Ajay Thakur is a Director at Hitachi Vantara in the U.S. and was seeking an educational opportunity that would help him better serve his clients and take his leadership skillset to the next level. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued, Ajay knew he had to find an opportunity that allowed him to continue his leadership growth in a virtual setting and took advantage of the virtual General Management Program (GMP). Learn more about how GMP provided Ajay with a flexible learning environment and a new network of global peers.
In the current stage of my career, I would like to enhance my analytical skills, broaden my understanding of operational financial management, macroeconomics and other core functions of businesses worldwide. I applied for GMP to better equip myself with the skillset and knowledge of these areas but to also solve problems in today's ever-changing business environment. I am confident that what I am taking away from GMP will help me develop strategies that would aid my clients, exceed my organizations goals, and effectively grow my leadership style.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced a global experiment that has essentially transformed the entire corporate world, including the education sector. This is the new normal and it made most sense for me to grasp the opportunity and attend GMP the moment it came. The biggest trade off was the in-person socialization with participants and faculty. But in the virtual GMP we are able to attend class virtually and still gain socialization with one another that creates a deep network experience.
The biggest advantage that I see is the consistent availability of the entire faculty, program team and participants across the world for discussions and brainstorming, even outside the live online classrooms. All the participants are connected on several virtual platforms (e.g. LinkedIn, Slack, WhatsApp, etc.) for a 24x7 experience and learning from each other.
The energy from the faculty and the participants was certainly unparalleled and very motivating. We the participants thought that we got more chances to share our views and participate in the Live Online Classroom much more compared to an in-person classroom. The features like hands up and the instant polls were fantastic.
The Live Online Classroom and the Zoom sessions are extremely helpful and the technology made it very efficient for us to interact directly with the professors during and after the classrooms. Even though we couldn't meet in person with our learning group members, the technology and regular offline conversations made sure that we had enough opportunities to discuss the case studies and be fully prepared for our classes. None of us felt that it was in anyway less than an in-person session.
The virtual program has helped us be connected with the entire cohort. We meet and discuss everything and anything about HBS and our businesses in general, along with everything happening in the world today. And not to forget the lovely thank you's, congratulations, and best wishes we regularly send to each other on our achievements. I have made several lifelong friends and hope to continue our learnings from one another long after GMP is over.
This program is exceptional. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose the virtual program again. The biggest advantage is the ability to stay connected to my family while giving undivided attention to the program. My advice would be to be prepared for all the case studies so that you don't get surprised when you get a cold call during the class. Be connected with your cohort members and learning group members and build long term relationships. And finally, be active both in the classroom and outside in the various social settings that are provided to you.
