Vinkush Dhamija (MMA ‘22) has always been passionate about data analytics — and even had some experience in the field before his time at Rotman. But he wanted to "future-proof" his career with the latest analytics tools, and gain a more comprehensive understanding of how to broadly apply those tools to business. So he turned to Rotman’s Masters in Management Analytics (MMA) program.
Vinkush Dhamija (MMA ‘22)
Originally from India, Dhamija received his undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in 2017, which he parlayed into a career in analytics in the local banking sector. However, a lot of his work was tailored to his specific employer’s immediate needs, prompting him to seek a broader perspective. “I wanted to learn more about ways to drive impact in the twenty-first century,” he says.
Management analytics is the development of a precise understanding of the factors influencing managerial decisions - and then designing data and analytical solutions to help support these decisions.
In Rotman’s MMA program, students learn how advanced technologies translate into business strategies. Many of these technologies heavily incorporate the latest developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“Unlike other programs, we do not just have an artificial intelligence track within our MMA,” says Academic Co-Director of the MMA, Dmitry Krass. “AI tools are among the core skills that our students are expected to develop.”
Dhamija moved to Toronto specifically to enroll in Rotman’s MMA program. He says classes like Deep Learning, Supply Chain Management, and Marketing Analytics provided a great foundation towards his larger understanding of how data can be used to solve real-world organizational challenges.
His most gratifying experience came from the management analytics practicum. The practicum matches students with local organizations that have a business problem they need to solve. Dhamija and three other classmates were assigned to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, where the team was faced with the challenge of creating a nursing schedule that could solve the problem of employees who didn’t always show up for shifts. Dhamija’s group took the machine learning techniques that they learned in class, and applied them to the schedule to predict and address future scheduling problems. The algorithm they created automated the schedule, which offered a new and dynamic solution for the hospital.
“Whenever there’s something new that comes up at work, I know I have the foundation, and I can apply what I learned to my current role.”
–Vinkush Dhamija
“We made it robust enough, so that even if someone doesn’t show up, there would be minimal changes to the rest of the schedule,” Dhamija says.
Dhamija says that the practicum widened his horizon of thinking. “That was one of my goals coming to Rotman.”
Inspired by his practicum, Dhamija became involved in Rotman’s Healthcare Management Association and the Rotman Business Analytics Club — two experiences that he said further enhanced his learning.
Currently, Dhamija works at RBC in digital marketing and analytics, where he finds ways to optimize selling insurance products to customers. He says he regularly applies problem-solving principles from his MMA to his job, especially marketing analytics concepts. “Whenever there’s something new that comes up at work, I know I have the foundation, and I can apply what I learned to my current role,” he says.
“The tools are always going to change. You just need to be agile.”
Written by Meaghan MacSween | More Student Stories »