Taking Leadership to the Next Level

Kuldeep Solanki currently is the Vice President and Head, Services Sales at SAP. He has over 15 years of experience and his key roles include key account management, CXO level relationships, strategic account management, enterprise business applications, etc.

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION AND REASON BEHIND JOINING BERKELEY EPM?

I have been in the industry for over 15 years now. I was looking for a program that would allow me to continue my current work commitments while pursuing the requirements on the education front. My aspiration was to grow into senior leadership roles.. Having evaluated over 4-5 different programs, one of the most relevant features of the Berkeley EPM is that it is customised for the Indian market.

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ABOUT THE PROGRAM

UC Berkeley and the Haas School of Business have some of the best faculty in the world. So you’re getting the best education from the best teachers you can imagine. They say it is a “distinguished general management program that prepares you for the next level of leadership”. And that’s honestly quite accurate. It’s an experience I will never forget. It does actually prepare you for the next level but also teaches you how to be a master at your current position. So it’s not just future-focused, it gives you real-time value. The ability to interact with the faculty of the highest calibre was also a very enriching experience. The program is highly beneficial and recommended for executives who want to boost their career.

WHAT DID YOU GAIN FROM INTERACTING WITH YOUR PEER GROUP?

The biggest takeaway is the team of people I met through the journey of the program. The peer group mix is really great since there are a number of senior professionals as well as entrepreneurs. This helps get multiple perspectives at every stage in the program. There is just the right amount of mentorship available with the peer group as well as the faculty to help us reach the next level and progress further. They are from many different backgrounds and industries and so I got and still keep getting such varied perspectives and solutions that have helped me make wiser decisions and have expanded my mind even in life outside of work.

WHAT IMPACT HAS THE PROGRAM HAD ON YOU?

It’s no secret that the business arena today is largely global and grows more so every day, and also thrives on advanced management skills, the latest practices, experiences, and a strong personal brand. This program is perfect for that. I have been working for a number of years and this program was perfect to get reacquainted with the more current path in business. I realised how much more there was for me to learn and how many ways I could learn the things I wanted to in order to be more relevant and contribute to my colleagues, company, and industry.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FUTURE PARTICIPANTS?

You need to understand why the program is for you. Berkeley EPM is meant for you for a few good reasons;

• You have been working for about 10-15 years without an active learning module through that time to keep updating your knowledge bank (just like most of us who haven’t studied after college)
• You are planning to switch industries or explore new areas of business
• You are applying for a new job and/or a higher-level position, which will technically demand more responsibilities and more understanding