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Rahul Malhotra
Class of 2007

Tell us a little about your family background/ history. How has it influenced you?
I have lived in several different cities in India. My father was a HR Services professional and currently runs his own HR consulting firm. My mother is a homemaker. I am married to Nupur who works for Amazon. We live in Bangalore and have a two year old daughter.

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects).
Professional Achievements:
I have lived in several different cities in India. My father was a HR Services professional and currently runs his own HR consulting firm. My mother is a homemaker. I am married to Nupur who works for Amazon. We live in Bangalore and have a two year old daughter.

Tell us about your profile prior to attending ISB and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression.
projects, primarily in the financial services & Telecom industry.
Sapient’ s digital group (later renamed Sapient Nitro) was focused on Digital Marketing & Commerce , so a lot of my Technology consulting engagements were on creating & implementing digital strategies for clients in areas of Omni channel marketing & commerce, mobility and brand & content strategies.
Post-ISB, I have worked with WNS, HCL & Tech Mahindra in leadership roles in Strategy and M&A Recently I have moved to Mindtree as Head – M&A and Strategic Initiatives where I will focus on Digital commerce, Analytics, Mobility & SAAS. My focus in Strategy have been Market Entry, Operations Improvement, Competitive Benchmarking, Inorganic strategy/JVs.
My M&A focus has been more broad- based in areas of Tech Services, Products, Mobile VAS & Digital. I am responsible end-to-end, from generating deal flow to deal closure & integration.

How do you think your time at ISB has contributed to your career and personal growth?
ISB was extremely pivotal for me as it allowed me to change career in Strategy & M&A. At ISB I interacted closely with the faculty and made some very close friends who I continue to engage with both on a personal & professional front.
ISB also helped me discover my interest areas in strategy / finance under the excellent guidance of professors such as Prof. Rakesh Vohra, Prof. Srinvas Kamma (M&A) and Prof. Amit Bubna.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
The most attractive aspect of Corporate M&A is the diverse learning opportunities and experiences across various business sub-segments & emerging and new Technology areas.
My work exposes me to some very smart, experienced and successful people – entrepreneurs, CEOs, Investment Bankers /Strategy consultants.

Briefly describe a typical day at work, in a way that illuminates the kind of challenges and opportunities your role involves.
A typical day involves identifying new M&A opportunities which entails meeting with companies, engaging with investment banks, VCs/PE, and ideating on industries, trends and companies.
While evaluating a company, me & my team are responsible for a 'deep dive' on the business and related due diligence on financial and legal matters. This is followed by negotiations with the seller on price and other T&Cs. We are supported by management consultants, accountants and lawyers in this process.

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Are there any trends that you can identify?
Digital transformation and consumerization of technology. Mobility, Analytics, SAAS & Cloud Technologies.

What was the main highlight or most memorable aspect of your programme at the ISB?
The excellent faculty, great infrastructure, and diverse peer group at the school.

If you could offer a word of advice to the current class at ISB, what would it be?
Experiment, make independent choices. Hone your leadership skills by participating in various activities; and enjoy the ISB experience.

How do you feel you can contribute to ISB?
I actively participate in Shadow an Alum initiative. I have also been associated with admissions and the mentorship programs. I’m happy to be part of any knowledge sessions around my domain of Strategy, M&A and Investments.