Monday, January 25, 2010

hilary [week 2]: financial times and haggis

One might understandably wonder what the Financial Times newspaper and haggis have in common. And I must confess not much at all, other than the fact, that this week I enjoyed revelling in the glory that the Financial Times Global MBA Rankings 2010 saw Oxford move up four spots to #16 world-wide (tied with Yale) to become the second highest ranked B-school in the United Kingdom behind LBS...and that I got to expand my gastronomical limits by trying haggis.


Of course, not too much faith should be placed in these rankings, but nonetheless it serves as a signal to recruiters about the growing prestige and quality of the Oxford MBA. Had the rankings been released just a few hours earlier, I might have enjoyed a nice toast of fine Scotch during the Robert Burns Dinner that I was invited to at Merton College - by my friend Pavan.

Commemorating the Scottish poet's "Address to a Haggis" back in 1787, we all dined on traditional haggis (sheep heart, liver, and lungs), which was served alongside "neeps and tatties" (yellow turnips and potatoes). I managed to overcome my American culinary sensitivities by eating "at least one" piece of haggis. The night was filled with the sound of bagpipes playing, and dinner guests wearing their kilts and donning their best Scottish brogue. Oxford sure is an interesting place, and I've been so lucky to have had the opportunity to study here, and to make such good friends.

hilary [week 1]: mba finance club

Like any other top-tier MBA program, Oxford provides many opportunities for interested MBAs to become involved in student clubs. Every year the Oxford Business Alumni (OBA) recognizes 5 core "Oxford Business Networks (OBN)," including Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management Consulting, Private Equity, and Social Entrepreneurship. Beyond this "core" group many other non-permanent OBNs and "Student Interest Groups (SIGs)" are supported depending on the inclination of the students.

Current OBNs and SIGs include Real Estate, Technology, Leadership, and Women in Business - just to name a few. In many ways these groups operate much like traditional MBA student clubs, however, the difference is that while run by students they are expressly operated in a way as to link current students with alumni and practitioners in the field. It provides a nice "bridge" for students as they transition back into the work world, and also provides a mechanism to keep alumni involved.

For example, when I was elected as President of the core Finance OBN, I was elected to a 2-year term. Since the Oxford MBA only lasts 1-year this obviously means that I am "contracted" to stay on and support the next year's class as an alumni.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

hilary [week 0]: entrepreneurial project

As you may already know from reading my previous blogs, the Oxford school year is separated into Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity terms. Furthermore, each term is divided into roughly 11-weeks. Week 0, also referred to as "naught week," marks the start of students returning from their holiday break. Students then attend class from Weeks 1-8, revise for finals during Week 9, and finally take their exams during Week 10. But for an Oxford MBA...the work never really ends.

I was working on several "pet projects" ever since returning to New York on December 19th. As soon as I returned to Oxford on January 13th for the start of Hilary term, I wasted no time executing my plans. In my next blog I will talk about the various initiatives I'm taking to raise the profile of the Oxford Finance Club. But for now I'll talk about the "Entrepreneurial Project (EP)" that I worked on over the Christmas break.

First, a little context. To combat the criticism that B-schools do not impart their MBAs with any practical "real-world" experience, many programs now include business plan and consulting project components. Following this logic, by the end of Hilary term Oxford MBAs are expected to pitch our EP (business plan) to a panel of venture capitalists - some plans are actually funded by the VCs. Each EP group must consist of no more (or less) than 5 people. I am pleased to be working with Adarsh, Court, Genia, and Rajeev this term. Together, we must also submit a 6,000 word report related to our EP.

After considering several options, we decided to form an EP group around the topic of Darjeeling Tea in India. I was motivated to try something new and different, but at the same time leverage my financial knowledge of auction markets, as well as my business knowledge of owning a coffee shop. To kick things off, I invited everyone to Exeter College for a formal dinner on Sunday. I brought a sampling of Darjeeling Tea products. I also shared my findings on product offerings, and pricing, from research performed in the exotic reaches of...New York. After several brain-storming sessions, we decided to focus on helping tea cooperatives in Darjeeling get a better price for their tea by arranging an online auction system. We will also help local plantations implement new technologies, as well as re-market their product so that it may reclaim its moniker of being the "champagne of teas." It will be an interesting journey, and I can't wait for my first trip to India!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

michaelmas [week 10]: end-of-term gala

On December 17th, 243 Oxford MBAs descended toward Ewert House, and sat for our final exam of the Michaelmas term. Decked out wearing 'sub-fusc,' we ripped through the Marketing case study. We had spent the past week sitting for uncomfortably long periods - wearing our tuxedos with academic gown - as we constructed 3x3 matrices to compute the variance of a basket of stocks, then calculated the standard deviation of those stocks within a 95% confidence interval, and finally decided whether or not options on those stocks should be expensed.

The term certainly flew by quickly - just as they said it would. I remember having just arrived in Oxford (for the first time in 10-years) this past September 24th. As an undergraduate, I had studied abroad here under the tutorial system. But now, as an MBA, I would come to know Oxford in a whole different way.

In the short span of 10-weeks I fully immersed myself in Oxford life. I rowed for my Exeter College Novice B team in the Christ Church Regatta. Before coming here, I would have thought that sounded like some obscure religious ritual. And in some ways it was, because Oxford is crazy about their rowing! I also became Treasurer of the Student Government, and completed my lock on finance by becoming Chairman of the Finance-OBN. My schedule has been so full this past term - not to mention the 6 core courses we all took - that attending the end-of-term Gala proved to be the best way to conclude Michaelmas term. Click on the video below to see some photos from our Michaelmas term 2009 Gala.



View the video below for one of the highlights of the Gala dinner:



Lyrics to Bye-Bye Miss American Pie (Oxford Rendition)
(sung at Michaelmas Gala 2009)

Not so much time ago
I can still remember
when Mungo used to make me smile [Managerial Economics]
And when I get my second chance
I’ll still fail econ at a glance
We were all fooled by his boyish cheeky smile,

But Alan didn't make us shiver [Finance I]
with the questions he delivered
Tough but fair with finance
I love those snazzy red pants

Went to Tomo and I cried [Financial Reporting]
What goes on the left hand side?
“Show me double entry!' he replied
Thanks to him, I will survive.

So hear ye when I say that we’re free
We’re the best though the DS really petrified me.
And I might have to do econ in week 10 Hilary
But for now I plan to drink up with glee,
So won’t you raise your glass up with me?

When you sat for strategy
Did you use the growth hierarchy
If the framework tells you so?
Do you believe in Thomas Powell, [Strategy I]
Or did Chris and Richard show you how
To value innovate and reach blue ocean’s flow?

Oh Mungo! We were in love with him
He blew us kisses in the gym,
Can’t believe he had the nerve,
Not to add the marginal revenue curve!

And when I had accounting pain
I would ask for help from Jaypal Jain [Financial Reporting]
While Mark played 2 by 2 Nash games,
Aaron was on my side.

James Taylor started singing, (I’ll tell you what I want…)
My, my Doug the marketing guy, [Marketing]
There’s no doubt you’ll tease it out
And make the customers buy,
But why are the cases from 1975?
Long before the web had started to thrive,
Most of us weren’t even alive.

Derek from careers says we’re on our own [Career Services]
If McKinsey won’t pick up the phone
Even though I sent them my CV.
James and Dolores were the king and queen [Decision Science]
Of deviating from the mean
Too bad I still can’t do decision trees,

SBS Alumni where were you
When we went on our river cruise
It was so very rude
That we didn’t get any food!
Diwali, Maxwell’s, Halloqueen
We tried to keep the photos clean
And tried to keep some things unseen
Like when I kissed another guy…

We started singing,
Bye bye 2009
I may not have a offer but I don’t really mind.
We’re Oxford MBAs –
We’re Saïd MBAs so we’re gonna be fine
So for now let’s drink one more glass of wine,
A toast… the class of 2009!

michaelmas [week 9]: Revision Week

Post to come...

michaelmas [week 8]: SVCO

Post to follow...