MBA Reflections: Rochita Dey

In this “MBA Reflections” blog post series, we will be featuring the profile and thoughts of a select few Whitman MBA students graduating in 2018.

Name: Rochita Dey
Major and Graduation Month/Year: MBA Finance and Entrepreneurship, May 2018
Hometown: Kolkata, India
Background: Undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of San Francisco.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r2409/

Why an MBA?
After completing my undergraduate program, I worked as an analyst at Wish, an e-commerce startup based out of San Fransisco, C.A. Then I joined my family business, Sreeleathers, which is a leather retail chain and export house based out of India. Having been brought up in a house full of entrepreneurs, one of the first manifestations I had while growing up was being a businesswoman. After earning a bachelor’s degree, I wanted to continue mastering my entrepreneurial and management skills. Pursuing an MBA seemed to be a natural progression.

Why Whitman?
Whitman’s reputation precedes itself. The great faculty members really invest in your professional development and growth.

What have you gained from your time at Whitman?
The most important part of the Whitman experience has been meeting intellectually exceptional people from all over the globe. Adding to that, the networking events hosted by Whitman has allowed me to meet many inspiring and successful alumni. For instance, a panel of Whitman Women in Business invited Valerie Vargas, a Whitman alumna and the vice president of Advertising & Marketing Communications at AT&T, as a speaker. I had the opportunity to interact with her over lunch, which was an insightful and empowering experience.

What is your most memorable moment from your time at Whitman?
My most memorable experience at Whitman was participating in International Week. I got to experience different cultures from student representatives of various countries, tasting their foods, experiencing their forms of art and playing different sports. I participated in an Indian dance performance, which was a liberating experience while showcasing the culture of my country. Adding to that, from an educational point of view, the course ‘Opporunity Recognization and Idea’ has been the most engaging and innovating in my MBA curriculum. I really enjoyed studying the course because I could apply the concepts in everyday life and all forms of business concentrations.

Internship?
In the summer, I worked in the research department of the e-commerce division of Sreeleathers. I performed research on the consumer demand and segmented the products based on target market to establish a pricing strategy. I also contributed in research for the logistics involved in an e-commerce transaction.

Are your goals or plans different since starting your MBA?
No, my plan is the same since I started pursuing my MBA. I want to introduce a new product line in my company’s portfolio of products. The business skills that I have gained from the program has made me more confident that I will be able to achieve my goals.

What is your dream job?
My dream is make my business successful enough to take it in global markets.

Vatsal Popat
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