Urbashi Das

Urbashi Das is not a passionate gamer. But she was game enough to move from banking into the gaming industry when the time was right.

After completing her undergraduate business degree, Das began her career in banking and wealth management. She later pivoted into tech through a San Francisco–based fintech startup, where she discovered both the data industry and a passion for operational management.

She entered gaming through Unity, a game engine company, and later joined Electronic Arts (EA). Now, she is Lead Analyst driving infrastructure cost optimization and analytics across the organization’s global portfolio of game studios.

A New Arena

Working with the massive volumes of data generated across EA’s titles and studios, Das wanted a deeper understanding of analytics. Ivey Business School’s one-year Master of Management: Analytics (MM-A) program was the right play.

“I had a decent hold on the business and leadership side,” she said. “But I wanted to be more comfortable with data and analytics.”

The program has given her both the confidence and credibility to lead her analytics team and engage senior leaders. It also met her need for a structured academic environment that supports deeper learning and retention.

“Sitting in a classroom with people from different backgrounds and who are working full time while doing this program and having professors who truly believe in what we can do… it helps me believe I’m going to succeed.”

Leading with Data

She’s already seeing real-time impact in her work, applying concepts from analytics, visualization, and case discussions to her role. For example, she is guiding the development of analytics dashboards and best practices, grounding her decisions in what she has learned in the Ivey classroom.

The program’s case-based learning model has been especially impactful, strengthening her ability to think at a strategic level.

“It’s helped me zoom out and look at real companies and the decisions they’ve made and use hindsight to evaluate those choices,” said Das. She also points to strong peer support and camaraderie as critical in balancing the demands of work and study.

Through coursework and discussions, Das has engaged with emerging topics such as AI, agentic commerce, big data, and automation, which have helped her stay ahead in a rapidly evolving field.

The program has also strengthened both her technical skillset and ability to engage cross-functionally.

“A big focus of my role is translating data into insights that resonate with both technical and business leaders. The program has played a key role in building that capability.”

While the program builds transferable skills across industries, she has found a strong fit in gaming and is excited to continue contributing and growing there.

“What Ivey really emphasizes, and the path I want to follow, is that you’re not just another cog in the wheel. You’re a leader; you influence and drive decisions. That’s what we’re being prepared for,” she said.

And as for her own gaming interests?

“I wouldn’t call myself an avid gamer, but I did grow up around it,” said Das, whose brother was always playing FIFA World Cup, but never gave her the controller, “Coming into the industry without a gaming background has allowed me to approach decisions with a more neutral, data-driven lens, while still appreciating how passionate and engaged the gaming community is.”