(Out on a Limb) Back in the Saddle

What’s new in January…

2010-02-01T05:29:00.004-05:00

Earlier in Jan, I was in Amsterdam for the weekend, with a friend who goes to B-school at Wharton. It was fun hanging out with her after what seemed like an eternity since we last did this - while we were still neighbors in Boston. I must recommend the Anne Frank house -- its very surreal and poignant.I just returned from a fantastic trip to Gothenburg, Sweden, where I visited my dear friends

Shameless plug for London Business School (FT Rankings) …

2010-01-26T20:12:00.005-05:00

League table winners and losers - By Michael JacobsPublished: January 25 2010 00:01 | Last updated: January 25 2010 00:01 (Financial Times)The Financial Times Global MBA rankings for 2010 see London Business School claim the coveted number one spot, having shared the prize with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2009.Comments from alumni of the school's 2006 MBA class,

Africa trip update …..

2009-12-26T05:41:00.004-05:00

I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas! It's a bit late in the posting owing to the fact that I was literally in the wilderness and thereafter in transit from Africa to India, encountering delays and a lost luggage situation which took ages to resolve.The Kili climb over 6 days was great fun - damp, wet, cold, dusty, tiring fun accompanied by large doses of banter and yuk-it-up! I didn't make

Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and onwards

2009-12-11T17:16:00.004-05:00

Apologies for the tardiness in postings from the great beyond. Life has been a bit busier than usual, although I took just one Advanced Finance elective this Fall trimester in addition to a block week on Corporate Turnarounds. The courses had both highs and lows, but all in all I like the block week format – one week, one elective, done! In the meanwhile, I interviewed with Morgan Stanley and had

GSK CEO Andrew Witty and Dr Sanjay Gupta to visit London Business School

2009-10-28T08:48:00.007-05:00

Following last year's successful healthcare conference headlining Roche Pharma CEO Bill Burns, McKinsey Healthcare lead partner Nicolaus Henke and Goldman Sachs Healthcare MD Jon Symonds, The London Business School Healthcare Club takes great pleasure in inviting you to the 2nd Annual London Business School Global Healthcare Conference to be held on the evening of 30th November 2009."Challenging

The south will rise again….

2009-09-24T12:18:00.008-05:00

Sometimes you just need trashy celluloid pulp fiction to get you through the daily grind. My new opiate is this HBO show called True Blood. Having missed out on a great deal of HBO since my move to London I'm just catching up.True Blood has it all – but most importantly it has vampires. The plot is set in sweltering Bon Temps, LA, three years since vampires came "out of the coffin" and entered

How I didn’t meet your mother and other things……

2009-09-11T12:09:00.004-05:00

So I know it's been a while since I've posted. Partly because my eager readers in Kennett Square, PA, Bracknett and LA don't egg me on to keep posting (yes, I do check google analytics to see who's reading my blog!). And thanks for the readership and emails.But that's besides the point! On a sunny Friday (for London) afternoon as I stand on my balcony and look at traffic whiz by, an existential

How to feel like a Morlock among other things….

2009-08-16T13:45:00.005-05:00

Hi y'all! I've been living under a rock – and daily, the dramatic and vivacious gets squeezed out of me, as I turn into an investment banking simulacrum. Its not as bad as I make it out to be – its just a different ballgame, and different rules apply, and it promises to be interesting, and worthwhile as things evolve. Here is a list of projects I've been working on:LBOs - German tech/services

London Business School places first in Forbes ranking

2009-08-11T12:41:00.002-05:00

The biennial Forbes survey, compiled in terms of gain on expenses, questioned alumni from the class of 2004 to determine the results and saw London Business School move up from number two in 2007 to re-capture the top spot which it also held in 2005. Alumni were asked for their pre-MBA salaries as well as compensation figures for three of the first five years after getting their degrees. Post-MBA

On being quoted in BusinessWeek….

2009-07-08T17:57:00.003-05:00

I was quoted in BusinessWeek. Its sort of a rite of passage, methinks! Long ago, I used to read the B-school blogs and articles on BusinessWeek which got me interested in the B-school concept. Funny, that life should come full-circle this way!Here is the link to the article. Summer Reading List: The B-School Edition: Looking for a little light reading to while away the hours? These books might be

A micro-blogpost:first day on my IBD internship

2009-06-22T16:51:00.004-05:00

I'm super-psyched about Day 1 which was mainly orientation. Amazing how the ADD does not kick in when one in NOT attending 3 hour B-school lectures!I've been assigned to the Corporate and Acquisition Finance Team within Global Finance. Translation – a little bit of Restructuring, a dollop of Acquisition Finance and a whole load of Leveraged Finance, and I likely get to dabble in all three over

I discovered School of Seven Bells in the midst of finals….

2009-06-12T15:15:00.006-05:00

I tend to blog a lot around mid-terms and finals. It has now become another form of cyber-procrastination a la Facebooking, Tweeting and Flickr'ing.I'm almost done with four in-a-row finals. Financial Statement Analysis and Management Accounting weren't bad at all. Tomorrow is a double-header of Operations and Technology Management and Capital Markets and Financing. The key to MBA exams is a good

What Exactly Has Salinger Been Writing for the Last 45 Years?

2009-06-08T07:11:00.003-05:00

"Finding Forrester" is one of my all-time favorite films. I'm intrigued by the hermetic Salinger-esque William Forrester played by Sean Connery, from the tweed coats with elbow patches right down to references to stories published in the New Yorker, Pulitzers and prep schools with Hogwarth-like storied tradition. However, what really did it for me was the urban element and for lack of a better

A general thank you to family and friends….

2009-06-05T10:10:00.006-05:00

I know that many of you read this blog to keep tabs on whether I'm on the straight and narrow, and as the first year at Business School in London draws to a close, I wanted to thank you for your support over the past year. Its been a tough year on many fronts, the economy, moving to the UK, learning the language they speak here, and figuring out "what next" with life. In the plus column, I

London Business School Art Exhibition and a white paper on educational reform…..

2009-06-03T16:53:00.015-05:00

I've been MIA for a while. Speaking on MIA, if you like her music, check out Santogold. I've been flying under the radar, having spent a fantastic weekend in Boston, organized the London Business School Crossroads Art Exhibition, taken a macroeconomics exams and finished my organizational behavior audit with MyBnk (a non-profit). BTW If you are into pro-bono for non-profits, I highly recommend

Laying claim to Ben Nevis....a photo essay

2009-05-12T10:08:00.005-05:00

Climbing Ben MoreMinus 23 windchill, hailstorms, rain, snow and we're still smilingGlen Finnan and the Hogwart's Express viaduct (Harry Potter)On our way to the Isle of MullOn the ferry to the Isle of MullLagavulin, Tobermory and Ardbeg are my new best friendsOn our way up Ben NevisVictory is ours! Summiting Ben Nevis Scotland...all of it!!!

Possibly Farewell…..but hail Caledonia!

2009-05-07T16:36:00.005-05:00

I'm writing this as my buddies are texting me to meet them at The Windsor (the LBS pub, we don't actually own it but it feels like we do). I'm jumping on the sleeper train to Glasgow in an hour, to go hiking with my buddies in Scotland, so I'll be brief.Hoping to see some of the best known scenery and landmarks of the Highlands, like Ben Nevis, Buchaille Etive Mor, Glencoe and Rannoch Moor. If

NY Times on God.....

2009-05-04T08:44:00.007-05:00

May 3, 2009, 10:00 pm God Talk In the opening sentence of the last chapter of his new book, “Reason, Faith and Revolution,” the British critic Terry Eagleton asks, “Why are the

Italian weekend….

2009-04-26T17:10:00.012-05:00

Half of my MBA 2010 class visited the Agusta Westland plant near Milan for a school-sponsored field trip. The goal of the visit was to diagnose operational issues in the helicopter assembly and upstream sub-assembly manufacturing plants. Luckily for me, Agusta Westland is 90% similar to a previous client from my consulting days, so this was a lot like shooting fish in a barrel. In any event, as

On being nominated for Best of Blogging @ Clear Admit

2009-04-21T19:44:00.014-05:00

A much needed update to my blog. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was nominated for Clear Admit's Best of Blogging. Fantastic! A really busy schedule prevents me from waxing literary, so bullet points will have to suffice. What has life brought my way these days?I'm in love with Japan. I almost applied for exchange to Keio but other conflicts prevented me from making it work. I'll

Japan Trek Day 1

2009-03-26T13:29:00.013-05:00

I'm reliving the scene from Lost in Translation, where Bill Murray is jet-lagged and up at 3 AM sipping Suntori Time Whisky. Its been less than 24 hours in Japan and I'm already in love with this country. And, this has nothing to do with the fact that I'll be interning for Japan's largest investment bank. For starters, the flight here was easy and I'm glad I splurged my points on business class.

Beeb says “Business schools face test of faith”

2009-03-18T07:02:00.004-05:00

By Kabir Chibber, Business reporter, BBC NewsFor professional capitalists, it's the ultimate badge of honour. For years, wannabe Gordon Geckos who wanted to climb the corporate ladder in the financial world needed to have a Masters of Business Administration, or MBA - at least if they wanted to drive the Ferrari and retire by 30 with lots of money. Held by everyone from former president George

I’m dying for a good movie about junkies in Edinburgh….

2009-02-28T14:33:00.007-05:00

Ugh! I've said it before here but I'll say it again, "Danny Boyle, you should stick to making movies about junkies in Edinburgh! Look mofo, your exploiting India's poverty for titillation to accompany popcorn chomping is not cool. Your connection with India is zilch! In fact the first time you visited the country was to shoot the film. And, did you even watch City of Joy and Cidade de Deus before

Milkround post-partum

2009-02-18T11:20:00.010-05:00

Randomlist of going-ons in my life at LBS:Helping organize London Business School Arts & Culture week – showcasing art created by LBS'ers, week-long lunch time events including free concerts, string quartets, performing arts, open-air plays culminating in the Art Investment ConferenceA project for my Managing Organizational Behavior class with MyBnk, a charity that eradicates financial illiteracy

Dis’es, Dings, Zings and Investment Banking Bling ….

2009-02-10T15:47:00.005-05:00

Firstly, thanks to you, my readers, for your comments about my blog and about LBS. I usually suppress them to maintain confidentiality and so I can tell it like it is in my response -- but feel free to email me your questions at sbuxespresso@gmail.com. I'll try to respond within the week.By now you've figured out that Milkround is an artifact of British uni recruiting. A week of 9 to 9 corporate

A much needed diversion from Putin and Wen’s Davos bitch-slap….

2009-01-29T12:17:00.002-05:00

A complaint letter sent to Sir Richard Branson (Virgin mogul), which is currently being emailed globally and is considered by many to be the world's funniest passenger complaint letter.Dear Mr BransonREF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident

Do you believe in rankings?

2009-01-25T19:21:00.005-05:00

London Business School tops FT’s MBA tablesBy Della Bradshaw and Michael JacobsFinancial Times, Published: January 25 2009 23:01 | Last updated: January 25 2009 23:01 function floatContent(){var paraNum = "3" paraNum = paraNum - 1;var tb = document.getElementById('floating-con');var nl = document.getElementById('floating-target');if(tb.getElementsByTagName("div").length> 0){if (

In Requiem

2009-01-13T10:41:00.002-05:00

Gosh, all this pimpin' myself out to i-banks and consulting firms (during the LBS Milkround) has me wondering, why the f**k am I doing this! This took me back to an assignment from my UGM (Understanding General Management) Class. First we had to write an essay on "How would a recruiter describe you to a potential employer 5 years hence?". Then for our second assignment we had to write out own

All I want for Christmas …. an open letter to Mrs. Claus

2008-12-21T16:21:00.003-05:00

Dear Frau Klaus,I loved impersonating Herr Klaus along with 450 LBS'ers at the annual Santa Pub Crawl. I received your Christmas card in the mail. You looked fab (and did you lose some weight or what, yowza?). Anyhoo, was hoping you could put in a plug for me with Herr K.Really, all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth. That and I was so hoping you could influence Herr Klaus to bring

Salaam Bombay!

2008-11-27T07:05:00.007-05:00

I'm still in a state of shock. My city is in flames.Last evening I was at the Deutsche Bank London office near Broad Street, having the time of my life, when I received a spate of emails about the attacks on Bombay. This is not new to me. I lived through the 1993 bombings which claimed 250 civilian lives, but the brazenness of guerilla attacks and the use of grenades crossed a line. I'm sure once

London Business School Global Healthcare Conference, December 1, 2008

2008-11-20T19:36:00.005-05:00

(Press Release)The London Business School Healthcare Club is delighted to announce the first London Business School Global Healthcare Conference, to be held on December 1st, 2008 at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Regents Park, London. Conference organizers expect 250 delegates.The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for healthcare leaders, London Business

Over the Rhine – Pratham Indo-German Business Forum in Dusselfdorf

2008-11-17T11:28:00.005-05:00

Pratham e.V., the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, the Indian government and London Business School co-sponsored the 3rd Indo-German Business Forum in Dusseldorf last week. This was the most fun I've had since joining LBS. A large LBS contingent flew to Dusseldorf the evening before. I for one flew into Amsterdam Schipol with my buddy Krish, and I assure you that the choice was made owing to

Leaving New York Never Easy… (London Business School NYC Finance Trek)

2008-11-14T13:32:00.005-05:00

(As published in the London Business School newsletter)"In New York freedom looks like too many choices" - that's the opening line from U2's "New York".My thoughts exactly and those of fifteen other London Business School MBA2010s on the NYC Finance Trek, as we boarded planes bound for JFK from Heathrow on the evening of October 22nd. The school's Career Services Office had helped us line up

Enough with the Found Art………

2008-10-18T20:29:00.016-05:00

This oversubscribed genre of art finally earned my ire today. I was at the Frieze Art Fair, an annual event hosted by Frieze magazine in Regent's Park. It features around 150 contemporary art galleries from all over the world. The organization and variety of modern art is fantastic and I thought the installations below were cool.But back to my original rant on the dilution of modern art by two

All These Things That I’ve Done……

2008-10-11T07:36:00.012-05:00

Having been M.I.A., I have decided to burp out a post rather than remain post-less forever.Now that I have all my appointments, classes, club and career events firmly programmed and synced between my iPhone and the school's Outlook Exchange server, at the very least, I know how in-deep I am. On a more mundane note, after successfully moving into my flat the toughest parts were finding a drying

Juicy Case Studies.....

2008-09-02T13:32:00.012-05:00

Last week was Orientation week at LBS - a meticulously planned affair, complete with ice sculptures that spelt 'MBA 2010' on the LBS front lawn. Rumor has it that since "The Crown" owns the building, said Crown has to be petitioned before conducting frivolity on the front lawn. Translation - "The Crown" approves out liquor license. The first two days however, were hosted at Lord's Cricket Ground,

Notting Hill Carnival - LBS Outing

2008-08-22T09:25:00.005-05:00

LBS'ers - I threw this together knowing that a few of us are interested in the Carnival. I suggest going on Monday, meeting at Plowden Reception at 11 AM and departing thence via Baker St. Tube/Chyube Stop. Later in the day gets very crowded. Of course, you could go any other time Sunday or Monday - just go as a large group - apparently petty crime is prevalent given the million-odd crowd. And

A mini-post from the city of mini-cabs

2008-08-21T09:37:00.018-05:00

My move to London was smoother than expected. Not that I had anticipated pain! I had some anxiety about how my life in Boston would map to my life in London. For example, where would I find a wash-and-iron service that would be as cheap as my drycleaners in Boston? Would my flat have air-conditioning? And would there be a Starbucks within walking distance of LBS? Here is what I have found thus

A couple of B-school essays

2008-08-07T09:37:00.012-05:00

It seems that my last posting of a B-school essay was well received and "advice" was sought by some future applicants. The only "advice" I can give is a) be yourself, b) make your examples short, pithy and colorful, c) tell a story that stands out, d) strongly link your past experiences with your future goals, e) avoid vagueness at all cost f) don't assume the reader's ability to read between the

A dark and disturbing preoccupation…..

2008-08-01T13:15:00.012-05:00

Counting down two weeks before I wrap up my last consulting engagement at the world’s largest mining equipment manufacturer (every boy’s dream – being surrounded by bright yellow big diggers, six stories tall). Then, a week of unwinding, including visiting a friend in Philly who started at Wharton and NYC to see a cousin, who is stateside for a month. Then London, mid-August! Found out that I’ll

On leaving the real world on a high note……

2008-07-18T18:38:00.013-05:00

As I shift gears into a student lifestyle, going from being intensely goal-focused to being slightly more activity-focused, I’ve been quizzing my MBA friends about how to order from the a la carte menu that is b-school life. The consensus is that it’s not what you choose to do in b-school, but what you choose not to do. I want to have my cake and eat it too, from a personal growth and

On B-school essays

2008-07-11T21:08:00.043-05:00

I think back to the Fall of 2007 and the B-school app process. I'm elated that I won't ever have to write another B-school essay again. Although, the one essay that I did enjoy writing was NYU Stern's Essay #3. I created a mini-blog and submitted it as my essay. In the interest of filling chronological gaps for my family and friends, I've decided to post it.NYU Essay #3 - Personal Expression:

Back in the Saddle -- Part Deux

2008-07-01T23:08:00.011-05:00

This is a do-over of sorts....phoenix rising from the ashes and other such metaphors....I'm considering having a go at resurrecting my blog........I've cleaned out most of my previous posts.....they were shockingly mediocre......The most important update is that I (re)applied to B-schools this year and had admits from LBS and NYU Stern.... and as The Clash say, its London Calling....I'm leaving

Private Equity & Ellis's Irrational Thoughts

2007-01-30T12:53:00.014-05:00

Today was D-day of sorts. I helped a Principal pitch our service offering to PE firm. Can't give you too many details for confidentiality sake, but suffice it to say I was on pins and needles of a different sort. My audience was an MD and a Principal from the PE firm, both with immaculate pedigrees and years of PE/Consulting experience. I stuttered a few times trying to 'add value' to the

In the beginning.....

2007-01-19T19:47:00.011-05:00

Its been a while since I’ve written anything other than powerpoint text and SUMIF statements in Excel - so bear with me while I get my groove back. This is the story of my quest for an MBA. Its been 3+ years since I decided I wanted to get an MBA. I wasn't procrastinating - just waiting for the right time . This is my year.So, I’m starting this blog much later than most people do during the MBA