Sumit Behal
Market Risk Analyst, Deutsche Bank, Mumbai, India
Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management
He loves working with one of the biggest financial institutions in the world, says business alumnus Sumit Behal who came to AUT as an international student from India and now works as a market risk analyst at Deutsche Bank in Mumbai.
“My job involves analysing market data to quantify a portfolio’s or financial instrument’s potential loss and probability of default. The career is demanding; however, I learn new things every day. This keeps me motivated to work harder and stay on my toes.”
But Deutsche Bank isn’t the only multinational where Sumit has been able to apply his skills.
“Before joining Deutsche Bank, I was working with Ernst and Young for about six months. During my tenure with the firm, I shared numerous process development ideas that were later presented to the stakeholders and implemented in the existing systems. For this, I also received appreciation from my supervisors, which further boosted my confidence.”
Choosing AUT
After starting his business career in India, Sumit decided to move to New Zealand for postgraduate study to help him further his career.
“After I completed my bachelor's degree in business economics, I worked for four years in process development and project management roles. I soon realised how beneficial a postgraduate qualification is in the competitive and dynamic world of business. I wanted to get a postgraduate degree from an international university that has a huge diversity of students.
“I came across AUT online while I was exploring my study options. I got excited as soon as I saw the brochure for the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management. The coursework seemed interesting and I met a representative from AUT’s international team for a quick course counselling session. After that, I applied and was admitted into the programme.”
It's a decision he hasn’t regretted.
Highlights and achievements
Sumit, who graduated from AUT in 2019, says he had many highlights during his time with AUT.
“One highlight for me was getting three A's during my first trimester. The coursework included plenty of intriguing assignments that helped me gain practical knowledge during my time with the university.
“I also loved that the coursework helped me understand the inference of numbers. This made me realise that I wanted to work in a field where I could forecast the future using historical data, and analyse the variances between expected and actual data. Another highlight for me was getting an internship with the Auckland District Health Board where I created a business plan that was later implemented and endorsed by the CFO.”
He says his economics lecturer inspired him to enhance his knowledge beyond the coursework.
“He was always there to motivate and answer any questions related to statistics, data science and economics. Although I have a degree in economics, the real understanding of the subject came only after the exposure I had to it at AUT. This developed my interest and inspired me to pursue Financial Risk Manager Certification. Since it’s a data intensive career, I get to learn something new every day.”
