In an evening filled with insights, questions, answers and a lot of fun, our MBA candidates had a great time interacting with our alumni who found their way back to campus. In a wonderful panel discussion facilitated by our Program Director and Vice Dean, Dr. Harald Strotmann, our alumni, …

Evana Chowdhury (Consultant at AMCO Solutions GmbH, Class of 2021),
elaborated on how, after working as a Logistics Manager for a USA-based company, she was looking for a more challenging career path and how the MBA in Pforzheim with its profound cases studies prepared her perfectly for her new job as a consultant. Evana also spoke about how being resilient is important, both in academics and in the business world, and of course, the importance of sharpening German language skills.

Paritosh Sharma (Product Owner: IoT & Innovation, Bosch Power Tools, Class 2016),
shared with the current students how the MBA with its intercultural workshop and the group assignments prepared him perfectly for his daily work with international colleagues. Paritosh also talked about how to ‘read a room, and deliver what the room needs’ in a corporate setting and about giving and receiving constructive feedback.

Madhwendhu Shekhar (Regional Vice President, DACH, LTI Mindtree Limited, Class of 2003),
spoke about his university days and how he used to spend hours in the library preparing for the assignments along with his classmates and how important group dynamic is for the functioning of an organization. He also talked about how the intercultural diversity of the program and the class strength helped them to develop an inclusive, open-minded attitude. His connection with Pforzheim is special, he said, and he still visits the City and University regularly, to recollect the fond memories.

Afsoon Rashidi (Managing Director at ARA Bio-Med Consulting, Class of 2018),
discussed about her journey from studying biotechnology, biomedical engineering and radiotherapy to being a founder of a biotechnology consulting firm and that transforming her mindset to the changing needs of the market, collaborating with driven people and critical feedback form the cornerstones of her journey.

Harsha Vardhan (Product Analyst at TeamViewer, Class of 2020),
told us about his journey from being an entrepreneur, to undergoing a transformation in the MBA journey, and how working in an environment which is the best of both, the digital and business world is a dream come true for him. Harsha recollected the quotation from one of the tech pioneers saying ‘You can only connect the dots backwards,’ and urged everyone to work hard for what they believe in, because dreams do come true.

Himanshu Sharma (E-commerce specialist at MAHLE, Class of 2019),
spoke about his passion for International Marketing and that hard work is the only way to success. ‘A closed mouth never gets fed,’ he said. `So, ask for feedback, ask for suggestions for improvement, treat every chance, every assignment as deciding one and give your best in everything you do,´ was his powerful message.

Akshay Garg (Product Manager- Domains & SSL, IONOS, Class 2018),
also had a very clear message. ‘Time management’ is the key to and learning to balance the MBA studies, work-student jobs and personal life will go a long way in laying the right foundation for it. ‘Find a way to work in a group of people with different perspectives and get the work done!’ Appreciating diversity in perspectives will lead to a holistic solution to the task at hand. Integrating with different cultures is what makes International Management challenging, yet fun! Focus on the feedback (points for improvement especially), and keep working on your assignment with passion.

All the speakers had a common message to share, about how the Pforzheim MBA program set a launch-pad for them to propel themselves into the business world. After the panel discussion, we talked about the importance of finding the right mentor (in your professional or personal circle to talk and discuss thoughts on a regular basis) and about how to lead different people from different age group demography and generations. When the focus lies on learning, collaborating, and solving problems together, everyone works towards a common goal.
A candid interaction session over a dinner party with delicious Pizzas, where we discussed about our plans for our career, how to build a formidable mindset, job opportunities and so on, was the perfect conclusion to a memorable evening.
We are extremely thankful to our alumni for sharing their valuable insights and wisdom with us, and for being amazing mentors.

Text: Aditya Yardi, Class of 2025
Photos: MBA