Animesh Dwivedi (MBA ’09)

International Consultant Chooses SMU Cox to Enhance His Skill Set in Consulting

Animesh Dwivedi (MBA '09) grew up in India where he earned his bachelor of engineering in Information Technology from Biju Patnaik University of Technology, India. After graduation, he worked as a software consultant with Perot Systems and Tata Consultancy Services (India's biggest IT outsourcer) from 2004 to 2007.  

As Dwivedi gained more experience, he learned he was more interested in business processes and planning than in his current position developing software applications. However advancing to such a role would require going back to school and gaining further exposure to various business concepts. He chose SMU Cox because of its prestigious program, prominent faculty, diverse class and most of all, the networking opportunities that exist because of a strong alumni base and the fact that Dallas is one of the fastest growing business hubs in the world.

Dwivedi chose the full time MBA program for its rigorous coursework and for the opportunity to spend more time with peers whom he sees as business leaders in the near future.  Currently in his second year of the program, Dwivedi has enjoyed the noteworthy faculty, courses and the collaborative spirit that fosters friendly competition.

When speaking of the Cox School, Dwivedi frequently uses the word family. "It is the Cox family that should be a single most important reason why a Cox MBA is worth the investment. You get access to business leaders you would have only imagined reading about," said Dwivedi.  "I can count on so many people in senior executive positions who would be ready to go out for a coffee and talk about career progression aspects. Giving back to the school is such an integral part of the culture. You become a privileged member of this family that is always there to back you in your future endeavors"

Through course work, Dwivedi has learned that every person on a team has to be a sales person, whether it is selling a product or it is negotiating a deal. On a very elementary level, he said, it is the selling of ideas that allows people to believe the reasoning. He has found that class discussions are vibrant and provide a diverse learning experience. Dwivedi has acquired new concepts by going beyond his comfort zone and doing things he has never done before. For example, coming from an engineering background, accounting was new to him, but that is where he feels he learned and challenged himself the most.

Dwivedi has particularly benefitted from Professor Gordon Walker's strategy classes. He finds the frameworks and methods highly intuitive as provide great tools when analyzing a business scenario. The concepts make for compelling reasoning in real world situations, he said.

Outside of the classroom, Dwivedi serves as vice president of both the International Business Club and Consulting Club. He is working towards expanding the reach of these clubs beyond U.S. "These clubs have evolved over a long period and are great learning resources vital for preparing for interviews and meeting senior executives in the industry - besides a lot of fun activities," he said.  

Internationalism is at the heart of Cox School, both in terms of the students and in terms of the professors and courses offered, and Dwivedi has taken full advantage of the opportunities presented.

"Various nationalities are well represented in the classroom that makes for great discussion. And the Global Leadership Program is truly an eye opener in terms of what you learn about a culture and how business is conducted in other economies in the world," he said. "I always knew Japan and China were different but not to the magnitude I saw through my eyes."

Before graduating in 2009, Dwivedi wants to master all aspects of business process consulting.  He will then leverage the skills he has learned and relationships made at Cox to lead his group at Tata Consultancy Services.

Dwivedi advises prospective and current MBAs to get out of comfort zone and be ready to experiment. You hear this again and again, he said, but networking is such an essential part. "Important are the grades you make, but so much more important are the hands you shake."