Deepak Tewari is CEO of Privately SA, a Swiss company focusing on online data protection and privacy for children. He completed his MBA at IMD in 2007.
IMD recently caught up with Deepak to discuss how the IMD MBA impacted his career.
Why did you choose to do your MBA at IMD?
Deepak Tewari: With significant market experience in my 30s and a family, I was looking for a top one year program that would shake up the complacence that many of us found ourselves in after a few years of professional life.
What were the key learnings and highlights of the experience?
Deepak Tewari: The intellectual and physical rigor as well as the calculated emotional upheaval built in the program pushed most participants to self-reflection and awareness – far more rewarding than plain Finance or Marketing, the conventional focus of most MBAs. Personally, I got the much-needed confidence to understand the world of business and to embrace uncertainty. In addition, the program highlighted the importance of being authentic and carving your own path- which for me was one of the key take-aways.
What was the impact of the MBA on your career and life path?
Deepak Tewari: Prior to the MBA I had a largely sales/business development career. Post MBA I got hired in roles that exposed me to corporate development, M&A, corporate venturing etc. So the MBA helped me in both functional as well as geographical mobility. That in turn helped me work closely with startups to the point that I created a business of my own. Following the MBA my family ended up living in Switzerland for the past decade. At another level, I think the MBA gave me the confidence to take on challenging roles and follow my gut – which in my case has taken me quite far away from the ‘MBA’ world and into the realm of startups.
How did the other participants enhance the experience, what was their contribution?
Deepak Tewari: While the IMD selection process ensures that there are high intellectual caliber participants – I think there is something special about having a very diverse bunch of people working together. The collective learning in terms of diverse attitudes, culture factors and approaches to problem solving were always an eye-opener. Some of my most memorable learnings were around conflict resolution, and how people from different backgrounds reacted to stressful situations. That helped me later at various points in my career when faced with similar situations in a very multicultural setting.
I have kept in touch with the school, staff and alumni and have had some great friendships that have stood the test of time and provided camaraderie, support and guidance when I needed them.
Find out more about the IMD MBA.
