Alumni Inspiration- Journey of Boccononian at ABInBev
ABInBev is the world’s leading brewer bringing people together for a better world. For centuries, the experience of sharing a beer has brought people and cultures together. Their leading brands are Corona, Budweiser and Stella Artois.
Celebrating different occasions of life, ABInBev has over 500 beer brands suited for different moments. They have a vast presence in over 100 countries with a global share of throat at 13.2% in the alcoholic beverages category which makes it the market leader. ABInBev is made of DREAMS, realised by its PEOPLE, propelled by its work CULTURE which forms the core values of the company.
Kickstarting the campus hiring drive for the International Master in Business students, Mr. Serge De Vos, Head- ABInBev Operations and Mr. Dinesh Khanna, Head- Talent Attraction had come onboard to inspire the students to join their crew of talented and visionary people.
Here’s some motivation from the alumni of SDA Bocconi Asia Center who are currently working with ABInBev, a people-centric company, are here to share their experience with us.
Dhwani Shah – IMB Batch of 2018-2020
The decision to do my masters from SDA Bocconi Asia Center is something I look back at fondly. This two-year journey was a steep learning curve for me along with unforgettable memories. I was extremely happy with the way the curriculum and extra co-curricular were structured. SDA Bocconi Asia Center provided me with numerous leadership opportunities such as the Marketing Club and TEDxBocconiUMumbai, that enabled my overall growth.
SDA Bocconi Asia Center leaves no stone unturned when it comes to giving corporate exposure to its students. I did several live projects with brands like L’Oreal and Costa Cruises as a part of the curriculum. I was particularly stoked with my summer internship opportunity at Reliance Brands Limited. I developed a deep understanding of the retail and luxury sector in India during my time there. To further add on to my learnings, I strongly recommend this course due to the Milan semester and its features. This semester enables you to choose you’re the subjects you’re most passionate about from a wide array of elective options. The four months I spent studying in a diverse classroom and collaborating with multi-cultural teams is an entire experience in itself, with an added benefit of travelling to numerous countries over the weekends.
The faculty at SDA Bocconi is experienced and help you develop a global perspective towards business. All my collective experiences during these 6 trimesters led me to secure my dream job at ABInBev on Day zero. Currently, as a part of the marketing team of one of the biggest FMCG companies in the world, I work on the North American Zone and have been able to work on some key brands and campaigns. I’m thankful for this complete experience that has enabled me to grow into a better person, not just academically but personally as well.
Darahas Palakollu – IMB Batch of 2018-2020
Hey, this is Darahas. I have taken up different ideals and designed my personality learning from my experiences, to reach SDA Bocconi Asia Center, to gain more in professionalism and personality. Having worked for EY India for a year before MBA, I found words of Prof. Seema stating ” This college is a microcosm of the corporate world” not very far away from the truth. Blended with Italian and Indian style of teaching, the experience here enriching and unique. Milan semester was a cherry on the top. By the end of my time here at college, I looked back and found an amazing group of people that will have my back forever and thanked the college for leaving lasting imprints.
A wholesome experience of 2 years cannot get a better ending than being placed in AbInBev, straight out of campus. A wonderful opportunity provided by SDA Bocconi community and AbInBev, ensured that I was placed on my first attempt on Day zero. Joining as an Analyst at ABInBev, I can only be thankful for the opportunities provided to me across various specialisations, it gave me a year worth of experience in just 3 months. Working in operations and finance, I have learnt how to work with people, even on virtual mode during these difficult conditions. I know it only gets better, once normalcy returns.
Joined along with 3 others at ABInBev, I feel an extreme sense of responsibility to uplift SDA Bocconi Asia Center brand higher than it already is. I believe that I am a product of SDA Bocconi Asia Center, and I must be the torchbearer of its reputation wherever I go. I thank SDA Bocconi Asia Center, not just for giving me the knowledge to sustain to live in this world, but for giving amazing people and sculpting my character, which will help me make this world a happy place.
Hari Shankar Aggarwal
The lingo of business is ubiquitous, yet only a few can discern its applicability. I used to belong to the same league. Then, a computer science engineer I embarked on a conquest to learn the nitty-gritty of the strategic world. SDA was extremely informed and one of the most plaudit choices I made. The choice was purely based on the adaptive learning culture with a more practical than theoretical approach with endless opportunities at one’s disposal. I used to think “Holistic” as my ideal single worded verbiage but post these two years I also believe in it, as a result of wholesome learning experience sprinkled with many practical live projects and internships. A glimpse of my resume can reflect the cross-domain knowledge and opportunities that this institution is adept in providing. I believe that SDA Bocconi Asia Center not only builds careers but also characters for every individual’s heyday and the credit goes to not just the Professors, Management or the Milan Semester but also the diversified cohort one is exposed to. There are only a handful of colleges in the country which can provide an international internship exposure in a company like Bauli, which enhanced the macro understanding I hold of the business world today.
It had always been my childhood dream to work in an Alcohol-based company and what better than the world’s market leader like ABInBev.
The whole placement process unfolded extremely smooth, thanks to the Placement Committee and Career Development department.
They ensured that my needs and aspirations were met on Day Zero of the placement process.
Last three months at ABInBev have been a testimonial to the learning’s that I have had in the past. Although it was virtual, I couldn’t have had a better transition from campus to corporate. Today, I work as a proud Principal Analyst at AbinBev, formulating the Go-to-Market strategy for some of the breath-taking countries that I visited in Europe, during my Milan semester.
This job, rather than being domain-specific, is more aggregative, where I am challenged every single day. Each day, I look forward to work and all the learnings that come along! This passion to work partly comes from the fact that I am not only working in a brand but also representing my alma mater brand, thus finding it my responsibility to not only do my best but also do it with constant innovation and a strategic mindset.
None of this would have been possible without the SDA Bocconi Asia Center pedagogy. Thank you, SDA Bocconi Asia Center for helping me achieve all that I wished for, and beyond!
Dream Big Be Bold Stay Curious – ABInBev
