Father's Day MBA Style: Bharad Ramakrishnan

Bharad Ramakrishnan, Weekend MBA student, Corporate Strategy Manager at Cummins

Why did you choose to pursue an MBA? Why Chicago Booth?

I had been in a variety of engineering roles within Cummins. Six years into my time there, I decided I wanted to switch from an engineering to a business role and do something that had a higher level impact on the company as a whole. A number of colleagues spoke highly about Chicago Booth. I wanted to choose a school with a very strong alumni network and world-class faculty, and felt that Chicago Booth was the right place for me.

How does your MBA impact your day-to-day work?

When I was still in my engineering role, my learnings at Booth had an impact on my presentation skills, my interactions with colleagues, and the way I organized my thoughts more clearly. Now in my current role, the MBA is directly applicable because I can take almost everything I learn in class and apply it to my projects on a day-to-day basis. My MBA has helped me with analyzing market opportunities, competitors and investment opportunities, and thinking through ambiguous problems to come up with actionable recommendations. Chicago Booth played a major part in helping me transition smoothly from an engineering role to business strategy.

What other activities have you been involved with at Chicago Booth?

I’m part of the Booth Consulting Club. While I did not have time to take a leadership position, I volunteered for some activities like the Booth Consulting Club Symposium to make sure I could give back to the community. I’m also part of the Booth Social Impact Club and am working on a project for nonprofit YWCA. My group is evaluating a market opportunity for a product that would provide US citizens traveling abroad tips and resources to avoid and respond to instances of gender-based violence.

When you were considering an MBA, what was the decision-making process like for your family?

When I was applying for MBA programs, I made sure that my wife was completely aware of the process and that she understood what the time commitment and travel would look like. My oldest daughter was two at the time and my youngest was not born yet (she is now 9 months). My wife and I traveled together to Chicago Booth for an information session, so she could really see what the experience would look like. My biggest question was would it be worthwhile to drive to Chicago every weekend for my MBA? It was my wife who said she would take care of the family fully on weekends so that I could get a degree from a top institution. She pointed out that if I was going to spend the time getting an MBA, it should be from a leading business school, so she was the one who pushed me and gave me the confidence to do this. 

What did your travel schedule look like?

On Saturdays, I would typically be away from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. I would drive from home and make it right before class and then start back directly after class. Fortunately, there is a carpool group in Indianapolis, so a group of us would drive together. It’s a long day but it’s totally worth it. Even the carpool was productive as we’d chat about classes and interesting topics. I always looked forward to returning home as my daughter would wait up to see me and that is what kept me going.