Education: MBA, The Wharton School (2010); Bachelor of Computing in Information Systems and Entrepreneurship, National University of Singapore/ Stanford University (2004)

I joined the Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) team after my MBA in 2010. I was looking to move back to India after business school and exploring opportunities within the private equity sector. Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), the MA program and my proposed role with the SCPE team appealed to me for various reasons. The bank, with its focus on emerging markets, had a dominant presence in markets where investment activity was on the upswing. This, coupled with the bank's increasing appetite to make big-ticket investments, had resulted in SCPE being an active player within the PE industry across its footprint in Asia, Middle East and Africa regions. Deep knowledge of local markets built over several decades of experience, ability to fund and manage investments without the pressure of third-party LPs, a team that had been through various investment cycles, and extensive support from the SCB franchise made SCPE stand-out amongst its peers and convinced me that it would be a perfect place to hone my skills as an investor.

Since joining SCPE, I have enjoyed a broad exposure to different types of investment opportunities (public markets vs. private markets, straight equity vs. structured deals, minority stakes vs. control positions). In less than a year, I have had the opportunity to participate in two investments made by the India PE team and deploy more than USD 140MM of investment capital. The collaborative work culture and global nature of the bank have provided me with opportunities to meet and interact with colleagues across several offices. The Bank and the MA program lay a lot of emphasis on mobility across functions, and this has been instrumental in helping me expand my horizon beyond the private equity business and learn about the bank's other businesses. My colleagues have made me feel welcome and are always ready with a kind word or a helping hand whenever I have faced challenges with learning the ropes of a business that is essentially very new to me.

As I look back upon the past few months, I am glad I chose Standard Chartered. It's an incredible place to learn new things everyday, meet people who are passionate about their work, and grow your career in a way that is not only financially rewarding but also socially responsible.