CELEBRATING THE 2024 GRADUATES RECEIVING THE MICHIGAN ROSS LEADER ENDORSEMENT

The Michigan Ross Leader Endorsement (MRLE), powered by the Sanger Leadership Center, is designed to recognize students who devote much of their Michigan Ross journey to developing their leadership abilities, gaining a competitive advantage in the job market, and driving meaningful change. Participants undergo a rigorous curriculum, including Sanger programs, leadership-focused assignments, and elective courses, totaling at least 60 hours of instruction.

This year, 69 students earned the endorsement. These individuals will receive a LinkedIn credential, a certificate, and special honor cords to wear at graduation.

MRLE recipient Mohan Koushik Tupakula, MBA ’24, reflected on his journey through the program, sharing highlights from his experience and how he plans to apply what he has learned.

Why did you choose to pursue the Michigan Ross Leader Endorsement?

“Pursuing the MRLE deepened my understanding of the leadership qualities needed to navigate complex challenges and drive positive change in any professional setting. Effective crisis management demands resilience, strategic thinking, and the ability to mobilize and inspire a team toward a common goal under pressure. These principles, embodied in the Leadership Crisis Challenge, resonated with my leadership journey and motivated me to pursue the endorsement.”

What is your biggest takeaway from the program?

“The most significant insight I gained throughout my MRLE journey, the importance of inclusivity in leadership, was from the Leading Inclusive Teams (LIT) program. This realization came to life as I led a talented, interdisciplinary team to second place at the CFE’s Generative AI Innovation Competition—the pinnacle of my leadership experience at the University of Michigan! LIT equipped me with the tools and frameworks necessary to effectively lead this diverse team, enrich our solution, and exemplify the core problem we were solving. It taught me to harness our varied perspectives into a cohesive, innovative force. This experience underscored the lesson that inclusivity is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic advantage!”

How have/will you institute your learnings in your professional life?

“In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and leadership, my journey through the MRLE program has been nothing short of transformative. Central to my leadership is the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In the tech world, where innovation is the currency of success, team members’ diverse backgrounds and perspectives are invaluable. As I look toward the future, I resolve to cultivate resilient, agile teams adept at navigating the tech industry’s intricacies. I aim to foster open communication, mutual respect, and unwavering support for continuous learning, contributing to a more inclusive and representative tech community!”

2024 MRLE RECIPIENTS:

Jayant, MBA ’24

Manav Adwani, MBAn ’24

Hameedah Al Dawood, MBA ’24

Marlene Alderete Romo, MSCM ’24

Arjun Ananda Padmanabhan, MBA ’24

Patrick Andrea, MBA ’24

Kaushik Raj Arukonda, MBA ’24

Sidharth Badanepet, MBA ’24

Mouhamed Bseileh, MBA ’24

Patrick Burden, MBA ’24

Patrick Carroll, MBA ’24

Samer Charaf, MBA ’24

Fuad Chedid, MBAn ’24

Hui-Chieh Chen, MBA ’24

Lisa Cheung, MBA ’24

Anjana Chiluka, MBA ’24

Vinita Choradia, MBA ’24

Joshua Ferguson, MBA ’24

Andre Fisher, MBA ’24

Sophie Fitchett, MBA ’24

Samir Gandhi, MBA ’24

Grant Ganganithi, MBA ’24

Priya Garg, MSCM ’24

Kristian Georgiev, MBA ’24

Augusta Guo, MAcc ’24

Madeline Hauenstein, MBA ’24

Tyler Hughes, MBA ’24

Aditya Inamdar, MBA ’24

Jackson Irwin, MBA ’24

Nisarg Jhaveri, MBAn ’24

Ran Ji, MBA ’24

Dylan Johnson, MSCM ’24

Soha Khedkar, MBA ’24

Kevin Khosrovaneh, MBA ’24

Thiago Kitazawa, MBA ’24

Stephanie Lachaud, MBA ’24

Sandra Lazo Alegre, MBA ’24

Anson Lee, MBAn ’24

Juho Lee, MBA ’24

Amy Liu, MBA ’24

Karishma Lunawat, MSCM ’24

Jahnavi Madireddy, MBA ’24

Rohit John Manavalan, MBA ’24

Ashley Martinez, MBA ’24

Tushar Mittal, MBAn ’24

Pradeep Motukuri, MBA ’24

Ajay Baabu Muthuswamy, MBA ’24

Emily Obert, MBA ’24

Ruchi Pallod, MBAn ’24

Madison Parrish, MBA ’24

Tyler James Phillips, MSI, MBAn, ’24

Sachin Pindolia, MBA ’24

Sophie Rallis, MM ’24

Akshay Rukadikar, MBA ’24

Daniel Ryou, MAcc ’24

Curt Ryu, MBA ’24

Arpit Sharma, MBA ’24

Manish Shiwlani, MBA ’24

Aman Shrimal, MBA ’24

Arneet Singh, MBA ’24

Sashank Tallapragada, MBA ’24

Chun Tang, MBA ’24

Estefania Tecuanhuey Lopez, MSCM ’24

Mohan Koushik Tupakula, MBA ’24

Peizhen Turabi, MBA ’24

Sourabh Tuwani, MSCM ’24

Yuting Wang, MBA ’24

Avinash Yella, MBA ’24

Jialu Zhu, MSCM ’24