Alum of the Month

Billy Dosanjh

Billy Dosanjh

June 2014

New York Program

September 2003 Intake


What and where did you study before your Mountbatten internship?
Economics and Economic History, London School of Economics.

What made you apply for the Mountbatten programme?
It was the opportunity to not just taste, but fully experience New York.

Describe your sponsor company and your role within it.
I worked for BenMet, a metal trading company, and my role centred on finding new markets in the US for precious metals from Africa.

What was the highlight/most memorable moment of your working experience during this year?
Helping my company close a considerable deal with Sky Blue Vodka manufacturers for the material Cobalt Oxide, which colours glass blue. I sourced the client and began the communications.

Please share a little wisdom/philosophy that you acquired during your internship.
The former Director of the New York office, Michael Billett's advice that "we live and work for longer than ever before, so your 20s are yours to experiment and try new things – just make sure to find your path by your 30s."

If you could change anything about your internship, what would it be?
I would have loved it to have lasted longer!

What happened after completing the year - what did you do next?
Upon completing my year in New York, I decided to move to Shanghai and explore China and get to grips with the culture in that part of the world.

Where are you now in your working life and what do you do?
I'm now a documentary director, having trained at the National Film and Television School for two years.
I'm off to China again next month to direct a piece for Channel 4 strand "Unreported World" (in fact, I'm still looking for good stories, so if anyone has an idea please get in touch!). I'm slowly establishing myself as a director, having worked across the industry, directing documentaries on the BBC, C4 and Sky 1, and executives at various independent companies.
I'm also working with the Arts Council on smaller, more personal projects, including a book of short stories titled "Summer of 94"

Do you have any future plans that you would like to realise & what are they (career & social)?
Career wise, I look to the future only 2 or 3 steps at a time, but hope to one day executive produce as well as direct. Socially, there are many places still to visit and friendships to make, so that excites me enormously.