Kamal Ghorui
When Apoorva Agarwal decided to study abroad, she aspired to build her already successful career in the auditing and taxation space. Having held positions with KMPG and Deloitte, her pursuit of an MBA was a natural choice in preparing to take the next step up.
Whilst not short of excellent local options for a business education, SDA Bocconi School of Management, located in the heart of Milan, offered a solid finance concentration with the added benefit of gaining a deeper global perspective.
What Apoorva didn’t expect was to emerge the other side having not only changed her career ambitions, but her industry and her location – accomplishing what’s known in professional circles as the “triple-jump”. Today she lives in Luxemburg, exploring new challenges in product management.
Can a study abroad experience change your life? Apoorva shares her story of getting to grips with Italian culture, broadening her mindset and meeting strangers who became lifelong friends.
What were your early career ambitions and experiences?
Growing up, I often accompanied my dad to his workplace, The Bank of India, which provided me with an early exposure to the financial sector and piqued my interest in the commercial ecosystem.
My extended family has a small scale chit-fund business and a real-estate business. Having a business-based background helped me understand the impact that businesses have on the growth of the economy, and I was able to set my targets early on.
What was the reason you decided to go to business school?
I aimed to deepen my understanding of drivers of a successful business and strengthen my business fundamentals. Another reason was to network with professionals coming from diverse backgrounds and to develop a more global work profile.
What was it about your school and programme that encouraged you to enrol?
I was keen to pursue an MBA that combined academic rigor with hands-on exposure to real business challenges. I was particularly drawn to a small yet diverse cohort that fosters close peer-to-peer learning. With its case study–driven curriculum, distinguished faculty, and strong reputation in Finance, SDA Bocconi stood out.
As a Chartered Accountant, I found strong synergy with the Finance concentration—especially Financial Services, Private Equity, and Entrepreneurship. Engaging with dynamic alumni further reinforced my decision.
The school’s merit-based financial aid and tuition waivers also provided meaningful encouragement and support for my MBA journey.
What was it like moving to Milan? What helped you find your feet?
Milan has this unique mix of tradition and modernity — it’s deeply Italian in culture, but also extremely international, especially in business and fashion. Socially, SDA Bocconi made adaptation easier because of the diversity of the cohort. I was surrounded by people from 30–40 different nationalities.
At first, that diversity felt overwhelming with different communication styles, different approaches to teamwork, but it quickly became one of the most enriching parts of my experience. My biggest surprise was how quickly strangers became lifelong friends.
What were the best things you gained from your studies?
Bocconi has one of the best academic faculties and it was an enriching experience talking to my professors and learning from them. I started viewing challenges with a global mindset, developed structured thinking under pressure, became more confident with ambiguity, and started building a network with diverse communities.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
The academic rigor, group work, recruiting activities, networking events — everything happens simultaneously. Another challenge was adapting to diverse team dynamics. Different cultural backgrounds mean different communication styles and conflict resolution approaches.
I overcame it by managing my time better, learning to communicate more explicitly in teams, and trying to add value.
Did your study experience change your professional ambitions?
During the MBA, my perspective shifted toward thinking about long-term impact and scale. Interactions with professors, guest speakers, and a diverse peer group broadened my understanding of what was possible.
I became more strategic, moving from asking, “What job do I want next?” to “What capabilities do I want to build over the next decade?” The MBA didn’t change my ambition—it clarified it and gave it clear direction.
How did SDA Bocconi support you in realising your ambitions?
The school equipped me with the platform, tools, and credibility to successfully make a desired triple jump in geography, industry, and role.
Career Services provided structured CV reviews, mock interviews, company presentations, and strong recruiter connections which helped me land a summer internship with Amazon in Luxembourg in their corporate leadership program called MBA Launch.
Live consulting projects and case competitions bridged theory with practice, while accessible, industry-connected faculty offered invaluable mentorship. The alumni network added clarity and confidence through meaningful conversations.
How has your career progressed since graduating?
I got a wonderful opportunity to work in Amazon as a Senior Product Manager as I was selected for their prestigious MBA corporate leadership program. This helped me build transferable skills across the tech industry.
What is your favourite thing about your work today?
I enjoy making strategic decisions and bringing them to execution. My role is more focussed on customer problems and how I can develop tech features as a product manager to streamline the experience of my customers.
I also enjoy the visibility from senior leadership when I pitch my ideas.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself bringing impactful ideas which help my customers expand their business, while also climbing the corporate ladder. I want to explore different product domains to broaden my horizon.
What advice would you give to others who are considering studying abroad?
My advice is to be intentional from day one. Define your goals early, step outside your comfort zone, and engage deeply with the diverse cohort. The year moves quickly, so start career conversations early and invest in relationships—they will be the most valuable part of the experience.
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