Kaushik Sethuraman
Founding Class
Microsoft
Senior Product Planner

Previous Occupation: Principal Management Consultant, Business Intelligence Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers USA.
Present Occupation: Senior Product Planner, Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft Corporation USA.
Sector: Software/Technology
Interests – Professional/Personal:
Professional: Social Media & Social Networks, Mobile Communications, Advertising, Ethnographic Research
Personal: Visiting historic cities, Ancient scriptures and cultures, Collecting masks, Running, Photography, Polyglottism, Story writing


Tell us about yourself – your profile, recap your professional life after ISB including your career progression
I am Kaushik Sethuraman, Senior Product Strategist for the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft Corporation in Seattle, USA. I am excited to have been Microsoft’s 1st campus hire from the ISB and have been here since graduating from the ISB. I started off as Program Manager in the Windows Server division, responsible for developing product specifications for one of Microsoft’s early forays in the   enterprise storage product and moved on to Product Planning roles at the Windows Client division and the Windows Phone division. In my current role, I provide strategic guidance to Microsoft execs across both engineering and marketing to influence technology implementations and business investments for future versions of the Windows Phone platform, specifically around social media, mobile shopping and advertising.

Key take-away from the ISB.
My 4P’s from the ISB are: Product focus & strategy, Persistence when it comes to influencing, Passion for the interplay between technology & business, Pride in whatever I do at work or in life

How do you think the ISB has contributed to your career growth?
The ISB education can be best characterized for folks like me from the 1st batch or early days of the ISB in 3 stages:

Stage 1: 2002-2005. ISB was a less known brand, which required ISB grads like me to be more vocal in emphasizing the frameworks and the methodologies that we learnt, rather harp on the momentum a popular B-School brand would yield. Those learning’s helped in providing a sense of structured thinking to peers and managers alike.

Stage 2: 2006-2009. ISB was perhaps a more known brand in India/Asia, but still a less known brand in the USA. Regardless, the insights and inspiration was so well received that one really was acknowledged as the subject matter expert in all things business or strategy.

Stage 3: 2010-current. ISB is a more known brand in the USA too, which really helps elevate an ISB grad like me in the forefront of cool and challenging roles. It is no longer a surprise to be called in to evaluate other top candidates from the best B-schools like MIT or Harvard, let alone help drive strategic initiatives.



What is your vision for the School?
ISB should move over from simply being perceived as a one-year B-School program into a center for business excellence. ISB should not just be a great brand for a B-School but one that stands for a resplendent institution that incubates great economic and business ideas for the new India.  

What are the strengths that the School can leverage upon and areas it can improve?
Key strengths that the ISB continues to leverage are: its brand identity, its affiliate schools, and its distinguished board or founding members. The ISB should quickly evolve to also leverage its alumni, who have and are doing exceedingly well in whatever capacity they are on point for regardless of the type of company or entrepreneurial venture they are in, in addition to the faculty and companies that they may have incubated.

How do you think alums can associate with the School or alum’s role in building the School?
Most common alumni contributions all around the top B-Schools in the world are financial of nature. I strongly believe that not everyone is capable of or would be interested in a financial contribution or association with a school like the ISB. Why not have a flexible yet formal model that include a potpourri of options for alums to associate themselves and earn virtual credits or accolades (whatever the incentive forms they may seek) ? Some examples include: financial ventures (multiple-groups sponsoring various activities or ongoing programs or even charities or funds), volunteering options (for those who would like to teaching, present guest lectures, or mentor), week or month sabbaticals (for those who would like to invest in a short period to revisit and learn), etc.

What is the area you can contribute in?
I am always eager and excited to help with any of the volunteering options I’ve mentioned above.