Anuj Deepak

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“Ambitious, enthusiastic go-getter with a penchant for travel and a deep-rooted love for food; dark sense of humor and an open mind.”

Hometown: Bangalore, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have skydived over the Palm Jumeriah in Dubai, been scuba diving in the Indian Ocean and gone hiking through the Himalayas!

Undergraduate School and Major: Bachelor of Business Management – Finance & Accounting; Jain University, Bangalore, India

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Goldman Sachs – Senior Associate – Interest Rate Products

What has been your first impression of the Marshall MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Marshall story so far: The experience has been nothing but positive! My peers, second-year students, and alumni alike have all been warm, welcoming, and willing to help in so many ways. My best Marshall story so far has to be the bonding and camaraderie I was fortunate enough to witness during the Tommy Days of Fun events. Despite it being initial days and a class of varied backgrounds with people from all over the world, everyone connected almost instantaneously.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? “Location, Location, Location!”. California has the largest economy in the US and LA is one of the biggest contributors to that title! The experience of earning an MBA here is unparalleled and the sheer number of opportunities available to students, in and outside of the classroom is simply tremendous.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of USC Marshall’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The level of energy that was reciprocated by the Trojan alumni network, even toward a potential student, was something that surprised me the most; I had complete strangers offer to help me with my prep and conduct mock interviews, simply because I was interested in applying to their alma mater; When you realize that an MBA student is only as strong as their network, the Marshall MBA almost seems like a no brainer!

What course, club or activity excites you the most at USC Marshall? So much! My top 3 would definitely be the following:

1. The Marshall Finance Association – The tools they offer and the manner in which they help prepare you for a career in Investment Banking or Finance is incredible.
2. I am particularly excited about the research coming from Professor Mark Soliman and hope to be a part of the same in any capacity possible.
3. PRIME! As an avid traveler myself, I can’t wait to explore a new place with a whole different perspective and through the lens of a business student, nonetheless

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I lead a strategic change management initiative at Goldman Sachs for the design and build of an automated trade document generation platform, data repositories, and dashboards. This reduced annual expenses by $200,000 and the need for manual intervention by up to 90%.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I recently watched a Ted Talk by Kerry Goyette titled “Stop Trying to Motivate Your Employees”. I think she does a beautiful job at explaining what truly motivates us as individuals and how anyone looking to be an effective leader in the future might hope to achieve the best possible outcomes for each team member

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into USC Marshall’s MBA program?

1. The Trojan network is very real, and it is very strong – Even before you become a Trojan! I would reach out to current students and Marshall alumni on LinkedIn, to get an understanding of the program and the general set of expectations. Make sure your questions are direct, concise, and articulate!

2. Allow yourself enough time to prep for the application process and stick to a regimented timeline; It’s always better to get your completed applications in, well before the deadline.

3. As an international student myself, I understand that this can be a difficult decision to make, for a host of reasons. Rather than let monetary factors or the like drive your choice of an MBA, understand your motivation behind this step and align that with your aspirations.

DON’T MISS: Meet USC Marshall’s MBA Class Of 2024