Ketaki Banga and the rest of the BPG leadership team
LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL
Since quitting her bachelor’s degree in her early twenties, Banga always aspired to go back to school and get her MBA. However, she says that timing was an issue; she was often struggling to survive as a single mom and get back on her feet. “When I quit my bachelor’s degree, I was so eager to get on with the rest of my life that I didn’t value education as much as I do now. This is something I regretted later on,” she says.
With timing now on her side, she chose the Dubai campus of London Business School for her master’s since it’s an international school with students of diverse backgrounds and experiences. “I like that London Business School embraces people who are different and who didn’t necessarily follow the conventional path to getting an MBA. I’m looking forward to meeting people who have also taken different paths to getting there,” she explains.
Another reason she wants to return to school is because she wants to be equipped with skills that can set her up for the future — especially since our world is changing so rapidly. “What I’m doing today may not be relevant a few years from now,” she says. “For me, it’s about being excited about what I don’t know and what else is out there.”
Banga will begin her on-campus Executive MBA this September. Plus, her son is also going to be attending university next year in the U.S. “There’s something so exciting about both of us going back to school together,” she says. “If I want to inspire my children to live their dreams, then I have to do it too. They need to see me live my dreams so that they know it’s not just words.”
EMBA GOALS
Banga is a firm believer in the importance of constant evolution. “You have to keep reinventing yourself. During my career, I’ve had to transition into different roles. But each time I’ve felt stifled, it’s felt like the world was my oyster. It never felt like a new story, but rather just the next chapter,” she says.
She hopes that her EMBA brings her a broader perspective and deeper knowledge. While she’s currently in a communications and marketing space, she’d like to be a more well-rounded business leader. “I want to have a stronger voice when it comes to business transformation,” she says. “There is so much change happening and I want to be part of that change. I want to create more empathetic and dynamic businesses and drive conversations around defining purpose and how that is not at odds with profit. And, I want to acquire deeper skills to enable organisations to be more relevant and meaningful, lead by example, and be strong enough to empower other people of all backgrounds.”
“Even in my role now working in communications and marketing, above all I’m still a storyteller that never stops,” she continues. “As I prepare to send my son to university next year, I feel just as excited today as I did at 18 about what I want to be when I grow up.”
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