Sahila Chandihok
Brand Management, Johnson & Johnson
MSc Marketing & Strategy (2015 - 2016)

Tell us about what your company does:  

Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational corporation that develops medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods. For more than 130 years, Johnson & Johnson has aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world’s largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, Johnson & Johnson is ranked No. 37 on the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. Johnson & Johnson strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. 

What does your job involve? 

Working in brand management I am working with a vibrant, diverse and cross-functional team. As part of my job I analyse the market environment and the macro and microeconomic changes to build a strong brand strategy for the future. Brands need to evolve with time in order to meet the consumers needs.  

The great thing about this role is that you are involved in the full marketing mix: Working on new product developments as well as the go-to market strategy, while collaborating with agencies to deliver the success of the brands in the future.  

How did studying MSc Marketing & Strategy help you prepare for the role?

The value of the course I took at WBS was immense in helping me gear up for the challenges of the practical world. The interaction with the esteemed faculty provided me with important insights of what the marketing world entails, which pitfalls and which hurdles exist, and how to best tackle those. 

Why did you choose Warwick Business School? 

WBS was a unanimous recommendation from many of my advisors in the application process. The focus on both marketing and strategy was a compelling combination, along with the great curriculum and faculty.

Do you think the course gave you skills that are applicable in a range of industries and business sectors? 

Yes - especially the soft skills we learnt and applied at WBS are extremely transferrable to the real world. For example, presentation skills, design thinking or strategic thinking are aspects we got to strengthen and develop at WBS and today prove to be a real asset in the corporate world. Further to this, the diverse cohort in my year also prepared me for working in cross-market and cross-functional teams - an experience I value a lot today. 

What was the best thing about studying at WBS? 

Definitely the international experience and the great expertise of the faculty. Sharing this journey with such a vibrant group of international people made this time even more memorable and the learning experience even greater. Further to this, the support of the CareersPlus team was extremely valuable.  

What were the key things you took away from your course?  

My strategic thinking was one of the key assets of my learning journey at WBS. I apply this skill on a daily basis in the professional world and I experience regularly how it gives me an upper edge in identifying compelling solutions.

Did you utilise CareersPlus?

The WBS CareersPlus service was extremely helpful in shaping my career and gave me very valuable input for the whole recruitment process in the UK. This helped me understand the job market better and was a great support in getting a good start to my career. It was at the WBS career fair that I also met my previous employer and after my conversation at the stand I applied for the job.   

At WBS we are proud to be ‘For the Change Makers’. What does being a Change Maker mean to you? 

Fostering change drives me. I consider it both an opportunity as well as an obligation to facilitate improvements and change where I can. It is extremely important for me to navigate this process. WBS has given me the opportunities and the tools to do so.