SPAGHETTI CACIO E PEPE
Q&A with Ram Adithya Arangi
OU in Arezzo Price Student, Summer 2016
The Basics
I was at OUA in summer 2016 with Price College of Business’ Junior Arezzo Program. I graduated in May 2018 with a BBA in Entrepreneurship & Venture Management. I am from Visakhapatnam, India. I have a Master in Management Degree with a specialization in International Business (IE Business School, Madrid). I currently live in Amsterdam.
What did you do after OU?
I worked as a Business Operations Analyst in New York City for a sports management firm (SportsRecruits) that provides a platform for high school athletes to pursue their collegiate sports ambitions. I was able to work in different areas of business like streamlining event operations for recruiting camps & tournaments, automating the company’s B2B financial processes, and supporting the on-boarding journey for new sports clubs on to the platform. After a successful year in this job, I realized it was time to broaden my horizons and pursue my passion for sports business on a global scale. Hence, I moved to Madrid (Spain) for a year to pursue a master's degree to gain more functional expertise as well as immerse in the landscape of sports in Europe. During my time in Madrid, I realized that digital transformation is the area of expertise that excites me the most within the sports industry.
What do you do now?
One of the main reasons for my European relocation was to aim for an opportunity to work at Nike’s European HQ. Ever since the age of 14, I’ve been dreaming of the day to earn the “jersey” to work at Nike. During my master’s degree, I finally felt equipped with the skills and experience to apply for a role in Nike’s supply chain. My belief proved to be right and I got the opportunity to work at Nike’s European HQ in the Marketplace Operations team. In my first role at Nike, I was doing stakeholder management for automation projects related to one of the B2B partner accounts (Zalando). I was able to gain a promotion within 10 months and currently work as a Marketplace Operations Development Lead focusing on enhancing automation capabilities for all Nike’s self-serve platforms for B2B partners. The genesis of my sports business journey began when I was a 14 year old in India with a dream to work at Nike. It feels like a full-circle moment to be able to work for the brand that I grew up idolizing.
What was your favorite part of OUA and the Rooney Family Center?
My favorite aspect of OUA has to be the sense of community among the students, faculty, and staff. During my time at OUA, we would organize regular activities as an OUA community and that made every day a unique experience in the program. Given that it was one of the first international experiences for many students, the curiosity to immerse in the new culture was evident as we took part in new adventures throughout the program. The opportunity to connect with the faculty beyond classes was also a valuable component of the program because it allowed us to learn more about their perspective and seek life advice.
The Rooney Family Center represents a unique blend of modern education embracing history. My favorite part of the center is the incredible view of Arezzo from the top of the building. The ample variety of study spaces in the facility provide different perspectives to not only study but also work on group projects.
How did OUA Help you with your future?
OUA inspired me to consider a global career that isn’t confined to the United States. The faculty at OUA ended up becoming my career mentors that provided valuable advice to find my purpose within International Business. Looking back, I’m grateful to have attended the Junior Arezzo program in 2016 because it provided my first connection with European business culture and opened my eyes to the possibilities of a global career in sports business.
Ram Recently visited OUA again. How did it feel to be back and how do you like Italy and Europe?
It was a delight to revisit OUA and reminisce the fond memories from 2016. It felt nostalgic to walk along the streets of Arezzo while noticing familiar places - from my favorite cafes to the Piazza Grande.
Italy has become my favorite country ever since I attended OUA in 2016. This is my 4th visit to the country over the past five years so it’s evident that I deeply admire the culture and way of life in Italy. Europe has been instrumental in shifting my perspective towards work-life balance. The outlook of Europeans towards multi-dimensional growth in life inspired me to engage in hobbies like stand-up comedy and photography, in parallel to my professional career in sports business.