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Senith Mathews was on a fast track to success in India when he decided to attend graduate school in the U.S. in order to strengthen his business skills and gain
international exposure. He chose SMU Cox because it offered the best of both worlds.
Prior to attending the Cox School, Senith Mathews grew up in India where he earned a degree in economics before going on to become a Chartered Accountant. Mathews worked for Arthur Andersen LLP, advising companies wishing to invest in India. At the age of 25, Mathews got the opportunity to run a performing arts center and record label in Chennai. Managing an organization and being responsible for its strategy and future direction was a challenging engagement for Mathews. "While the experience was simply excellent, I realized I needed to deepen my understanding of business in order to be able to lead an organization and develop winning strategies." This prompted him to attend business school.
"Cox provided ample opportunity for me to achieve my twin objectives - to deepen my understanding of business and gain international experience," he said.
For Mathews the pieces of the puzzle began falling into place quickly. After his first year of school, he landed an internship with Mercer Management Consulting, now Oliver Wyman Consulting, where he worked as a Summer Associate. "The internship led to a job offer which I accepted and which provided very valuable experience that I hope to use to grow my business. Management consulting exposes you to various industries and functions within those industries. Over two years, I worked on five projects across multiple industries and functions and with all levels of management."
Mathews graduated from Cox in 2005 and after spending two years with Mercer Management Consulting, he is now working on building his own company - an educational services company offering a variety of services in the U.S market. Mathews hopes to expand internationally in the next few years with a key focus on India. "The experience of working in India and the U.S. has really helped me understand the different cultures and markets which is essential when you have interdependent operations in both continents."
"My goal ever since I can remember has been to build a business. After many years of seeking and studying various entrepreneurial opportunities, I am in the process of setting up an education services company."
For Mathews, a Cox education helped him gain the skills he needed to embark on an entrepreneurial venture. He credits the Cox network with creating relationships that go beyond the classroom. He has formed great friendships with alumni and has looked to them for advice over the years. Mathews says that the Cox network has the ability to benefit students in different ways.
"The Cox network provides tremendous value to Cox students. The wisdom and advice you can get from alumni is of tremendous value. The network also provides job leads, business leads, partnerships and even investment opportunities. All are very valuable resources."
Thanks to his Cox education, Mathews gained the knowledge and resources necessary to launch his own company.
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