Hangout with Alums: Kalpana Magendra, PGP 2015

The first session in the Hangout with Alums series for the year 2021 featured one of the most sought-after domains of General Management as its themeHangout with Alums is a series of interactive sessions by the Student Alumni Committee featuring recent IIMB alumni from different domains of business such as Consulting, Marketing, Finance, General Management, and Product Management, where the speakers share insights regarding careers in their chosen sector, along with valuable advice on how to prepare for entering these sectors.

Ms. Kalpana Magendra, an alumnus, PGP 2013-15 batch, IIM Bangalore, and Manager & head of Global sales and Governance for EV charging ecosystem, Tata Administrative Services, was hosted by the Student Alumni Committee. Ms. Kalpana’s session was marked by a candid conversation about her rich experience as TAS manager, general management as a career choice & pieces of advice for both batches of the PGP program. She had set the tone of the session quite informal – encouraging numerous queries from students. In answering these questions – she shared her valuable insights about what to expect & how to prepare oneself for work-life post-college. She emphasized the importance of exploring various opportunities that IIMB offers without succumbing to peer pressure – and figuring out the area that really interests oneself. She also shared interesting stories from her work life – and touch-based upon topics like career growth, mobility, the impact of workplace culture, challenges in a general management job, etc.

The attendees commended the session, who found it extremely helpful and left the session with a lot more clarity about the general management domain & desire to step into the same.

Contributors: