SPJIMR alumnus recognised at the DHL GoTrade GBSN Fellowship
03 September 2026
Eesh Gupta, PGDM Class of 2026 alumnus, has been recognised for his work under the DHL GoTrade Global Business School Network (GBSN) Fellowship. The Fellowship placed him with Chembiz for a seven-month engagement. Chembiz, owned by Wilma Alberts, is a laboratory instrumentation supplier operating across South Africa and 15 Southern African Development Community (SADC) markets.
Recognised as one of the standout pairs from the Fellowship’s 2026 cohort, Eesh and Wilma have been invited by GBSN to share their experience at the DHL GoTrade GBSN Fellowship closing ceremony on 10th September 2026.
Eesh will address the global GBSN community about the shift from applying frameworks in the classroom to owning outcomes in a live business environment.
Reflecting on the recognition, Eesh said, “The recognition reflects the way we approached the fellowship. It was built around solving real problems for a real business. Most weeks, we didn’t start with a template. We started with a problem. Wilma’s understanding of the business, combined with my research-driven approach, allowed us to keep challenging assumptions and working towards practical solutions.”
Eesh and Wilma worked through nine distinct business gaps over the course of the fellowship, with several recommendations now embedded in how Chembiz operates. The engagement delivered several outcomes. Eesh and Wilma:
- Secured better DHL freight rates for shipments of 50 kg and above.
- Closed a hijacking gap in Chembiz’s cargo insurance.
- Replaced manual landed-cost quoting with a calculator that the business now runs independently.
- Advanced Chembiz towards Country of Origin certification and
- Surfaced an untapped strength in the education segment, an insight now central to the business’s marketing strategy.
Ahead of the Fellowship, Varun Nagaraj, Dean SPJIMR, had inspired Eesh to make SPJIMR proud. Reflecting on that expectation, Eesh said it translated into a sense of responsibility that shaped his approach through the seven months, and that he treated the engagement as a commitment rather than something to give partial attention to.
The recognition reflects SPJIMR’s emphasis on learning that connects academic rigour with the realities of global trade. By encouraging students to work directly within businesses, navigating cross-border challenges, SPJIMR aims to develop managers and future leaders equipped to create measurable impact from day one.
