The Value of In-Person Learning in an Executive MBA | EMBA 2026A - Sonal Agarwal
- blogs, product management
- 4 min read
Authors: Sonal Agarwal – Salesforce Marketing Delivery Manager at Accenture
Career transitions are exciting because they give you an opportunity to bring everything you’ve learned so far into something new.
That’s where I find myself today.
I’m Sonal Agarwal, a marketing and digital transformation professional with 14 years of global experience, including eight years in Singapore. My career has given me deep exposure to Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, Digital CRM, Customer Data Platforms, customer engagement platforms, and marketing automation.
Now, I’m ready to take that experience in a new direction.
My goal is to transition into product management and grow into a product leader. That ambition is what brought me to the Product Leadership program.
Why Product Management Feels Like the Right Next Step
Over the years, I’ve worked at the intersection of marketing, customers, technology, and digital transformation.
These experiences have taught me how technology can shape customer relationships and how businesses can use digital platforms to create better engagement.
As I thought about the next stage of my career, product management felt like a natural progression.
I want to move closer to the decisions that shape products – understanding customer problems, identifying opportunities, bringing different stakeholders together, and ultimately creating solutions that deliver value.
A year from now, I envision myself working as a product manager and moving steadily towards becoming a product leader.
It’s a clear ambition, and I joined this program to help make that transition possible.
I Wanted to Learn in a Classroom Again
When I started evaluating programs, I knew there was one thing I specifically wanted: in-person learning.
With so much education available online today, choosing a classroom experience was intentional for me.
There is something different about physically being present with your peers and faculty. Conversations happen more naturally. You can ask questions, exchange perspectives, and learn from the experiences of the people sitting around you.
For someone going through a career transition, I believe those interactions are especially valuable.
I don’t want my learning experience to be limited to consuming content. I want to participate, discuss, question, and engage.
The fact that Institute of Product Leadership offered in-person classes became one of the strongest reasons for my decision.
The People Behind the Program Mattered
The second factor was the leadership and faculty.
While exploring my options, I spent time understanding who I would be learning from. The faculty and leadership associated with the program appealed to me because I wanted to learn from people who could bring relevant perspectives into the classroom.
At this stage of my career, that matters.
I already have 14 years of professional experience. What I’m looking for now is not simply more information. I want perspectives that can help me connect my existing experience with the capabilities required for product leadership.
Learning from experienced faculty, while also exchanging ideas with professionals in my cohort, creates an environment where that can happen.
Starting Again Without Starting From Scratch
A career transition doesn’t mean leaving my previous experience behind.
My years in marketing and digital transformation will continue to shape the way I approach products.
Understanding customer engagement, CRM, marketing automation, and digital platforms gives me a perspective that I can carry into product management. The challenge now is to build on that foundation with stronger product thinking and leadership capabilities.
That is what makes this phase particularly exciting for me.
I’m not starting from scratch. I’m adding a new dimension to what I already know.
Growth Takes Patience
Outside work, one thing not everyone knows about me is that I’m a keen gardener.
I’ve been gardening consistently for around 10 years. Week after week, it remains something I genuinely enjoy.
Gardening teaches you to appreciate gradual progress. You put in the effort, create the right conditions, and give things the time they need to grow.
In some ways, I see my career transition similarly.
Becoming a product leader won’t happen overnight. It requires learning, practice, conversations, and the willingness to keep developing myself.
Right now, I’m excited to be back in a college environment. I’m looking forward to meeting my cohort, interacting with the faculty, learning from their experiences, and discovering what the journey has in store.
After 14 years across marketing and digital transformation, I’m ready to grow in a new direction.
And I’m excited to see where it takes me.
