Viraj Bhatia (he/him)
- Programme: MBA
- Nationality: British Indian
- Scholarship: London Business School Fund Scholarships
Education: Bachelors in Business Studies, Lancaster University, UK; graduated in 2017. Masters in Sports Journalism, St Mary’s University, UK; graduated in 2021
Pre-MBA industry: Sports Media and Television
Pre-MBA role: Broadcast Account Manager, Studios, IMG
Clubs: Sports Business Club (Executive Committee), Cricket Club (Chief of Staff), Football Club
About me: Growing up, sport was everything to me. I represented Bengal at cricket, and then played at Lancashire before a career-ending injury forced me to rethink everything. I threw myself into business, spending two years leading global marketing and sales at a fashion house, before joining IMG, the world’s leading sports marketing agency. At IMG, I spent almost five years managing complex commercial deals, growing studio revenue and working across major sporting events like the Paris Olympics, Ryder Cup and The Open.
I came to London Business School because I wanted to go learn more. I wanted to dive deeper into analytics, strategy and the kind of global business thinking that my day-to-day work didn’t always allow for. The diversity in the classroom, the quality of the faculty and the School’s reputation made it the only choice. Having lived in England for 12 years has made life much easier too.
I am passionate about the intersection of sport, business and commercial strategy, and I am actively exploring opportunities in specialist strategy or consulting firms. Outside the classroom, I sit on the Junior Executive Committee of the Sports Business Club and Cricket Club, and play for the Men’s Football Club. I am always up for a good conversation over a run or home-cooked food.
Three topics I can be approached about: Sports and fashion industry; living in UK; non-traditional background.
Email: vbhatia.MBA@london.edu