Niraj Kumar Singh MBA Graduate 2021
Niraj Kumar Singh, now a Project Manager at Oracle, reflects on how the Queen’s MBA transformed his career, shifting his focus from project delivery to strategic leadership. The programme enhanced his global perspective and decision making.
Before pursuing the Queen’s MBA, I was associated with Accenture where I worked with Fortune 100 clients, including Google. My responsibilities included managing large, globally distributed teams and delivering complex projects across geographies. These experiences developed my technical and managerial strengths, but I realised that I wanted to move beyond execution and into roles where I could influence business strategy, drive transformation, and lead at a global scale. This aspiration led me to pursue the MBA at Queen’s University Belfast.
The Queen’s MBA was a turning point in my career and personal growth. The programme’s case-based approach exposed me to real-world business challenges across industries, while the team-based learning environment helped me develop collaboration skills in diverse, high-performance groups. I gained the ability to evaluate problems holistically balancing financial, operational, and human dimensions and sharpened my leadership style through constant reflection and feedback.
Equally impactful were the opportunities outside the classroom. I actively participated in the South Asian Society, organizing community events and performing on stage, which helped me grow as a confident communicator. I was honoured to be invited as a guest speaker by Queen’s Business School and to take part in various university events. These experiences broadened my perspective, improved my public speaking, and gave me the confidence to engage with wider audiences, skills that continue to serve me well in my professional life.
Post-MBA, I joined PwC UK, where I was able to apply my MBA learnings in consulting assignments that required strategic thinking and client advisory skills. The shift from a delivery-focused role to a position where I contributed directly to business transformation initiatives marked a clear progression in my career. I was entrusted with responsibilities that demanded leadership, adaptability, and cross-industry knowledge, qualities that the MBA helped me strengthen.
Currently, I am associated with Oracle as a Project Manager, serving clients across the globe. In this role, I lead multi-country teams and oversee Cloud implementation projects that combine technical expertise with strategic oversight. The leadership and communication skills developed during my MBA are instrumental in managing stakeholders, guiding teams, and ensuring project success.
Looking back, the Queen’s MBA has been one of the most impactful investments in my career. It not only accelerated my professional growth but also gave me a lifelong network of peers and mentors. For prospective candidates, I would emphasise that the programme is more than an academic degree, it is a transformative journey that equips you with the skills, confidence, and mindset to thrive in a rapidly changing global business environment.
