Boston Chapter at MIT Session

What Early-Career Leaders Get Right (and Wrong) About Decision Making: Insights from Pharma, Energy, and AI

Panelists: Rahul Yavvari, Caroline Mueller & Srishti Bhutani

📅 Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
🏟 Location: Classroom E51-345, MIT Campus (70 Memorial Dr., Cambridge, MA)

Abstract

This panel brings together practitioners from the energy and pharmaceutical sectors to reflect on their early experiences making and supporting important decisions. They will share what has surprised them most, what they’ve gotten right (and wrong), and where structured approaches to decision-making have helped—or faced resistance, as well as what enables better decisions in practice, what gets in the way, and how early-career professionals can build credibility while contributing to clearer thinking and more informed choices.

A central focus of the discussion will be the growing role of artificial intelligence in decision-making. Panelists will share how AI is already being used in practice—from synthesizing evidence and assessing uncertainty to generating alternatives and accelerating analysis. The conversation will also examine its limitations, including challenges in framing the right problem, surfacing practical options, and avoiding overconfidence or misplaced trust.

Relevant for students, early- and mid-career professionals, and anyone interested in improving decision-making, this session offers practical insights into navigating complexity and uncertainty, especially in the context of artificial intelligence.

Panelists

Caroline Mueller
Lead Analyst - Clean Energy Development Team, National Grid

She supports early‑stage project origination and development of future transmission lines to enable renewable energy integration. She collaborates with engineering, regulatory, and finance experts to evaluate investment options and strategic planning. Prior to this role, Caroline worked in the US offshore wind industry with the RWE and National Grid joint-venture Community Offshore Wind, focusing on commercial analysis and competitive auction strategies. She holds a Master’s in Environmental Engineering and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University.

Rahul Yavvari
Associate Director - Portfolio & Decision Analytics, Novartis

He works with enterprise leaders to inform R&D portfolio planning and investment decisions. He partners with Therapeutic Area and Commercial teams to highlight implications, value, and trade offs to support TA strategy discussions. Earlier in his career, Rahul held roles in Sales Force Effectiveness, working on field force sizing & structure, targeting and incentive plan design. Rahul holds an MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis International University, Pune and a Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technological University.

Srishti Bhutani
Associate Director - Research Portfolio Strategy, Takeda

She supports strategic portfolio investment decisions across discovery and early development. She partners with scientific and commercial stakeholders to evaluate portfolio risk and drive evidence-based prioritization and resource allocation. Previously, she held roles in portfolio strategy and consulting at EMD Serono and has a background in biomedical research. Srishti holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.