Class of 2020

Nisha Kesavan

Class of 2020 TRIUMer Nisha Kesavan discusses the highlights from her TRIUM journey so far.

Learning in TRIUM is unique as it has the local flavour of the international location you go to. They give you the world’s top class faculty with a real mix of executives across various industries, age-groups and countries.

Can you tell us about your professional background and what your motivations were for pursuing a Global EMBA?

I work with Deutsche Bank as Vice President – IT Strategy and Transformation. I’ve been a Business Analysis Specialist in Treasury and Capital markets area and have grown through the ranks to manage and deliver large projects involving many strategic programs related to market changes and financial regulatory requirements. I feel I’ve reached a pivotal moment in my career and it’s important to keep challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone. While the world is changing fast, it is important to develop the right skills in understanding managing work and life in this evolving world. TRIUM EMBA provides me with the platform to explore possibilities that I have imagined and gives me a sneak peek into those that I did not.

What would you say has been the highlight of your TRIUM experience so far?

The two biggest highlights – the exhaustive and very relevant course work which is put together for executives like us and my amazing cohort. Classroom sessions are intense and the two weeks of learning coupled with being sleep deprived only makes you a more resilient person.

Can you tell us about a favourite class or speaker event?

I never thought number crunching would be so much fun! Quantitative Analysis with Dr Matt Mulford and Valuation with Professor Aswath Damodaran were just spectacular. Learning was never more fun than in these classes; their ability to teach processing numbers with a story is too brilliant.

What would you say have been your key takeaways from the modules so far?

The academic differentiators are definitely the mainstream takeaways like looking at the larger picture, thinking like a leader and asking the right questions in all areas of Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Strategy.

What really adds more value for me are my abilities to improve my skills in networking, be more confident, look at myself being a thought leader and learn about so many aspects of culture, diversity, language and tolerance by working with so many different classmates in my cohort and the alumni group. There are many such hidden experiences that unravel as you go through the travels, working on projects and assignments and when you are able to enrich your full-time work with these skills and experience; it’s definitely an excellent way to look at your ROI.

What are you most looking forward to during your upcoming modules?

The next module in Shanghai should be as amazing as the modules so far. The fact that China is leading the charts in global economic activity, it would be interesting to see it from the inside. We are planning some corporate visits for our Capstone Project and the specific modules on deal making in China and Asia and Negotiation Analysis is something I am really looking forward to.

The focus now is growing on our Capstone Project, it is designed as an exercise which brings all our learnings from strategy, valuation, marketing into play and culminates well into the final work we are expected to present in Paris. I’m really excited about meeting my classmates again.

What advice would you give to students who are considering TRIUM?

The executive MBA program is a challenging academic pursuit with the topping of the real test of your power to go through a rigorous 18-months course alongside the many personal commitments you carry. Learning in TRIUM is unique as it has the local flavour of the international location you go to. They give you the world’s top class faculty with a real mix of executives across various industries, age-groups and countries. I like the way the administration takes into consideration your feedback for every module, every coursework and incorporates it along with the ever-changing face of the business, economics and markets. Classes on globalisation are quite different now, with the changing perspectives of world leaders, there is a twist to the way we unlearn and learn globalisation – there is no better place to learn this than from LSE.

How would you describe your TRIUM experience in three words?
Empowering, Impressive and Exuberant