Anamika Agarwal’s resume has the qualifications to make anyone’s jaw drop – IIT Bombay (BTech), MIT (Masters), London Business School (MBA). She has also worked in top companies like Goldman Sachs and Walmart.
Ten years after she wrote a post on how she dropped an admit from Stanford to attend MIT on a full scholarship, she’s back with a follow-up post on life as a student and alumna of London Business School.
Life during and after LBS MBA
by Anamika Agarwal
From Wall Street to Baker Street: My MBA Pivot Story and Beyond
How did the MBA idea take root?
After spending five intense years at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, I knew I was ready for something more. Not just more responsibility — but more direction. I’d built tech for trading desks and risk systems, but the real action — the decisions, the strategy, the “why” behind the build — was happening on the other side of the table. And I wanted a seat at that table.
That’s where the MBA came in. Not as a shiny stamp, but as a tool to pivot from being a tech builder to becoming a business driver. I didn’t just want a degree — I wanted a reset.
Thought Process in School Selection
I applied to Wharton, LBS, Kellogg, Tuck, and IMD, with a clear focus on programs known for their strength in finance. But the visa situation added an extra layer to my decision-making — being 5.25 years into my H1B, I had limited time left in the U.S. post-MBA. That’s when I discovered that spending a year abroad could reset my H1B clock, making international programs a strategic choice.
Program length was also a big factor. I wasn’t looking for a two-year academic breather — I wanted a sharp, focused pivot. LBS’s 15-month format and Kellogg’s and IMD’s one-year program stood out as efficient paths forward.
The traveler in me was eager to explore a new continent and culture, and LBS checked that box. At the same time, the risk-hedger in me appreciated London’s location — straddling the U.S. and India, it kept career opportunities open in both mature and emerging markets.
Campus visits influenced me too. Some schools made the list not just for academics, but for the energy, the people, and the overall experience.
In the end, I received offers from both LBS and Kellogg — and chose LBS. After 8 years of building a life in the U.S., I packed my bags and crossed the pond.
The MBA cohort – masterclass in culture
Moving to London was a cultural reset. The city itself felt like a fascinating blend of old-world charm and global ambition. At LBS, the diversity was striking — about 400 students from over 60 nationalities. My study group alone felt like a microcosm of the world: Swedish, Canadian, British, Australian, Romanian, and me — the Indian.
One memorable anecdote from our first study group meeting still stands out:
We were scheduled to meet at 12:00 PM sharp. The Swede showed up at 11:45 AM, perfectly early and prepared. The Aussie strolled in around 12:05 PM, casually on-time. I made my entrance at 12:15 PM, thinking I was just fashionably late — until the Brit arrived at 12:20 PM, followed by the Romanian, who breezed in at 12:30 PM. The Canadian, of course, showed up at 12:10 PM and apologized profusely for being “only” five minutes late.
That day, I realized even something as universal as time is culturally shaped. It was our crash course in global collaboration — not just about syncing calendars, but about managing expectations, respecting different working styles, and learning to navigate personalities shaped by wildly different norms. We weren’t just building PowerPoints — we were building trust across time zones, mindsets, and definitions of punctuality.
The Firehose, FOMO & Finding my people
The first few months at LBS felt like drinking from a firehose — orientation marathons, club fairs, career panels, and social events coming at you nonstop. I dipped my toes in everything: the India Club, Women in Business, and even the Rugby Club (yes, that happened). But what truly stayed with me were the people. Flatmates who became family. A handful of classmates — because let’s be honest, unconditional friendships are rare when so much is at stake — who became my sounding boards. And professors who didn’t just teach, but quietly reprogrammed how I saw the world.
Very quickly, two truths set in: time is limited, and FOMO is inevitable. I had to get comfortable making hard choices. There were a hundred amazing things to do, but trying to do them all was a one-way ticket to burnout. I learned to prioritize ruthlessly, drop the guilt, and focus on what mattered most to me.
One of the most magical LBS traditions was the student-led country treks — classmates hosting 20–30 of us in their home countries: Turkey, Portugal, Japan, India, and beyond. It wasn’t about ticking off tourist sights — it was about seeing culture through a friend’s eyes and understanding where they came from.
Add to that quirky staples like the Santa Pub Crawl, MBAT, and Sundowners, and you had a campus community that knew how to work hard — and live even harder. Burnout or balance — it was up to me. And that lesson stuck far beyond business school.
From Fixed Goals to Fluid Growth
The first year at LBS was structured — a common curriculum that kept everyone on the same page. But by the third term, we began to chart our own paths. Some opted for international exchanges (LBS has an incredible network with top global schools), while others leaned into internships. I was accepted into the ISB exchange — partly to reconnect with India — but in the end, I chose to take on two internships instead.
My fascination with fixed income and macroeconomics led me to Lloyds Bank in London and Standard Chartered in Singapore. Both experiences were valuable, with Singapore especially broadening my lens through its unique regional context. I was fully set on a finance career — this was the plan.
But 2011 had other ideas. The European debt crisis was unfolding. Markets were shaky. Offers were scarce. Despite solid internships, nothing was materializing. It felt like I was sprinting on a treadmill — working hard, staying in motion, but going nowhere.
That moment forced a mindset shift. I looked sideways. Amazon came in with an offer. On paper, it was great. But my gut didn’t leap. That’s when I realised: an MBA doesn’t hand you a path. It hands you a map, but you still have to walk it. And sometimes, you have to draw new paths on that map yourself.
Building, Bouncing, and Belonging
In 2012, I returned to India, ready to launch my post-MBA career and be closer to family. But reality didn’t quite match the vision. Fixed income markets weren’t mature here, and most paths led back to high-frequency trading — not where I saw myself. So, I pivoted.
What followed was a whirlwind seven-year journey across startups — dabbling in agri-tech, payments, and consumer lending. Different industries, different phases, but one common thread: solving real problems from the ground up and witnessing how businesses are truly built. Looking back, it was another powerful avatar of being in the driver’s seat.
Through it all, the LBS community quietly showed up. Loose connections that turned into real conversations. A willingness to ask for help that paid off. One alum even became a mentor who continues to guide me.
Eventually, I transitioned to Walmart as a product leader. What followed was five years of operating in a startup-like environment inside a Fortune 1 company — scaling eCommerce and marketplace businesses across borders. It was also my entry into the world of GCCs (Global Capability Centres), and an eye-opener into how they power global growth for MNCs.
Last year, I hit pause to re-evaluate what truly mattered. Through that reflection came some surprising yet grounding revelations. The marginal utility of money and constant running had diminished. In its place, health, family time, and meaningful work took center stage. I decided to step away from Walmart to reinvent myself—again. Today, I’m leading product and growth at an AI startup, serving on boards, training to become an ICF-certified coach, and exploring a few passion projects on the side.
The Alumni Life
The LBS community remains highly active in metro cities, with traditional events like Santa Pub Crawl and Sundowners still bringing alumni together to relive the old days. Alumni also play a crucial role in interviewing prospective students, giving back to the community in a meaningful way. There are focused WhatsApp groups where members share opportunities, ask for help, and more often than not, someone’s there with a solution. In addition, broader alumni groups like Ivyplus continue hosting mixers, fostering connections across different networks.
That said, with the pressures of work and family, I haven’t been able to keep up with all the networking events. What truly works for me are authentic one-on-one conversations, and I always make sure to stay in touch with a select few.
What I Learned (And What You Might)
An MBA doesn’t hand you answers—it sharpens your questions. It provides a new lens to see the world and equips you with the tools to reshape your place in it. It prepares you to adapt, understand what truly matters, and add value wherever you are. Over the years, I’ve worn many hats—not because I planned it that way, but because the business needed it, and I was ready.
And lastly, it offers a priceless global network of alumni. How you leverage the school’s brand and this extensive network is entirely up to you. But when you do, the possibilities will pleasantly surprise you.
Having a plan is important—it gives you direction. But don’t hold it too tightly. Be open to letting it evolve and to paths you couldn’t have imagined at the start. When you look back, the dots always connect. I’ve become a firm believer in this, reflecting on my own professional and personal journey.
Signing off on a lighter note. Just be ready to show up fashionably late to a 12-noon meeting and still call it “on time.”
As an admissions consultant with MBA Crystal ball, Anamika takes up a few mentoring requests each year. Reach out if you’d like to work with her on your MBA admissions journey: info@mbacrystalball.com
– How I got into MBB after MBA at LBS
– Facts about LBS
– What does LBS look for in their applicants?
