Krishna Kapadia, ESCP Business School MBA Class of 2027
Age: 27
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Chartered Accountant, Accounting and Finance, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Pre-MBA Work Experience: I am a Chartered Accountant with around four years of experience in financial reporting and controllership in the asset management industry.
I began my career at Apollo Global Management, where I spent nearly three years in Financial Reporting, initially in the Corporate Consolidation team and later in the Legal Entity Controller team. I then joined Brookfield as a Controller for Brookfield Renewables, where I worked across international portfolios. Across Apollo and Brookfield, my experience has been rooted in financial reporting and institutional financial services, but it also gave me increasing exposure to how large organizations operate, make decisions, manage processes and build teams.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
My pre-MBA experience gave me a strong foundation in financial reporting, institutional capital and financial services. I now want to complement that expertise with a broader understanding of how businesses are built, managed and scaled.
An MBA will help me develop the strategic and operational judgment needed to build effective teams, improve processes and translate strategy into results. Learning alongside professionals from diverse industries and cultures will also challenge my perspective and broaden my approach to problem-solving.
At this stage, business school represents the bridge between understanding a company’s financial health and becoming a leader capable of shaping its direction and delivering sustainable outcomes.
Why did you choose ESCP Business School? What factors figured most prominently into your decision?
I chose ESCP because its international structure closely matches the way I want to develop professionally. Studying across multiple campuses and learning alongside classmates from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds would allow me to learn from different approaches to business and challenge my perspectives and assumptions. I am also drawn to ESCP’s focus on hands-on experience through real-world Company Consultancy Projects. Finally, the Fintech specialization in Turin is especially compelling. It would allow me to explore the intersection of finance, technology and innovation while building on my existing experience.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2027?
I am naturally enterprising and tend to take initiative beyond what is formally expected of me. Alongside being strong at my core work, I understand the organisation around me, take ownership and build relationships across organizational levels. Working with senior leadership has sharpened my ability to anticipate what stakeholders need and deliver the results. I would bring that same initiative, ownership and collaborative spirit to the Class of 2027.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I fancy myself as some sort of a writer, though so far, I’ve written only a few poems and a few pieces on LinkedIn. I love journaling and am a strong believer in writing things down to make sense of your thoughts. I have probably convinced more people around me to start journaling than I have convinced myself to write more stuff of my own!
Post-MBA career interests:
I aim to build a career in financial services, focusing on corporate finance, transformation and business operations roles within a global financial institution.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Believe in yourself and your story. Know what you bring to the table, what you want from an MBA and why you deserve a place in that room. Confidence in your own story will come through naturally and make your application authentic.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Start early, take my time and, most importantly, not submit applications at the last minute. The application process is surprisingly creative and reflective, and I’d enjoy it so much more had I spent some more time with my story.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Spending too much time on applications to schools that were not really my target choices. I would narrow down my list earlier and focus my energy on the places that genuinely felt right. Since I was working full-time, managing applications alongside a demanding job could get stressful, so being more selective would have made the process much more manageable.
What is your initial impression of the ESCP students/culture/community?
It’s incredibly diverse, international and welcoming. There is a strong emphasis on being yourself, having a personality and embracing what makes you different. It feels like the kind of community where I can be comfortable being myself while continuing to grow, and where I expect myself to thrive.
What student organizations have you joined/are you hoping to join and why?
I am hoping to join Women in Leadership to learn from and connect with women from different professional and cultural backgrounds, while contributing my own experience as I develop as a leader. I am also interested in the ESCP HEC Finance Club to deepen my understanding of the financial services industry beyond my accounting background and connect with peers pursuing similar careers. Finally, I would like to join Aware – Paris because I greatly value initiatives that contribute to and create awareness around social and community issues.
What is one thing you have learned about ESCP that has surprised you?
How family-oriented the ESCP community is. I was surprised to learn how many families have multiple generations who have studied at ESCP. Seeing parents, children, siblings and even couples share a connection with the school is something I find genuinely sweet and unexpected!
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Everything about being in Europe! I am especially excited to be surrounded by so much history, culture and diversity, and to experience it not as a visitor but as part of my everyday life. I’m looking forward to being out and about across these cities and discovering new places.
