International student achieved career goal with Master of Information Technology and Analytics

Early in his career, Sujay Pokle’s work focused on the tech side of business, first as a business technology analyst for a product-based company and then as a consultant to a pharmaceutical client.

He decided to pursue a graduate degree at Rutgers Business School in 2019 because the Master of Information Technology and Analytics (MITA) blended technology with management and analytics.

“I always wanted to enhance my managerial and analytical skills. MITA helped me with that,” said Pokle who now manages a team of five in his current role as a senior technical program manager at Goldman Sachs. “In my day-to-day, I use all of the knowledge and insights I learned from the program.”

At Goldman Sachs, he manages the technology risk team, working to ensure that cybersecurity and other technological risks are mitigated. The role puts him at the intersection of tech and management because he is making sure employees (and other stakeholders) are aligned with the key performance indicators defined by leadership at Goldman Sachs.

“From a managerial standpoint, I understand what kind of innovation they’re looking for and what they want to achieve,” he said. “My analytical skills help me to measure the effect of the technical work and present that information to my leaders.”

Pokle came to Rutgers Business School as an international student from India. When he arrived on the Newark Campus, it was his first time away from India – and his first time living outside of Mumbai.

“It was overwhelming trying to figure things out,” he said. “It was a great journey, and it was a bumpy road I would say, but eventually, Rutgers, as a university, really helped me to survive in the U.S.”

Pokle wasn’t afraid to ask for help or work to establish a comfortable support system for himself and his classmates in their new home. He received lots of help from the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. He bonded with his program co-directors, Vijay Atluri and Farid Alizadeh. “They made sure I got the right guidance when it was needed,” he said.

He also joined the Master of Information Technology Student Association and served as its president before graduating. The leadership position allowed him to ensure the success of his program cohort, he said. He helped classmates with courses and immigration documents. When the pandemic shut down the university as well as businesses around campus, he connected with the Indian community in nearby Edison Township. For nearly three months, through connections he made on social media, Pokle arranged food and groceries to be delivered to his classmates from India. “They helped us a lot,” he said of the Edison residents.

In an intensely competitive process, Pokle secured a H-1 Visa that will allow him to remain in the U.S. legally. “Once I gain some good experience working in the U.S.,” he said, “I have a desire to go to India or another country where I can leverage the knowledge and make a difference.”