Cracking IESE MBA from a Procurement Background

In MBA admissions, certain profiles are at a disadvantage simply by the nature of the role and procurement or sourcing is one of them. It sits adjacent to supply chain but does not quite signal exposure to core supply chain fundamentals, which is what schools and post MBA roles really value. Add to that the fact that projects in these roles tend to look quite similar over time, and it becomes difficult to clearly articulate what differentiated skills the candidate brings. Most candidates from this background are also looking to pivot, which makes the story even harder to land if not thought through well. With Subham, we did not try to mask this, we went deeper. As he started unpacking his experience, he realised that staying within the same lane would not help him break out of the perception. During the engagement, he actively pushed for international projects and roles that allowed him to build things from scratch in new geographies and scale that piece of the supply chain with his own ideas. That shift from execution heavy procurement work to ownership and creation made all the difference in how his profile came through, eventually helping him secure an admit from IESE along with other strong India focused schools.

This is also where Aanchal’s expertise made a tangible difference. Having worked extensively in supply chain design and operations leadership, she understands the nuances of these roles far better than most and more importantly, knows how to translate them into a compelling admissions narrative. It is why a lot of applicants from procurement and adjacent backgrounds specifically choose to work with her, not just to position their experience better, but to actually rethink how their profile can evolve to become far more relevant and differentiated.