Aishwarya Cadaba Harshan

“I’ve lived and worked across three countries, as well as driven to Australia’s southern, western, and easternmost points. I’m planning to see the northernmost next before graduation” 

Hometown: Bangalore, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: A die-hard fan of Pink, and I nearly high-fived her as she flew across the stadium during a 2024 concert 2024. A day I will never forget.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Accounting), Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
Master of Management (HR Management), La Trobe University, Melbourne

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: ANZ Banking Group Limited, Operations Manager

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA?

Seattle is an amazing place to earn an MBA. The city combines a thriving tech and finance discipline with easy access to incredible greenery, mountains, and waterbodies. The lovely University of Washington campus itself is inspiring year-round, surrounded by wonderful running and cycling tracks, all while enjoying stunning views of the mountains, creating the perfect balance between focus and recharge. I love that I can challenge myself with real-world projects and coursework while enjoying a healthy lifestyle that makes it a place I could see myself staying long-term to raise a family. Being here keeps me energized, curious, and motivated both inside and outside the classroom

Aside from your location and classmates, what was the one key part of Washington Foster’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

What drew me most to Foster was its focus on experiential learning. Programs like the 12-week Case Competition as part of the core curriculum, Applied Strategy Projects with renowned companies, and hands-on consulting experiences allow students to tackle real business problems, deliver tangible results, and feel the impact. This was especially important to me because I wanted to bridge my financial services background with product and technology leadership, applying classroom concepts to real-world challenges and seeing the direct impact of my work.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Washington Foster?

One of the experiences I’ve enjoyed the most at Foster has been building connections and learning directly from successful alumni and mentors. Networking nights and company visits to firms such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks gave me the chance to understand different company cultures, hear firsthand about career journeys, and build meaningful professional relationships. These experiences, combined with guidance from my assigned mentor through the Career Management Team, have been invaluable in helping me grow professionally and navigate my MBA journey with confidence.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

My biggest career accomplishment has been leading large-scale operational and product transformations at ANZ Banking Group across lending, payments, and onboarding. I owned end-to-end initiatives that combined financial analysis, process redesign, and AI-enabled automation, most notably by launching workflows that reduced processing timelines from weeks to under a day, delivering multi-million-dollar cost savings while strengthening controls.
Beyond these outcomes, I’m especially proud of mentoring emerging leaders and developing talent, building cross-functional teams capable of driving change, and translating complex problems into practical solutions that improve both customer experience and operational performance.

Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far:

One of my biggest achievements so far has been applying classroom learning to high-impact, real-world problems through competitive case work. Having worked with some highly talented classmates to develop an AI-powered financial advisor for a national case competition hosted by the Tepper School of Business and PNC Bank, we advanced to the final round and presented our solution to industry judges. Additionally, during Foster’s Autumn Quarter case competition, I helped develop a comprehensive merger-and-acquisition strategy for Yelp, presenting our recommendation to senior executives and Foster alumni. These experiences pushed me to think strategically under pressure, communicate clearly with senior stakeholders, and translate complex analysis into compelling, actionable recommendations.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far?

One of my favorite memories as an MBA has been the industry visits [career treks] to companies like Columbia Sportswear and Nike, combined with the chance to connect and network with Foster alumni who are now leaders in their fields. Being able to engage with directors, senior professionals, and alumni in honest conversations about user experience gaps, upcoming product launches, platform upgrades, and long-term business strategy made the learning feel real and tangible. Also, within the academic setting, learning from exceptionally passionate professors who consistently push us to think critically and apply concepts beyond the classroom has made my MBA journey both inspiring and deeply rewarding.

DON’T MISS MEET THE WASHINGTON FOSTER MBA CLASS OF 2027

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