After moving from India to the United States to complete his undergraduate education, Karni Arha wanted to pursue a high-quality, affordable MBA program in a supportive environment. He chose to attend the BYU Marriott School of Business, a decision he says enabled his successful leadership career in finance.
Arha decided to attend college in the United States to enhance his professional opportunities. After studying economics in India and earning a business management degree from BYU–Hawaii in 1997, he explored various MBA programs to prepare for a career in finance. “People ask why I chose BYU Marriott for my MBA with all of the school’s perceived ‘restrictions’ given that I’m not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Arha says. “My response is that those restrictions never bothered me. I was in the United States to broaden my horizons through a high-quality education, regardless of any guidelines. I was willing to work hard and do what was necessary to obtain an intellectually engaging learning experience.
“The school perfectly fit the bill, not only in terms of tuition but also in enabling me to receive a quality education,” he continues. “BYU Marriott is a high-ranked business school renowned for its values. I was fortunate with the exposure I gained as an international student.” Arha earned his MBA from BYU Marriott with an emphasis in finance in 1999.
After exploring various jobs in the United States, Arha returned to India to work in the finance sector. “I love all of the different aspects of finance,” he explains. “I like the anticipatory nature of preparing for the best but also provisioning for what could go wrong and having contingency plans in place. I also enjoy working with stakeholders, including investors, customers, shareholders, business partners, government authorities, and many more. Finance is not limited to one thing, and I enjoy the sector’s variability.”
Throughout his career, Arha has worked in a variety of positions, including financial analyst, vice president, and CFO. Recently, he accepted a promotion as a managing director for Bandhan Financial Holdings Limited, a banking company located in New Delhi.
Arha's time at BYU Marriott prepared him for leadership positions by teaching him finance skills and also providing him with knowledge on a variety of business topics. “I chose to focus my time at BYU Marriott on finance because the program was a natural progression from my economics studies. But I was also interested in how the BYU Marriott MBA program focused on other business support functions such as marketing, operations, and HR. These principles instated a solid understanding of running a business in me,” he says.
As he settles into his new job, Arha continues to look forward and set goals for the rest of his career and life. He hopes to one day become a CEO but is in no rush. He is happy to wait for his next opportunity and then retire after successfully leading a company for a few years.
In addition to his CEO aspirations, Arha wants to contribute to society. One area of need that he is passionate about is diabetes care because he has close family members who are diabetic. “Indian insurance does not cover diabetes care so paying for basic treatment can be unaffordable,” he says. “I would love to create awareness or assist medical groups with policies that give diabetes care and treatment its fair share of support. The larger scope of my future goals is more than just professional success.”
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Writer: Mike Miller
