Amit Pandey

By his own admission, Amit had a challenging list of criteria for choosing an MBA course. The business school had to have a good reputation; alumni performance; links with industry; teaching methodology; and competitive fees. Amit says: “I was a bit demanding, expecting all this at a minimum cost, but I found that Leeds fitted the bill.”

With a first degree in Mechanical Engineering, and with experience working in the engineering, construction and software development sectors, Amit decided that studying for an MBA would be ideal to pull together his strands of expertise and help him make the transition from technical specialist to manager. “I aspired to learn more about strategy making and functions like marketing and finance, which traditionally engineers don’t see as essential,” he says. “I wanted to change this mindset.”

Now employed as a Senior Business Change Analyst for Lloyds Banking Group plc, Amit’s role is to develop operational improvement strategies to help his company during the global slowdown by improving its business performance. “The MBA helped me take a ‘bird’s eye’ perspective and a macro view of an issue and think strategically. This experience will go a long way to helping me work in any sector and industry,” he says.

Coming from India, Amit’s experience of working with a US-based firm stood him in good stead to appreciate the cultural differences he would come across when studying in the UK: “I already had a fair idea of the cultural changes I would be facing and during our induction week we had a good session on change management and how to handle it,” he says. “The tutors and staff are well trained in dealing with overseas students and the multi-cultural atmosphere really adds to the enjoyment, whether during discussions and debates around case studies or when out and about enjoying our new environment.”

A highlight of Amit’s time at Leeds came when he represented the Business School at the Interstate Programme for MBA students in Brussels, where he had the opportunity to work closely with counterparts at international business schools: “I learnt a lot by exchanging viewpoints with my peers and listening to leading political and business figures at the event,” he says. Summing up his experiences at Leeds, Amit can see the long-term benefits: “The network you build at Leeds stays with you for life. You study with future CEOs and business leaders representing various parts of the globe, which can only help in your future career.”