Viren Wilfred Rasquinha
Previous Company: Indian Oil Corporation
Sector: Sports Management
Work Experience: 6 years
Professional Interests: Marketing, Strategy
Other Interests: Music and Travelling

Why the ISB?
The ISB provides me the opportunity to get a world-class post graduate programme in India itself. The one year course appealed to me and the combination of Indian & International faculty was an added attraction.

As a former captain of the Indian Hockey Team, what made you opt for this Programme and how do you think it will contribute to your career growth?
I quit playing Hockey because I wanted to face new challenges in life, learn new skills; explore new opportunities and ideas that would enable me to blend into a corporate environment smoothly and successfully. Here at the ISB, the curriculum is very practical, very hands on and very relevant to the real world experience.

Beyond this the ISB gets faculty from the best B-schools around the world and listening to their insights and ideas you get a global perspective in addition to the Indian outlook. I have always been a very practical person and I believe I have made the right decision to study at the ISB, as it will tremendously enhance my knowledge and leadership skills.

What are some of the opportunities you are looking forward to?
At the ISB, we are encouraged to pursue all our interests and learn about other fields as well. I am an active member of the Marketing Club, Media Club and of course the Sports Club, and we have tons of activities planned throughout the year which I am really looking forward to. Also some of the best minds of the corporate world visit the campus, giving us an opportunity to interact with them and gain new insights.

How has the ISB surprised you?
No amount of warning can prepare you for the rigours of the course at the ISB. It is safe to assume that getting the regular quota of 8 hours of sleep is a distant dream here. But the funny thing is that I haven’t really felt the load too much because everyone is going through the same thing and more importantly, I am enjoying myself thoroughly.

On your peer group
My peer group is probably what I cherish the most. The quality and diversity of the students never ceases to amaze me. Every single student out here is an achiever in his or her own field and there is no limit to the knowledge that one can gain just by interacting with them. The ISB encourages teamwork a lot through the study groups and ELP groups. The diversity further enhances the experience of class participation and builds a lot of camaraderie amongst the batch.

How would you describe the ISB to a prospective student?
The ISB is a roller coaster ride. It’s a hell of a lot of hard work, a lot of learning and plenty of fun.