MBusA the first graduates

Nearly six months out from graduation, the inaugural class of the Masters of Business Analytics at Melbourne Business School are settling into their new roles and putting into practice what they learnt on the program.

The 32 students graduated in February this year and several returned to the School for Alumni Reunion on June 17-19.

Demand for the course has grown with student numbers at 62 for the 2016 cohort, almost double the inaugural intake.

Vyas Dev Venugopalan is working in Sydney with SAS Australia in the Business Analytics Advisory team and said it had been an “exciting journey” so far applying what he’d learnt at MBS to real world business challenges.

“Most importantly, every day that I've been here, I've learnt something new,” Vyas said.

Vyas said MBS was his “first home” in Australia after moving from the UAE to study.

“I actually went straight to the accommodation on the top floor from the airport!” he said.

“In addition to everything I learnt academically, and all the great people that I've met, MBS played a pivotal role in both helping me decide what I wanted out of my career, as well as finding my break in to it.

And that, hasn't stopped for Vyas after graduation.

As a newcomer to sunny Sydney, my interactions with the alum network here has been warm and welcoming. It brings me pride to reconnect with that family.”

For Ally Gu, now an analytics analyst at A.T Kearney, attending Alumni Reunion was a way to see the development of the School since she graduated, catch up with her classmates and get inspired by the sessions presented by faculty and alumni.

Brian Kang, who is an Insight Analyst at PwC Australia, said he felt a responsibility as a graduate of the first MBusA cohort to be an evangelist of business analytics to the Australian Market.


“My aim is to emphasise the importance of data science and encourage good practice of data management,” Brian said.

“Although the MBusA program only started last year, the course has taught us more than just technical skills.
“It also provided us with real industrial experience to apply the skills we have learnt and take on challenges we have never faced.”

Brian said Alumni Reunion was an opportunity to gain insights from others who have “more experience than me”.

Jenny Liu is working at Woolworths in Sydney as a senior analyst in advanced analytics.

Jenny, who was the Woolworths Scholarship recipient, said she was carving out a niche in the challenging role.

“The MBusA has given me the foundations and skill set for programming and modelling, as well as extra skills to deal with teamwork in a commercial context,” Jenny said.

Jenny said Alumni Reunion was the perfect chance to catch up with her class and find out how they were going post-graduation.

“I wanted to catch up with the cohort and find out how people are going in their new jobs and what aspects of the course they are using.”

For more information on the Masters of Business Analytics go to mbs.edu or visit the Centre for Business Analytics website.