Previous Occupation: Project Engineer, Indian Oil Corporation
Present Occupation: M&A (Investment Banking), Ambit Corporate Finance
Sector: M&A (Investment Banking)
Work Experience: 9+ years
Interests 
Professional: M&A and strategy
Personal: Reading, meeting new people

Can you tell us a little about your family background/ history?
I was born and brought up in Delhi. My father worked for the Oriental Bank of Commerce and is now retired, and my mother is a homemaker. Prior to ISB, my job took me almost everywhere in India. Post-ISB, I came to Mumbai and have been settled here for six years. 

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects)
Every new transaction idea that is conceptualised and gets converted into a mandate is an achievement in M&A. To run the M&A process, deal with clients and counterparties, and take it to closure is a different high altogether.

Tell us about your profile pre-ISB, and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression
Pre-ISB, I was involved in project planning and execution at Indian Oil. Post-ISB I have been with Ambit, and the learning here has been phenomenal. While my initial years in M&A involved only the deal execution aspect, now deal origination is also an added responsibility.

Describe your fondest memory of ISB.
Late night assignments and early morning submissions, and the section/ group parties!

In your personal life, how have you changed post-ISB? Do you see yourself doing something differently because you went to ISB? What has left a lasting impression?
I believe that one of the critical assets that one develops at ISB is one’s thought process. Not only does the thought process become much deeper and more refined, it also embraces several view points. Interacting with peers from varied backgrounds is a big plus in this direction.

How do you think ISB has contributed to your career growth?
I think ISB’s contribution to one’s professional life can be better appreciated over a longer period of time, and not necessarily within a few years of graduation. For me, obviously, ISB is the place where I gained a formal academic understanding of the subjects essential for embarking on a career in M&A. Besides the excellent academic framework, support from professors and learning from peers have been superb.

If you have to sum up ISB in one word:
Enriching.

What was the main highlight of your programme at the ISB?
Excellent faculty and a diverse peer group.

Word of advice for the current class?
Stay focused. Introspect and know what you want to achieve. Then, chart a clearly laid out execution plan. Take guidance from alumni.

What was your favourite course/ class at ISB and why?
Corporate M&A and Capital Raising Strategies.

Was there anyone during your time at ISB who acted as a mentor for you? Tell us a little about this relationship and why it was valuable.
I consulted various alumni, and they were a great help. The value, obviously, comes from the fact that alumni have been in similar situations before, and can guide us better in terms of possible options and their respective outcomes. Therefore, one had enough information and perspective in advance.

What are the areas in which you can contribute to ISB?
I would be happy to help in any capacity I can. Guidance and mentorship is one area.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
Meeting new people and looking at organisations from the top!

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Any trends that you can see?
M&A is now driven more by business rationale than anything else. Mid-sized deals are picking up pace, as it is obviously more comfortable for buyers to write cheques which will not stretch their own balance sheets.

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