Anand Nergunam Suryanarayanan 
Previous Company: Saint Gobain Glass France
Sector: Manufacturing
Work Experience: 9 years
Professional Interests: Strategy, Business Development
Other Interests: Photography, Travel

Why the ISB? 
I was looking for a Management Programme which follows western education standards yet specialised in Asian business environment. The PGP programme at the ISB perfectly fits this requirement. With more than 9 years of work experience, all I needed was a strong platform to launch into general management roles. The ISB’s one year programme is a perfect mix of world-class faculty, global curriculum, awesome peer group, fantastic facilities and industry interaction through various initiatives like Experiential Learning Programme, speaker series which makes it unique.

As a Management Controller, what made you opt for this Programme and how do you think it will contribute to your career growth?
As a Management Controller based out of France, I had worked with companies from several countries which gave me a good cross-functional exposure, international business skills and an overall understanding of business drivers.

Having supported senior management on strategic decision making for many years, I nurtured a desire to get into business management myself. Being a professional in finance, I had limited exposure to other functions like Marketing, HR etc. I realised that the final impetus to my goal lied in honing my background by pursuing formal management education to strengthen my knowledge in other areas. I believe the ISB is the perfect springboard for the same. 

What are some of the opportunities you are looking forward to?
I am looking forward to improvise my skills on various domains like Strategy and Marketing. The take away from these courses along with my international work experience should do a world of good to my confidence and credibility in getting into general management. The strong ISB alumni network will also add a lot of strength to my future endeavors.

How has the ISB surprised you?
The ISB has been a humbling experience so far. With the kind of diversity we have in our batch of 09, every small activity is highly competitive, be it extra curricular or academic. You walk into the programme with the belief that you have strong credentials but it only takes few instances to realise that each one of the 436 odd students are equally better. Though I had heard a lot about the ISB faculty and infrastructure, the real experience surpassed all my expectations.

On your peer group
My batch of 09 has a great mix of students from various disciplines some of whom are scientists, patent holders, Arjuna awardees, doctors, ex-servicemen, etc. To add to this an average work experience of around 5 years makes the whole curriculum extremely interesting. The peer learning is as rich as the learning from the lectures of esteemed professors.

How would you describe the ISB to a prospective student?
The ISB is a great institute for people who are looking for a truly world class programme. With great faculty, breathtaking infrastructure, highly competitive environment and a seasoned set of students to interact with, the learning from the ISB is an invaluable addition to one’s arsenal.