Alumnus Ashish Mishra Subject MBA Graduated 2003 Great minds Place of Work Strategic Asia Position CEO, European Office

Strategic Asia is a high end consulting firm providing advisory and facilitation services to governments, private businesses, international go on to organisations, civil society organisations and media groups. Ash co-founded Strategic Asia and is currently CEO of company’s European Office. In addition to his work at Strategic Asia, Ash is also great places Special Advisor to Asia House for the London 2012 Olympic Games. He graduated from Royal Holloway with an MBA in International Management in 2003.

Why did you choose to study at What did you enjoy most about your I was able to secure a route into the United Nations Royal Holloway? course? Support Facility for Indonesian Recovery (UNSFIR). Royal Holloway was one of the institutions that The MBA brought the world under one roof. The dissertation was based on the restructuring of did not demand a GMAT score to gain entry onto The opportunity to meet students from different the Indonesian banking system after the economic the MBA programme, and the course fees were backgrounds with different skills sets was fantastic. crash in 1997. The report writing skills that I more sensibly priced than many other competitors. Networking opportunities are often touted as the developed came into immediate demand once I was also attracted to the ratio of graduates to main opportunity in any MBA programme and I I started working at the London Development undergraduates, which for me made the School was definitely able to capitalise upon this at Royal Agency (LDA) and I used my research techniques of Management more appealing (approximately Holloway. One of my colleagues on the course has extensively whilst employed at the UN. 20 percent of the student body at that time). The become a major property developer in Bulgaria, history and ambience of the university also played and was recently involved in the acquisition of What is your role at Strategic Asia? its part. prime real estate in London; many other colleagues I am one of the founders of Strategic Asia and entered the world of academia. We are still all currently the CEO of the European Office. We Why did you choose to study an MBA? connected via LinkedIn and . This was established Strategic Asia as a high-end consultancy I have a strong entrepreneurial background: ‘globalisation’ in practice. On a more personal to service the demand for expertise on policy issues I started my first venture in 1993 with an oil and level, the MBA as well as my business experience and economies against the backdrop of an Asian gas brokerage in India. Between 1995 and 2000 I gave me the opportunity to interact with people century. The aim is to build a group of worldwide opened up two restaurants/bars in Shoreditch, as from similar backgrounds, with shared aims and international experts, effectively to create the next well as petrol stations and travel agencies. ambitions. ‘Asian’ McKinsey & Company. My specific role is to I liquidated the last business in 2000 and joined promote a dialogue on policy issues between Asia Pret-A-Manger as a General Manager. The MBA Did your studies help you in your career? and Europe. I work with private and public sector was the right qualification for the next stage in The basic core modules were interesting and bodies, advising them on how to access both Asian my career. I also thought that instead of ‘learning looking back on the course I wish that I had spent and European markets. There are times in history by doing’ and often ‘losing by doing’ it would more effort building up my core knowledge bank. when one believes that an idea will drive an even be beneficial to understand the principles behind The dissertation was the key factor that allowed bigger . I believe the time for this idea big business. I realised that if I was going to hire me to build a rapport with my next employer. By has arrived. MBA graduates in the future then I needed to studying an area of importance and relevance to understand what they had been through. the UN, covering the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, people with passion

The opportunity to meet students from different backgrounds with ‘‘ different skills sets was fantastic.

How did you come to be a Special Advisor What other projects are you/have you been Do you have to travel abroad frequently? to Asia House during the London Olympics involved with? Since graduating, I have travelled extensively to 2012? I have been asked to help deliver the Business most parts of Asia. More recently I have also’’ been There is tremendous synergy and opportunity in Leaders’ Summit in October 2011 for Asia House, travelling to the Middle East. I am trying to be the goals and aspirations of both Asia House and and intend to link this with the East Asian Summit more carbon friendly, though; I have started to use Strategic Asia. My previous role at the LDA was in Jakarta, Indonesia. Other projects include Skype and other technologies on a regular basis to to promote London internationally. This included developing a ‘Promote Indonesia’ campaign, minimise the travelling. opening offices for the in India opening offices for Strategic Asia in China and and China. The link to Asia House arose through Japan, launching LondonHouse.tv, which will act Where do you hope to be in five years time? my involvement with delivering London House as a portal into London during 2012. Past project I hope to be running Strategic Asia Global, and during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and London’s highlights include travelling to China with Stephen to be recruiting talented new individuals to take presence at the Shanghai Expo in 2010. I had Frears on the ‘Film London Beijing to Shanghai’ the vision forward. The aim is to have six fully also spoken at the Asia House Business Leaders’ Exposition, helping to organise Ken Livingstone’s functioning offices with healthy turnover. After Summit in 2010. My specialist skills are in emerging trip to India in 2007 on behalf of the LDA, and that, the sky is the limit! I also hope to be spending markets, and this combination of activities and being involved with every detail for London House more time with my baby daughter. skills brought me into contact with Asia House. during Beijing 2008, including where My specific role here is to build up awareness brought back the Olympic flag. Other more Would you be interested in sharing your during 2012, and to deliver Asia House during ‘off-piste’ projects include assisting London with experiences with students in the future? the London Olympics. The key message I want to scoping out a office, the Russian Winter I am always happy to share experiences, as well as communicate is the creation of an interactive space festival during which grand chess masters battled to learn from others. I would be delighted to come in which professionals can do business and further each other using giant ice pieces for players, back to Royal Holloway. understand the culture and traditions of Asia. hosting Sir Norman Wisdom’s knighthood party at our club in Shoreditch, and, more bizarrely, Malcolm McLaren’s ‘I failed to become the Mayor of London’ party at the time of the first mayoral election in 2000.

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