Sukrit Chadha

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

“I am a sociable person who seeks new experiences and meeting new people.”

Hometown: New Delhi, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love travel and adventure! Some of my more recent experiences include motorcycling on one of the highest motorable roads of the world, rafting through the Grade-V rapids in the Nile, and trekking the volcanic peaks in Rwanda.

Undergraduate School and Major: Delhi Technological University, Environmental Engineer

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Clinton Health Access Initiative, Health Financing Program, Senior Associate (Kigali, Rwanda)

What word best describes the Wharton MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far and why?
The students and alumni are extremely approachable and supportive at both a personal and a professional level. They would be willing to take out time from their schools to whole-heartedly support the community.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the Wharton School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? It is tough to overstate the importance of leadership. It is omnipresent in all sectors BS companies and that plays a decisive impact in the future of the entity. Through Wharton’s action-based leadership training, I hope to challenge my ability to lead teams, inspire innovation, and drive growth for communities.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at the Wharton School? The ‘Antarctica Leadership Venture’ offering excites me the most since it will give me an opportunity to build character and emotional intelligence to garner consensus amidst difficult situations with minimal information.

When you think of the Wharton School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why?
Resources – the wide array of resources to pursue a wide array of careers for a wide array of people. There are specific resources including access to industry leaders, alumni, and companies that cater to the need of aspiring entrepreneurs, consultants, bankers, investors, social workers, and more.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: By instilling a data-driven, decision-making culture in key stakeholders (Ministry of Health, Community Based Health Insurance) in Rwanda’s health sector, I have been able to save valuable funds ($1M+) to improve healthcare for ~9M people in Rwanda. In this process, I was able to transform data from a luxury to a necessity in the government’s day-to-day operations.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? Life can be so brittle. It is necessary to value your interpersonal relationships and the little things while embracing uncertainty.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation?
Working with NGOs in India and Rwanda, I noticed the crucial role that the private sector played in providing social services. However, while working as a banker at JP Morgan, I saw the kind of difficulties such companies face accessing capital. I want to bridge this gap in demand-supply mismatch of capital. At Wharton, I will acquire sound investing and entrepreneurial management skills to hone my skills and make the transition to become an impact investor.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Applied to Harvard, Kellogg, Chicago Booth and Duke Fuqua

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Wharton School’s MBA program? First, it is necessary to start reflecting on your experiences in advance of the application – this cannot be done overnight. Also, be your authentic self in the Team Based Discussion. Most of us have already worked as part of a team at our respective workplaces. The Team Based Discussion is just an extension of that. Though the format is unique to Wharton, one should not be nervous approaching this.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE WHARTON SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2023