19/02/2024
Sanjay Arumugam’s desire to find roles beyond control automation and energy management led him to IE University’s Master in Business Analytics and Big Data. He recently shared how his new position at Coca-Cola has allowed him to combine both his passions.
Originally from India, Sanjay Arumugam laid the foundations for his professional career in engineering. His dream to be the real-life Ironman was inspired by the titular film, and it led him to his first job in Energy right out of college. The position was exciting and extreme—Sanjay was working with cutting-edge technologies in programming, automation and robotics—but he still felt the need to upskill in order to move up.
A new avenue opens
As Sanjay started planning his next career shift, he discovered a natural aptitude for analytics. He decided to build on this forte by earning a master’s degree. But Sanjay was confident that he wanted a top-ranking program that checked all his boxes and equipped him for future success.
One day, a visiting recruiter stopped by IE University’s offices in India, just a few hours outside of Sanjay’s city. He had a great feeling about the university and the resources it offered, and he applied to join the Master in Business Analytics and Big Data as soon as he got home. After an online interview with the Admissions team—where Sanjay’s potential shone through—he got his acceptance letter just a few days later.
Every day was really exciting, especially as everyone came from such different backgrounds.
Taking every opportunity along the way
Moving to Madrid was an easy transition for Sanjay, especially as he quickly met like-minded peers to hang out with and help him feel at home. He loved the diversity among his new group of friends because they each brought a unique perspective and skill set to the table. “Everyone in my intake had really varied backgrounds, which made the experience amazing for me,” he says.
“Although I graduated a few years ago, I still miss the environment.”
Sanjay dove headfirst into the IE Experience. He especially loved that his professors were active members of the workforce, which meant they were able to share actual industry experience and not just theoretical knowledge. Beyond the classroom, he was thrilled to get in touch with people working for big-name companies like Google, IBM and more.
Sanjay also refined his skills in hackathons, helped organize various events and pushed himself to find new ways to boost his career with the guidance of IE Talent & Careers.
After graduation, he even took part in several mentorship events to share lessons from his unique path and encourage other students along their IE University journey.
Big skills lead to big roles
When it was time to step back into the real world or work, Sanjay restarted his career at Big Tech. He then went on to lead a large international team at a major telecom company in Japan. Later, he was recruited by the Coca-Cola Company to work as an Automation and Digitalization Architect in their Singapore office. Sanjay has been there for three years now and considers this role to be the bridge connecting his competencies in engineering, programming and AI.
A lot of Sanjay’s responsibilities at Coca-Cola revolve around digital transformation—a skill set he perfected during the Master in Business Analytics and Big Data. He credits his success to the fact that he got a head start on machine learning from professors who were pioneers in multiple fields, from Natural Language Processing to IoT in Telco and Fraud Detection in Finance.
“At IE University, I was able to further my experience and learn how to tie all of my skills together. The program gave me the chance to explore a wide variety of professional avenues.”
As for advice for students interested in studying the Master in Business Analytics and Big Data, Sanjay would remind them, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” A strong advocate of persistence and determination, Sanjay encourages future students to make the most of every opportunity and to live out the IE Experience to the fullest.
