Ankur Warikoo
Class of 2006


 

Tell us a little about your family background/ history. How has it influenced you?
I come from a very middle class family. I grew up in Delhi, in a family of 4. A large part of who I am today as an individual is reflected in the upbringing I have had.
I think my way of working closely resembles my dad, while my EQ is derived from my mom.
 

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects).
I am really grateful for where I am today - handling a company of 230+ super smart individuals is a humbling experience. Professionally, being part of India's 40 Under 40 List by Fortune Magazine was a highlight. Personally, I consider my son as my biggest achievement. It’s a blessing to be his parent and helping him figure out life.

Tell us about your profile prior to attending ISB and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression.
I grew up dreaming of becoming an astrophysicist. For the longest time, I wanted to be the first man on Mars. I went to the US to do my PhD, but realized I would be good at it but wouldn’t enjoy it. So I came back to India after a Masters degree and worked at NIS as a psychometrics tool designer.
People told me that I needed an MBA to "grow" professionally. Hence, the decision to do a 1-year MBA from ISB.
Post ISB, I joined A.T. Kearney as a management consultant. I worked there for 3 years. A chance evening with my ISB Quadmate, Vivek Pahwa, led me to join him as a CoFounder in his Internet Startup. Over the course of 2 years, we got another CoFounder from our ISB batch (Umang Kumar) and built 6 websites. I exited the startup to move to eCommerce - and joined Rocket Internet to start their India Business, which is how I got to build Groupon India.

How do you think your time at ISB has contributed to your career and personal growth?
ISB is the single biggest factor influencing my professional achievements. It exposed me to a world beyond what I knew and gave me the confidence that I could do well in it. ISB was the first instance where I was thrown in a pool of high achievers, way smarter than me - and I realized I had it in me to work hard and emerge in the top percentile.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
The unique opportunity to give people a high-growth and challenging career. Nothing is more gratifying.

Briefly describe a typical day at work, in a way that illuminates the kind of challenges and opportunities your role involves.
In my role, I have three key functions that replicate themselves everyday:
1. Take decisions, with little or no data, that can have a material impact on the business. So the ability to ask the right questions and quickly narrow down on the direction is critical
2. Remove all roadblocks for people to deliver their output.
3. Representing the company externally, so that it attracts the best talent and makes people say ‘I want to work for Groupon’.

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Are there any trends that you can identify?
People's first or dominant screen is becoming the mobile phone. And that suddenly creates a massive opportunity for any business that relies on location, such as ours. The future is exciting!

What was the main highlight or most memorable aspect of your programme at the ISB?
Getting the Young Leader Award was a proud moment. Considering I didn’t hold any position of responsibility and had volunteered to do a lot of things purely driven by the challenge, it was gratifying that ISB thought of it as worthy.

How do you feel you can contribute to ISB?
As alums, I firmly believe that our success is the best currency we can pay the institution back with. As we mature as an institution, everything else - financial contribution, time contribution, etc., will follow.