Selva Jagannathan has had a long career in consulting. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Madras, he worked in various consulting and leadership roles at Infosys. Selva had the opportunity to travel to every continent except Australia and Antarctica to advise his clients. As a result, Selva gained extensive experience working with individuals from various backgrounds and is an expert at bridging cultural divides and addressing challenges that might arise.
In 2014, Selva decided to pursue an MBA degree in Operations and Technology Management at the Wisconsin School of Business to learn about strategy and organization development and develop his consulting skills. Selva particularly enjoyed the new product development, entrepreneurship, service operations management classes, among his many favorite courses, which were very hands-on and collaborative. He found UW courses comprehensively designed to illustrate the end-to-end innovation pipeline, which helped Selva develop practical skills that he would use in his consulting career. Selva also highlighted how it could often be beneficial for students to take courses outside the Business School. Specifically, he discussed how after taking the Introduction to Arts course in the Arts department, he not only had a better appreciation for artwork but also applied those frameworks of art appreciation at work while reviewing slides and spreadsheets.
Selva was actively involved in the consulting and entrepreneurship community at UW-Madison. He served as a marketing consultant for the UW Press and a project assistant for the Business & Entrepreneurship Clinic. He was admitted to the Fellowship in Enterprise Development Program and received a certificate in entrepreneurship. Selva enrolled in the Weinert Applied Ventures in Entrepreneurship (WAVE) Practicum. This practicum provides students a platform to launch their ideas with guidance from experts and support from peers with the opportunity for up to $50,000 in investment from the Weinert Ventures Fund and Daniel Neviaser Fund. Selva was able to apply and hone his consulting expertise by helping his peers pursue their entrepreneurial ideas. One particularly valuable takeaway for Selva was the Business Model Canvas, which he uses to break down client problems.
After graduating from UW in 2016, Selva took a consulting role at Deloitte as a Management Consultant. Here Selva has continued to build his expertise in all things consulting. He has also developed his analytical skills further and has received a Master’s degree in Machine Learning from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
Selva’s time at UW-Madison and as a member of the Fellowship program has taught him much about entrepreneurship and business. Selva has continued to use these skills to build his career in consulting. Asked about his advice to UW students, he says, “UW students are bright and don’t need my advice, I would just recommend that they enjoy their time at UW-Madison and have a fun career!” It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Selva, and you can tell from his radiant smile that he has found a career path that brings him joy.
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