Bindiya Vakil, MLOG 2005, is a Risk Analysis Program Manager in the Supply Chain Risk Management Group at Cisco Systems in San Diego, CA.  Below is a Q &A with Bindiya in which she talks about her current job, how MLOG prepared her to succeed in that position, and her advice for anyone considering attending the MLOG program.

Q:  As a Risk Analysis Program Manager for the Supply Chain Risk Management Group,

what kind of work are you doing at Cisco?

Bindiya:  I assess the vulnerability of Cisco's supply chain to different risks such as natural disasters, pandemics, terrorism, supply disruptions etc., quantify the risk, create what-if scenarios and then do modeling and simulation to assess revenue exposure.  I also work on mitigation plans to help plan for and manage business continuity when adverse events occur.

Q:  What has been your career path both before and after you attended MLOG? 

Bindiya:  Before MLOG, I earned my BBA with specialization in Marketing and an MBA with specialization in Finance. After my MBA, I worked for one year at Prudential ICICI Mutual Funds in India as a Financial Services Manager helping corporate clients manage their portfolio of funds.  I then spent four years working as a Supply Chain Manager at Solectron Corporation, a top-tier high tech electronics contract manufacturer (2000-2004). 

After MLOG, I worked for a year as a Product Materials Manager in Cisco managing the supply of Cisco's high volume products.  In that position, I managed the global supply of products built by contract manufacturers in Asia and the US to ensure that the contract manufacturer met the delivery requirements within established lead time targets.  I was then promoted to my current position as Supply Chain Risk Program Manager.

Q:  What was the most valuable asset you gained through the MLOG program?

Bindiya:  It goes without saying that the MLOG program provides a solid foundation in supply chain management education.  Additionally, MIT's brand name combined with the Institute's reputation as a top school in Operations and Supply Chain are MAJOR assets. 

However, to me, the MLOG program is all about the people!  There are my classmates, who are all over the globe doing diverse and interesting things and from whose experiences I learn a lot even now.  The professors are still very available to us post-MLOG to guide us in career choices, answer technical questions and connect us to their former students, when we need help.  Also, the MIT alumni network is very much a community!  I have gained instant access to people at all levels within Cisco, because alums are very willing to speak with me.  There is a strong feeling of belonging and a stronger need to stay connected when you've been to MIT; and this connection transcends position, level and status.  So it is very easy to find executive mentors who are willing to invest in you and give you the opportunity to excel and progress.

Q:  How did graduating from MLOG help you find a job after graduation?  

Bindiya:  I was hired through the campus recruitment process.  Being from the Bay area, I wanted to find a job within a 25-mile radius from home.  I thought it would be a daunting task since I was on the east coast.  However, I got selected for four different positions within Cisco and was able to choose the position that interested me most.

Q: How does your MLOG education impact the way you currently do your job?  

Bindiya:  I have been selected for this role primarily because of what I learned in MLOG.  I will be applying the modeling and simulation knowledge that I gained during the program.  I learned supply chain and operations from the leading thinkers in the field, such as Yossi Sheffi, David Simchi-Levi, Charlie Fine, Don Rosenfield and Chris Caplice.  The MLOG program helps me to be stronger analytically, to better understand the supply chain and the interrelationships between nodes, and to apply innovative solutions that I gained from experiences that my classmates shared in class discussions.

Q:  What would you say to a prospective student thinking about joining the MLOG program?  

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