texas A&M University

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2025

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