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Gautam Goenka ‘10, India
"The Thunderbird experience is a wonderful and unique journey that will challenge you and bring you in touch with fantastic people. If you are interested in becoming a global citizen, Thunderbird is the right place for you."


Gautam Goenka ‘10

Although originally from Mumbai, India, Gautam Goenka grew up in Dubai, UAE, where he learned to speak both Hindi and English. After getting his undergraduate degree in Marketing from The American University in Dubai, Goenka worked in the Attraction & Recruitment department at Shell, where he spent four years working in London, Hague, and Dubai planning and executing global recruitment projects.

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Goenka was always looking for more and wanted to get into his own business. “I was very keen on understanding the finer aspects of international business and entrepreneurship,” says Goenka. “I think Thunderbird was the best place to learn this.”

However, Goenka’s job required him to travel extensively and he wanted the freedom to pursue his degree while on the move, and did not want to leave his job and resume again in a few years. “The biggest requirement for me in a degree program was flexibility,” recalls Goenka. “After researching a number of universities, I made the decision to apply for the dual-degree distance learning program from Thunderbird and Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. I must say that it was one of the best decisions I have made.”

Through the Thunderbird/IUKD distance learning program, Goenka and his cohort participated in online courses in business fundamentals taught by IUKD faculty and global business classes taught by Thunderbird professors.

In addition to the flexibility of the distance learning program, Goenka found the global aspect of the program to be a big benefit as well. “I have personally met a number of T-birds across the globe and the first thing that strikes me about them is their global mindset,” says Goenka. “Over the course of my studies, I have also had the chance to work with some fantastic professors who had excellent experiences to share with us. These folks were thought leaders in their fields and were recognized within their industry.”

As part of his program Goenka also had the opportunity to experience two Regional Business Environment (RBE) seminars abroad. “My most memorable experience has to be our cohort's RBE trip to China,” recalls Goenka. “It gave us the chance to bond and learn together. Dr. Roe Goddard’s expertise on the subject was fantastic. Not only did we get to see how business works in China, we were also shown the cultural aspects to the country.”

Even as a student, Goenka was able to apply what he gained from the program to his career. “I feel a lot more at ease while dealing with newer markets and cultures. One of the best examples of this was when we were opening a new department hub in an eastern European country. Using my knowledge from my Thunderbird classes, the T-bird alumni network, and advice from the professors, I was able to easily complete the project.”

Goenka recently changed jobs - he is now the Recruitment Manager for the Middle East for General Electric - and he believes his Thunderbird degree played a very vital role in helping him secure this position. “I think they were quite impressed with the fact that I was able to work while at the same time completing two degrees from such excellent institutions.”

In addition to the educational benefits, Goenka recommends the program for the robust alumni network that comes with it. “I think graduates from Thunderbird join a very tight-knit and diverse community,” he explains. “The alumni network from Thunderbird is extremely well-connected with each other and ready to go out of their way to help a fellow T-bird.”