Shriya Kancharlapalli

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

“Curious enough to ask ‘why?’, determined to find the answer, humble enough to keep learning.”

Hometown: Nottingham, United Kingdom

Fun Fact About Yourself: Most people celebrate turning 22 with a party. I celebrated by starting my first job, moving cities, and buying my first home!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Nottingham, Chemical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: ExxonMobil, Project Development Engineer

What makes Atlanta such a great place to earn an MBA? Atlanta stands out for the opportunities it offers on your doorstep. From start-ups to the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, such as the Coca-Cola Company and Delta Air Lines, the city offers proximity to anything one could aspire to.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Emory Goizueta’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The experiential learning opportunities were the biggest reason I chose Goizueta. Being an engineer, I know I learn best by applying theory to real business problems. Growth Week offers the opportunity to put classroom concepts into practice almost immediately, while the semester-long Goizueta IMPACT project allows me to work alongside a real client to develop solutions that create tangible value.

Hearing how previous student recommendations have been implemented made these experiences truly exciting because they demonstrate that our work can have a lasting impact. These opportunities will help me bridge the gap between technical problem-solving and broader business strategy, while reinforcing the collaborative, hands-on approach to learning that motivated me to pursue an MBA.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Emory Goizueta? I’m most excited about the Goizueta Consulting Association, which immediately stood out because of its collaborative culture. Meeting members and hearing about the mentorship, case preparation, mock interviews, and support from second-year students they received gave me confidence that I’d be surrounded by people genuinely invested in each other’s success. I can’t wait to get involved with this community.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: One accomplishment I’m particularly proud of was influencing a multimillion-dollar investment decision at ExxonMobil. During the concept development of a major capital project, I recognized that the proposed contractor strategy would account for roughly one-third of the total project budget, which is significantly above industry benchmarks. Rather than accepting the initial recommendation, I benchmarked alternative delivery models, questioned the underlying assumptions, and introduced a broader commercial perspective alongside the technical evaluation. This led to the identification and qualification of an alternative contractor, reducing projected costs by 27% while preserving the project’s objectives.

What I’m most proud of wasn’t the savings themselves, but earning the confidence to challenge the biases of functional experts and leveraging the whole strength of the organization and sound commercial reasoning. It changed how I viewed leadership — not as having all the answers, but as asking the right questions.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your Emory MBA experience a success? I came into the MBA with three goals: build a wider network and strong professional connections; gain a better understanding of all business functions (e.g. marketing, finance, etc.); and strengthen my strategic thinking. I know achieving these goals will require me to unlearn old habits, embrace new perspectives, and continually step outside my comfort zone. On the other side of it, I hope to come out as a confident and well-rounded professional ready to deliver impact and results in the business landscape.

If the short amount of time I’ve spent with my Goizueta Class of 2028 is anything to go by, I’m already a third of the way to my success. Bring on the next couple of years!

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