Career Path Of A Senior Vice President Intellectual Property And Rights Management At Qvest US
Kavita's career path began with a computer science degree in India, followed by IT roles in the financial industry where they "naturally gravitat[ed] towards project management." After gaining hands-on experience and management roles at Deluxe Entertainment, further career growth prompted an Executive MBA at UCLA, which allowed them to transition into technology leadership and consulting, culminating in their current senior leadership position.
Project Management, Leadership, Technology Management, Business Acumen, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kavita Anand
Sr. VP, IP & Rights Management
Qvest.US
Delhi University 1993
UCLA EMBA, MBA
Computer Science
Consulting & Related Professional Services
Business Strategy
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Kavita's career path highlights a natural progression from programming and IT roles to project management and leadership positions, showcasing the value of adaptability and identifying one's strengths.
2. Her decision to pursue an MBA mid-career demonstrates the importance of continuous learning and expanding one's skill set to advance professionally, addressing the need for business acumen in technology roles.
3. Her experience transitioning through various roles within large organizations, including financial firms and entertainment companies, illustrates the diverse career opportunities available in technology and the transferability of skills across industries.
Transcript
Can you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Do you have any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
I did my college in India at Delhi University, majoring in computer science. This was in 1993, and I'm not sure if internships were common then, but I did focus on computer science and programming.
After coming here, my first jobs were in the financial industry, working in IT departments at mortgage companies. Then I moved back into IT, specifically programming. A pattern in my career was that I would start in roles like programmer or architect, but I always ended up managing projects.
This happened naturally, perhaps because a boss would leave or a project manager was unavailable. I gravitated towards project management, and as it kept happening, I started to embrace it more.
When I joined Deluxe Entertainment, that's when I truly moved into management. I started as a hands-on programmer, then became a hands-on project manager, and then transitioned into management. I began managing all of their projects and application development, which included project managers, developers, and testers.
As I grew, I realized that to be effective in technology departments within large businesses, I needed more business knowledge. My career had been very focused and deep in technology, and I didn't fully understand the business side at a higher level.
That's when I decided to pursue my MBA. I completed an Executive MBA while still employed. It was 15 years into my career, so I knew exactly what I didn't know and what I wanted to learn from the program. I attended UCLA and really absorbed everything, getting a lot out of the experience.
Since then, my career has focused more on pure management, still within technology. I moved into a leadership team in the IT department at Deluxe Entertainment. Then, about eight and a half years ago, I transitioned into consulting.