Satish Rao

Chief Engineer, Business Analytics, IBM

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your professional background.

I lead a globally distributed team of data scientists and software developers to create descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics applications using artificial intelligence/machine learning techniques.

What made you decide to choose the Harvard Business Analytics Program? How do you feel this program is different from other, similar programs?

I chose the Harvard Business Analytics Program to benefit from world-class educators and the student network of this stellar brand. I feel that this program is different from others due to its integration of business, computer science, and statistics.

How has what you have learned in the program impacted the work you are currently doing?

It has opened up new opportunities in the areas of multisided platforms and open innovation. Additionally, it has provided new tools to be more successful with enterprise-level change management associated with digital transformation projects.

What advice do you have for others considering this program?

This is the program you should enroll in if you are looking for the right blend of business and data science education to lead digital transformation of products, companies, or industries. 


Tell us about your experience at the immersion. What was it like meeting and connecting with your classmates in person? Did you make any professional connections?

It was a tremendous experience which added a new dimension to the online sessions!

It was wonderful to meet the professors and my classmates in person, though it seemed like I already knew them for a long time.

I expect the camaraderie to last. I have made connections that could result in working together down the road.