Sudipto received his PhD in Economics at Ohio State in 2015 and is currently Vice President & Director of Retirement Thought Leadership at T. Rowe Price. His primary interest is the economic aspects of retirement.
1. Why did you choose to study economics at Ohio State?
I was always interested in economics. I got my undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in economics before I applied to the PhD programs. I had offers from similarly ranked departments. But at the time I thought I would specialize in econometrics and Ohio State was very highly ranked in econometrics. I also had close friends at OSU.
2. Did you serve as a TA or instructor while pursuing your PhD? For which course(s)?
Yes, I served as TA for Introduction to Microeconomics, and I taught Intermediate Microeconomics as an independent instructor. I also worked as a research assistant.
3. What did you feel least prepared for when you began your first job post-graduation?
Very early in my career, I had to present research to senior business executives. I had no prior experience of doing that, and I often resorted to the academic presentation style, focusing on the methods and results. Slowly, I realized that these presentations should be structured very differently. Focusing more on the motivation behind and implications of the research. Preciseness was less important than having a perspective. It took me some time to adjust.
4. How long have you been with your current employer, and what do you do on a day-to-day basis?
I have been with my current employer for 6.5 years. It is an asset management firm with two-thirds of its assets tied to retirement. I lead our retirement thought leadership agenda which includes conducting and publishing research, sharing research with clients, speaking at conferences, speaking with the media, serving on industry committees etc.
5. What is the most challenging work experience you've encountered so far?
I often work in isolation and I’m also an introverted person. This is a barrier to building relationships with coworkers and gaining their trust. But having a good network of colleagues inside and outside of your current job is key to long-term success in any career. I didn’t realize early in my career how important it is to build a network of trusted colleagues.
6. What is your next biggest career goal?
I want to expand the scope of my work globally. I want to learn more about the retirement systems in other countries and share my experience of working in the retirement industry in the US to find out how we can work with retirement leaders in other countries.
7. Do you have any regrets from your time at OSU?
Not being offered a course on the history of economic thought. I think that was a limitation of my PhD training.
8. Parting thoughts and/or advice for current economics students (provide as many as you'd like):
- Be humble.
- Read books.
- Don’t chase jobs, chase the career you want.
