Pratik Devnani

Pratik Devnani enjoys the decision-making process, something the Dubai-native was missing in his previous job. 

“I was at Goldman Sachs in Chicago for a year working in asset management,” Pratik says. “One of the biggest reasons why I was thinking about going to a master's program was because I didn't think I was in a role where my brain was being stimulated as much.” Pratik knew if he wanted to transition into a role with more thinking and decision making, he would need to build upon his current skillset. 

Upon entering Goizueta’s Master of Finance program, Pratik was immediately struck with all the decision power he was granted within the program, such as attending various events, what leadership opportunities to get involved in and even projects within the classroom setting. One of the largest projects was the Mergers & Acquisitions project. 

“We had to pick our own two companies that we thought were logical to merge together and come up with a rationale on that and do all the analysis that we were taught in classes, as well as pitch that idea like a typical investment bank would do,” Pratik says. “We got to learn a lot and learned bits and pieces of how things are in the traditional setting and what questions could be asked.” 

Pratik enjoyed working closely with professors and the smaller class size, enabling him to make strong connections and network. “While you're in the program, professors get to cater to each and every person's needs in a way,” he says. “They can teach to anyone who has any problems or questions. Everything can be catered to.” 

While he still seeks a career in finance, Pratik hopes to move out of asset management and more into equity research on the investment and portfolio management side. While navigating a career transition and entering a competitive workforce, Pratik knows with the help of his professors, growing network and valuable resources at Goizueta, he can find success. “For you to succeed once you're at that job is really hard, and [professors] teach you those things and are realistic about what they teach you,” Pratik says. “They really understand what is needed and have that secret sauce in order for you to succeed.”