Alumni Spotlight Series – Harshad Borde

Mr.Harshad Borde is currently working as a Data Science Consultant at Virtusa. He has 3 years of challenging experience in IBM Watson, R, and Tableau. He has developed expertise in managing both the business and technical aspects of a project. He has interned as a Marketing and Risk Analytics Intern at SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd. He has gained significant experience as a Data Engineer at Syntel. He enjoys traveling.

1. 1. What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishments
      I have several notable accomplishments in my career, so it is tough to pick one. I will take the most recent one. Within a few months of joining Virtusa, I was entrusted with one of key analytics initiative which improved the way Virtusa forecasts its revenue. I think I have grown personally as well as professionally during my MBA at SDA Bocconi Asia Center. SDA Bocconi Asia Center faculties have structured their coursework very precisely. I was fascinated by the use of Statistics and Analytics after attending classes of Prof. Luigi Tava and Prof. Poli. Courses of both the professors were highly relevant and I still find the material useful even in my professional career. Various Thought Leaders in Analytics and AI used to visit campus for guest sessions and summits which helped me get an in-depth understanding of practical use cases.Currently, I am a part of strategic analytics team at Virtusa. We have to analyze multidimensional data coming from HR, Finance, Sales, Revenue and Resource Management. We have to connect the dots and advise the top management for various business problems.
      In this team, I get a chance to work with decision makers, understand their thought process which helps me polish my corporate strategy skills.
   2. What have been the biggest challenges in your career? 
      When you step out of a B-school, you are expected to match the pace of the corporate world very quickly. Live projects which I got at SDA Bocconi Asia Center helped me to be a quick learner and work across the teams.
   3. Looking back, what would you say was the most challenging aspect of SDA Bocconi Asia Center? How would you advise others who may be facing that challenge?
      The most challenging aspect I came across was working with international students at Bocconi in Milan for various subjects. I got an opportunity to work with students from Canada, Spain, Portugal, and Russia. Discussion with them helped me develop a truly international perspective. I would suggest students to proactively solve international case studies with the Consulting Club. It will help you to develop knowledge of various frameworks which can be applied to several business cases.
      My relationship with my colleagues is cordial. From day one, they have been helpful and have supported me wholeheartedly. The funniest thing is that I am the only Non-IIM guy in my team.
   4. What advice would you give to younger alumni or current students who aspire to follow a similar career path?
      Milan semester is not a Europe vacation trip. Spend time on looking for live projects than visiting Europe. SDA Bocconi provides a lot of opportunities for getting job/internships there. Take help from professors to get live projects in Milan. Professor Paola was very helpful to me for securing an analytics-related live project at Bocconi FinTech Lab. There are so many fond memories at MISB Bocconi. My roommates and I would often visit college campus on weekends for studies. But after that in the evening, we have watched more movies on Bocconi classroom projector than on my laptop :PSDA Bocconi Asia Center Team has always focused on the personal and professional growth of the students. It is very flexible when it comes to students needs. In my case, after getting placed, Virtusa requested me to join even before my MBA classes were completed (Feb End). Faculties honoured this request and designed separate projects for my remaining courses. This kind of flexibility is rarely seen in other Indian B-Schools.
   5. What do you enjoy doing with your free time? Family? Hobbies? Interests?
      I like to spend time with my family and friends. On weekends, I also like to explore Karnataka and Kerala. I have also developed a habit of doodling these days.