Meet Toronto Rotman’s MBA Class Of 2020 - Poets&Quants

Think New York City is the melting pot? Just wait until you get a load of Toronto!

Dubbed the ‘most multicultural city in North America,’ the Toronto area is home to over 10 million people – with half born outside Canada. It is a city of differences – in nationalities, languages, and religions – held together by a mutual commitment to embrace each other’s identities. It is a welcoming community, a smaller, safer, and cleaner version of New York as some say, a place to blend in and call home.

A TECH EXPLOSION IN TORONTO

“The city had been built by people from innumerable elsewhere,” writes Canadian novelist André Alexis in describing Toronto. “It was a chaos of cultures ordered only by its long streets. It belonged to no one and never would, or maybe it was a million cities in one, unique to each of its inhabitants, belonging to whoever walked its streets.”

Beyond being a multicultural hub, Toronto is a thriving metropolis. Think of it as Canada’s epicenter for finance, technology, arts, fashion, research, media – you name it. Here, there is never a dull moment. That includes arts and music festivals galore, headlined by the Toronto Film Festival – second only to Cannes — and Toronto Pride, a June LGBT event that draws 1.2 million spectators to its downtown parade.

At the same time, business is booming here. In 2017 alone, Toronto added nearly 29,000 tech jobs. Over the past five years, tech positions have doubled to 241,000 in the city, eclipsing the 210,000 professionals in the finance sector. That doesn’t count Microsoft opening a new Canadian headquarters downtown in 2020, adding another 500 jobs to the rolls.

View of Toronto from the Rotman School

It gets better. In September, investors poured $1.4 billion dollars into Toronto firms, In fact, the area is flush with Fortune 500 firms. Legendary companies like Manulife Financial and the Royal Bank of Canada call Toronto home. On top of that, mainstays like Deloitte, EY, PwC, Accenture, Citi, and Honeywell, employ a thousand or more professionals there yet. Best of all, Toronto’s startup scene has arrived, thanks to success stories like Mill Street & Company, an asset management employing 600 people that has grown by over 3,000% in two years.

DIVERSE CLASS BRINGS AN ARRAY OF PERSPECTIVES

Not surprisingly, an electrifying city like Toronto “tick(ed) all the boxes” for aspiring MBAs like Kieran Alford. A London native who previously worked in Saudi Arabia and the UAE as a senior consultant, Alford credits the city’s vibrancy for enrolling at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management’s MBA Class of 2020.

“Toronto is a major finance and tech hub.” he observes. “According to CBRE, in 2017 Toronto created more tech jobs than the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and Washington, D.C., combined. This, combined with its already world-class financial sector, is an exciting prospect for any student looking to enter these desirable industries. In addition to the lively job market, being located in the heart of North America’s fourth largest city benefits students greatly. The location and size means that the school attracts exciting guest speakers, all of whom are at the peak of their careers and are able to provide students with unique insights and unparalleled networking opportunities.”

Like many business schools, Rotman takes after the virtues of its home city. In this case, Rotman projects a strong cosmopolitan vibe, one where divergent viewpoints are welcomed as a means to cover all angles and formulate more inclusive solutions. It is an invigorating MBA experience, one where students are constantly absorbing new slants and methods from across the globe.

Rotman MBA Students

“My colleagues come from more than 50 countries and from diverse professional backgrounds, writes Ana Maria Perez Sanchez, who grew up in Costa Rica and worked in Investment banking for Ernst & Young. “[This] fosters an environment where their experiences added to their creative ideas and allowed us to tackle conventional challenges from fresh and innovative perspectives.”

“A CULTURE OF RECIPROCITY”

In a word, Rotman channels “diversity” – the kind that sparks creativity and innovation, says Adesola Oladipupo, an investment analyst from Nigeria. “The Rotman MBA spools from all continents and provides an opportunity to interact with people from all over the world and tap into their wealth of experience and background,” she explains. “To my pleasant surprise, I also noticed the great diversity even amongst the students admitted from my country – there are no two people with the same background and experience.”

Beyond diversity, the Rotman culture also features an intangible that struck a chord with the Class of 2020. Ximena Bravo, a Nestlé sales executive from Perú, calls it a “culture of reciprocity” among students. It is this ingredient, she says, that sets the program apart.

“I think that there is much more than coming to classes,” she notes. “This is about networking, sharing experiences about ourselves, and paying attention to the experience of others. Also, helping other people from my point of view and receiving advice from others with different backgrounds result in growth as a professional and as a person in both sides. I believe that this integrates people, communities, companies, states and more, in order to improve how we think and accelerate the way we solve problems. I think this is what the world needs urgently.”

GETTING PROJECT SIGN OFF…FROM THE CROWN PRINCE OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

If a rich mix of backgrounds is what MBAs seek, they will find it in spades at Rotman. Marwan Hamdan’s mantra is, “I work to fly, fly to dream, dream to design, design to live, live to work!” As a consultant, Hamdan considers his biggest achievement to be developing a five-year strategy for Culture, Arts, Heritage, and Literature for the Emirate of Dubai – a project that was approved by the crown prince himself. Taiwan’s Maggie Yun takes great pride in setting up a business accelerator in Myanmar, one of the world’s poorest nations. Think outsourcing is a dirty word? Not to Akshay A. Baliga, an engineer-turned-consultant who realized an 80% cost reduction for a client by moving non-core manufacturing operations from Minnesota to Mexico. If you see two new condominium towers widening the Toronto skyline, credit Brad Souter. He spearheaded their design and construction.

Those are a lot of responsibilities…with a lot of pressure to go along with them. These high stakes are what Rodrigo Zubian Mercado Vallejo experienced when he was tapped to lead the turnaround of a fledgling chain of cafes and bakeries.

2017 Rotman Design Challenge Winners

“The new CEO invited me to work for at least one year, where I coordinated different departments to generate a strategic plan for next 5 years,” he explains. “I secured a $60 Million USD fund from the parent company and worked on the implementation of a new operating system for the stores that on the pilot with the same labor reduced 39% the store openings and 41% the customer complaints.”

CLASS HAILS FROM 49 COUNTRIES AND SPEAKS 23 LANGUAGES

Like previous years, Rotman declined to supply the number of applicants it received during the 2017-2018 cycle, noting only that applications had increased by 9% year-over-year. By the same token, the number of admits declined by 8% year-over-year – a testament to both the program’s ongoing popularity and exclusivity.

Overall, the Class of 2020 boasts 334 members who bring a 658 average GMAT and a 3.5 undergraduate GPA to campus. Over a third (36%) are women, with another 51% hailing from overseas. In fact, the class speaks 23 languages and hold 39 different passports.

At 27 years on average, the Class of 2020 also possesses 4.6 years of experience per student. The largest bloc of students – 20% — come from the financial services sector. Another 10% worked in consulting. The rest of the class is highly segmented by industry, with the largest sectors including energy (7%), healthcare (7%), consumer goods (6%), technology (6%), and real estate (5%).

Academically, 37 class members are pursuing dual graduate degrees, with majority falling in law and global affairs. As undergraduates, engineering was the most popular degree among the incoming class. They hold 32% of the class seats. Business-related majors trail close behind at 27%, followed by economics (12%), social sciences (11%), and life sciences (9%).

“ROTMAN IS LIKE ME”

While a 658 average GMAT may appear low for a top MBA program, the number stems from a larger philosophy. Rotman tends to seek out undervalued assets in prospective students. Translation: They focus as much on candidate intangibles, uniqueness and potential as much as quant benchmarks. That difference appealed to students like Maggie Yun, an aspiring venture capitalist whose motto is “I always do the opposite of what others tell me to do!”

“I am a free spirit,” she admits. “I have been working in economic development in emerging markets for so long and I am set to continuing doing so. It’s just a unique career that I don’t find many MBA graduates doing. From the first conversation I had with the recruitment and admissions team, I knew Rotman was willing to look beyond test scores and spend time getting to know my career aspiration.  Instead of following traditional MBA recruitment indicators, Rotman found out the key traits that lead to success of their students (and it did not match with traditional indicators). The moment I found that the school didn’t get swayed by the mainstream opinion, but instead does what is right after rationally analyzing the case, this is when I decided I wanted to be with them because I like Rotman’s attitude. Rotman is like me.”

That isn’t the school’s only appeal. Brad Souter, for one, attributes the program’s success to momentum – a never-satisfied mindset where students are placed at the center and excellence is defined as the ultimate objective.

“From the faculty generating thought leadership to the ever-expanding labs and institutes, it seems like the Rotman MBA program is constantly improving, and outpacing the competition,” he writes. “I am really excited to engage with faculty members whose work I’ve already read, and to get involved in some of the seemingly infinite extracurricular activities.”

2018 First-Year MBA Orientation

NEW ORIENTATION FOCUSES ON POVERTY REDUCTION

One change that awaited the Class of 2020 was a re-designed first year program. “It is now divided into four core terms that are designed to introduce and reinforce our unique approach to problem solving and decision-making,” writes Joseph Milner, academic director for the full-time MBA program, in a statement to Poets&Quants. “It is focused on building our candidate’s MBA toolkit in the major functional areas of business. The new final term beginning in March is also supported by three elective courses of the candidate’s choice, which they may wish to use to specialize and prepare further for their internship placement and the second year.”

Another change involved orientation. Thanks to a partnership between Rotman, the City of Toronto, and McKinsey & Company, this fall’s first-year programming kicked off with COMPASS. A five day consulting project, students are broken into teams to tackle issues related to the Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy. As part of the program, they partner with clients like the Toronto Shelter and the Scadding Court Community Centre to address poverty reduction in areas like transit services and income equity. To close the week, students present their findings and strategies to their clients, receiving valuable feedback from McKinsey partners in the process.

The COMPASS program represents a departure from traditional orientation fare, which often rely on case competitions to introduce first-years to MBA-caliber thinking. “The case competition model is incredible in many ways, but it doesn’t bring out the behaviors we want to cultivate,” notes Neel Joshi, the school’s director of student life and international experience. “We wanted to do self-development, not competition…Everyone wins as a result.”

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LAB PREPARES STUDENTS FOR LEADERSHIP

For next year, the school is working to expand access to their most popular offerings. “We want to ensure the second year of the program allows students to fully experience the wealth of opportunities we are providing in both the elective courses and experiential courses,” Milner adds. “These include CityLab, where students help with firms in neighbourhood BIA’s, and OnBoard, where students sit on local non-profit boards, as well as take part in our Leadership Development Lab or Creative Destruction Lab. As students plan their unique paths through the MBA, we need to better coordinate all of our activities so that more students are able to achieve their educational aims.”

Indeed, one of Rotman’s trademarks is a rich selection of forward-thinking courses that simply aren’t available at larger programs. Such courses are an offshoot of the larger university’s ranking among the world’s most prestigious research institutions. They include the legendary “Getting It Done” – a tour de force on building coalitions and aligning teams. Another favorite is “Innovation, Foresight and Business Design,” a course devoted to the subtle signs that an industry or organization is ripe for destruction.

Rotman students preparing for class.

Another popular offering the Self-Development Lab, a research-driven, module-based practicum open to select second-year MBA students. An intensive mix of workshops, reflection, coaching, and activities, the Self-Development Lab is designed to enhance their communication style and sharpen their decision-making. Notably, the modules cover areas such as self-management, business writing, leadership presence, and problem framing.

Daphne Hemily, a 2018 Poets&Quants MBA To Watch, called the lab “transformative” for both herself and many of her peers. “This class both challenged us to be better leaders, and taught us how. For example, your best insights or strategy won’t achieve their potential if others don’t believe in your leadership. This class has given me the opportunity to reflect on my behaviours and assumptions. It then explores self-determination and other core leadership qualities, increasing my capacity to navigate the challenges that I will face going forwards.”

STARTUP LAB CREATES $1.2 BILLION IN EQUITYL…IN 6 YEARS!

Among the Class of 2020, the Creative Destructive Lab (CDL) ranked among the most anticipated offerings. A seed stage startup program, the CDL is a space (and programming) for building scalable, tech-based ventures in areas like artificial technology. Boasting five locations across Canada – and a soon-to-be-opened franchise in partnership with New York University – CDL has created $1.2 billion (American) dollars worth of equity value since 2012. Here, student entrepreneurs, who are mostly MBAs, complete workshops, receive support resources, and network with faculty and area entrepreneurs and investors.

For Cayman Heng, a “hobbyist ecommerce entrepreneur,” the CDL is the perfect place to learn how to turn his passion into a career. “I have been privileged to be awarded the CDL Fellowship which puts me at the heart of action of technology ventures,” he explains. “As part of the program, I will have the opportunity to work with venture founders and learn how to manage a technology business. Being a strong believer of experiential learning, the program is a perfect fit for me to explore my interest in technology.”

Not surprisingly, Rotman is regaled as one of the world’s most innovative business schools, even adopting “A new way to think” as its moniker. Some of this can be credited to former Dean Roger Martin. A pioneer in integrative thinking, Martin worked to imbue every corner of the curriculum with this philosophy. What is integrative thinking? In a 2008 interview with Management.Issues, Martin described it as a way forward between seemingly-clashing solutions.

“If you are faced with opposed models, integrative thinking is where you have the capacity to create a better model, superior to both and incorporating aspects of each model, rather than choosing one model at the expense of the other… There is a sense that there is an opportunity to create something different.”

APPLYING INTEGRATIVE THINKING TO INTERNSHIPS

Rotman students celebrating another success.

This philosophy is exemplified by the school’s Flexible Internship program, where students can complete internships in the summer, fall, or spring terms. When the idea was broached four years ago, it received plenty of pushback, with faculty worried that year-round internships could take away from necessary classroom programming. At the same time, faculty also realized that such options could help students gain additional experience – the kind that increased their appeal to employers…and their odds of being hired.

The solution? Rotman incorporated ideas from all sides, ultimately launching a class called “Applied Management: Placement.” Here, internships supplemented coursework, which was geared towards helping students increase their value with employers.

“This structure allows Rotman to compete with schools that have a coop experience for MBA roles,” says Niki da Silva, the former head of Rotman’s full-time MBA program. “Choice will be expanded because employers who didn’t recruit will now offer internships to students in the last four months of school. More mature students will go from internships to full-time jobs—a just-in-time strategy for MBA talent as companies hire for everything from a new project to coverage for maternity leaves.”

ROOM ENOUGH TO BE YOURSELF

It is an integrative strategy that has been a game-changer for the school, with placement for the 2018 Class rising by 5% alone. Prospective students can also expect Rotman to continue pushing boundaries and igniting innovation. This month, Tiff Macklem earned another five year term as dean of the school

– a stamp of approval for the school’s vision of being a diverse community where differing backgrounds and ideas collide and applied research is turned into enterprises. Such inclusiveness and ingenuity has made Rotman – and the University of Toronto itself – a convening point for Canadian business…and beyond.

“Our events team at Rotman does a great job of bringing in thinkers, authors, politicians and business leaders for public talks and events,” says Joseph Milner. “While students may make time for a high profile event with the Prime Minister of Canada or with reporters from The New York Times, there are lots of other events held which I think they would benefit from attending, both in hearing from these leading thinkers and in meeting the Toronto business and community leaders that attend the talks.”

For Akshay Baliga, the school’s real appeal for the Class of 2020 isn’t its scope, but its intimacy. “Rotman’s curriculum spoke to me, and the career paths (both full time and internship opportunities) allowed me to understand the freedom and possibilities of what lies next. In terms the class, having a class size of 350 (with five sections of 70 students) makes me feel like I will be in a room that is large enough to expand my horizons, but not so large that I might lose myself in the crowd.”

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates.

Student	Hometown	Alma Mater	Employer
Kieran P. Alford	London, UK	University College London	Consolum
Akshay A. Baliga	Bangalore, India	University of Michigan	Ernst & Young
Ximena Bravo	Lima, Peru	Universidad ESAN	Nestlé Perú
Sophia Duncan	Newton, MA	Wesleyan University	Milton Community Youth Coalition
Marwan Hamdan	Beirut, Lebanon	American University of Beirut	Peppers & Rogers Group
Cayman Heng	Singapore	Nanyang Business School	Royal Dutch Shell
Adesola Oladipupo	Ogun State, Nigeria	Babcock University	Sigma Pensions
Ana Maria Perez Sanchez	Escazu, Costa Rica	Universidad de Costa Rica	Ernst & Young
Mimi Shih	Vancouver, British Columbia	University of Southern California	CIBC Wood Gundy
Brad Souter	Grimsby, Ontario	University of Waterloo	Entuitive Engineering
Maggie Yun	Changhua, Taiwan	Fu-Jen University Taiwan	Micro Empire Myanmar
Rodrigo Zubian Mercado Vallejo	Monterrey, Nuevo Leon	Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey	Auric Consulting

Kieran P. Alford

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“I like spending time with people smarter than I am. Life is about learning.”

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve lived in five countries, visited over 40 and hold three passports.

Undergraduate School and Major: University College London (B.A. Russian Politics), KU Leuven (M.A. European Politics).

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Consulum, Senior Consultant (Saudi Arabia/United Arab Emirates)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’m a bit of a political nerd, so working closely with senior politicians during the 2015 UK general election was a dream come true, particularly as a recent politics graduate! Although I cannot in any way claim that my involvement had any significant effect on the final result, I like to think I had a minor impact on the direction of the country.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Rotman’s class diversity is one of its strongest assets, so it is hard to identify a single quality that characterises its 350-strong cohort. I have, however, been extremely impressed by how well the class works together, helping one other with challenging issues, whether personal, academic or otherwise. While the MBA fosters a healthy amount of competition, the overwhelming attitude is one of collaboration and cooperation.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? In addition to being a top-ranked business school and boasting exceptional faculty and students, the primary reason for choosing Rotman was the location. I knew that I wanted to be in a bustling, young and vibrant city with great career prospects and Toronto ticks all of those boxes. Toronto is a major finance and tech hub. According to the CBRE, in 2017 Toronto created more tech jobs than the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and Washington, D.C., combined. This, combined with its already world-class financial sector, is an exciting prospect for any student looking to enter these desirable industries. In addition to the lively job market, being located in the heart of North America’s fourth largest city benefits students greatly. The location and size means that the school attracts exciting guest speakers, all of whom are at the peak of their careers and are able to provide students with unique insights and unparalleled networking opportunities.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’ve spent a lot of time living and working in the Middle East and was involved in a range of exciting countrywide projects. For this reason, I most look forward learning from other members of Rotman’s Middle East Business Association and sharing my experiences with them. The Middle East is one of the world’s most exciting regions and, aside from its rich culture and history, it boasts some of the fastest growing economies and most visionary leaders; I look forward to discussing these trends with other members of the association.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Given my positive career trajectory, the decision to pursue an MBA was not an easy one to make, particularly when factoring in the cost of the course and lost earnings. An MBA however, when chosen for the right reasons, is one of the most effective tools to accelerate a career and will benefit the student for his or her entire life as it teaches students how to be successful business leaders. For this reason, it was imperative that I choose an MBA that boasts a faculty which is on the cutting edge of business research. I can safely say that Rotman has exceeded my expectations in this regard.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Given aspiring MBA applicants will be some of the most talented and gifted individuals, it is not always an easy decision to give up (or put on hold) a flourishing career whilst pursuing a degree that more often than not costs as much as a house (or a very fast car). One should view an MBA as an investment, however, and recognise the unique networking opportunities and skills it will provide. Though I did not take the decision to pursue a business education lightly, I was at a stage in my career where an MBA was the logical next step to help me achieve my career ambitions.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

• Duke, Fuqua
• SMU, Cox
• WashU, Olin

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I’ve always been fascinated by other cultures and this interest has driven me to travel all over the world. For this reason, it was important that my chosen MBA featured a diverse cohort and, ideally, be located in a multicultural and vibrant city. Rotman’s class, with its over 35 represented nationalities, really stood out and, along with the fact that it is located in the center of one of the world’s most multicultural cities made it an obvious choice!

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I spent a period of my professional life working in the Middle East for a range of institutional clients. The hours were long and spending weeks at a time being ferried from a corporate hotel in Riyadh to the client’s office and then to the airport was sometimes isolating (although I did rack up a lot of air miles!). Though challenging, I was exposed to the ideas, institutions, and leaders shaping the Middle East and regularly found myself in unique situations that belied my experience and age. It not only built my confidence and vastly improved my understanding of the region, but, ultimately, made me a more effective business leader.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I’ve always been attracted to the big Canadian institutions, all of which demonstrated supreme levels of competence during the tumultuous recession years, in part, due to their size, financial responsibility and diversification. Fortunately, the majority offer MBA rotational programs, which, for someone such as myself who comes from a non-financial background, will provide an opportunity to learn the intricacies of the financial system and benefit from a structured and learning-driven scheme.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Ultimately, I’d like to be the proud founder of an innovative fintech company (watch this space!), but in five years I plan to be working for my post-MBA employer and learning everything there is to know about the financial sector.

Akshay A. Baliga

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“Untiring yet witty analytics geek who loves bringing people together to get the job done.”

Hometown: Bangalore, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I fly drones as part of being a photographer because aerial photography is fun!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Michigan, Industrial and Operations Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Senior Consultant, EY

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Outsourcing an entire non-core manufacturing operation from Minnesota to parts of Mexico and realizing over 80% in labor and efficiency savings. I managed the project from start-to-finish and worked from identifying the potential opportunity and stayed until we figured out how much we were saving when the trucks arrived from Mexico. An amazing couple of months spent travelling between the US and many Mexican cities, in search of perfect partners.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My classmates are vivid and dedicated. They all come from different walks of life and are eager to meet someone who is completely different from them so that they can enhance themselves

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The flexibility of a program and the size of the class are important to me. I am looking to define my niche in the area of Operations & Strategy. Rotman’s curriculum spoke to me, and the career paths (both full time and internship opportunities) allowed me to understand the freedom and possibilities of what lies next. In terms the class, having a class size of 350 (with five sections of 70 students) makes me feel like I will be in a room that is large enough to expand my horizons, but not so large that I might lose myself in the crowd.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Tough choice between the Rotman Operations Management Association (ROMA) and the Management Consulting Association MCA).

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After having been a management consultant for six years and in two major and opposite economies, I felt that it was time for me to further my education and really define my niche. I had spent a chunk of my professional life working with people much like myself. I realized if I need to start thinking outside the ever so cliched ‘box’, I needed to collaborate, live, and breathe with people who come from different walks of life and different cultures but yet work towards one common goal.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I figured that this was the best time in my life, personally and professionally, to take the leap of faith and be able to maximize the years of service I would have left to make a meaningful contribution to ever changing corporate landscapes and innovation while hoping to climb the ladder professionally and financially.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Kellogg, IE, LBS, Anderson, Foster, McCombs

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Flexibility of curriculum was important along with the cross section of a typical class (age, industries, backgrounds, etc.). While I wasn’t necessarily targeting a school reputed for a particular occupation, I did make sure that there was a future career in the market the school was situated in. Lastly, I also networked with alumni to get a sense of their typical day at these school because it’s not only important to have time for classwork and team meetings but also to have a life outside school as well.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The choice I made to move from the United States to India in order to gain experience in a developing economy. I believe that helped me round out my experience and it taught me business in from a very different economy – with a very different sets of practices, opportunities and problems. Moving to India allowed me to bring in practices from the West and experiences that could help my clients, but it also taught me very hard lessons in a constantly changing business landscape where business and politics are so tightly related.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I hope to pursue a career in Strategy Consulting or in Internal Corporate Strategy

Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully in a leadership position within my consulting firm’s practice aiming to lead next generation solutions for my clients, building huge solutions for a more efficient tomorrow. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to partner with large clients to plan and execute these projects.

Ximena Bravo

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“Positive, smiley and determined woman. Passionate traveler, dancer and seeker of new experiences.”

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Fun Fact About Yourself: I had one month of vacations before coming to Rotman, so I decided to took up tennis after 15 years of haven’t played at all. I was a disaster in the courts, but I couldn’t have enjoyed it more! I loved it!

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidad ESAN, Industrial and Commercial Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

BP / Castrol del Perú – Brand Activation Coordinator

Nestlé Perú – Consumer Marketing Manager

Nestle Perú – Marketing Specialist

Nestlé Perú – Sales Executive

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Convincing consumers to believe that a packaged product is 100% natural instead of artificial is a big challenge. This happened with a beverage brand called Ecco, so I worked to relaunch it with a different approach so consumers can adopt new ideas about it.

Thanks to the new image, new communication idea and new ways of preparation, Ecco was one of the few brands selected for the Innovation Day of Nestlé, competing against all brands from the Americas, and was presented in Switzerland in front of many Country Managers and Marketing Directors.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? They are very sharing. Everyone is willing to help you and tell their own experiences so you can have a better base line in terms of studies or the new city.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? When I was doing some research about top MBA schools, there was a phrase at Rotman that caught my attention immediately: Culture of reciprocity. I think that there is much more than coming to classes. This is about networking, sharing experiences about ourselves, and paying attention to the experience of others. Also, helping other people from my point of view and receiving advice from others with different backgrounds result in growth as a professional and as a person in both sides. I believe that this integrates people, communities, companies, states and more, in order to improve how we think and accelerate the way we solve problems. I think this is what the world needs urgently.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I would love to be part of Negotiation Club and Business Design Club. Also, I am looking forward to do some trekking in the beautiful trails that the city has to offer.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? There was a point in my career in which I realized that I was in a comfortable position. I had a good job and had achieved many of the goals I had some years ago. So I started to plan about the future and studying for an MBA was the perfect choice in order to improve my career and personal experience. The fact of going to a new country, meeting new people, and start learning new things really made me excited.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Part of the research I did was calculating the expected income graduates receive after the program. Also, I spoke to some acquaintances who had already finished a MBA.  In both cases, I could see that the return on the investment was what I was looking for.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I also applied to McGill.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? First of all, I prioritized language. I wanted to be in an English or French speaking country. Although I love my mother tongue (Spanish), I wanted to challenge myself a little bit more.

Then I prioritized schools that were present in top MBA rankings. Of course, Rotman appeared in those lists. After that, I was looking for a school in a city that had good internship opportunities without having to move, that offered an open space for women and that embraced multiculturalism.

Finally, I looked at the websites or blogs of many schools and asked for opinions of different people including family, friends, peers and professionals who were in my field. This was a key to better understanding the culture of each school and helped me decide if I could fit in the program.

I knew that Rotman would fit in my career goals, because it has overseas prestige, is actively looking for more women to be in the program and embraces diversity.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When you are a teenager, your greatest desire is to be free, be able to go out with your friends and make your own decisions. However, you are not fully aware of what is going on in the world that surrounds you. When I was 16, my parents started to be more careful about where I went, with who and what I was going to do. After some time, they told my sister and I that our family was receiving threats and that we could be kidnapped. Suddenly, everything changed. We could not go out to public places; we had to move to a much smaller place (that no-one knew about); and during summer vacations we went to another country for more than a month. Fortunately, the situation ended. We were fine but the experience changed my perspective of life.

Because of this event, I learnt that bad things can happen any time to anyone. I was more aware of things that a regular teen did not care about, especially if you are a woman in my country. You do not choose to be threatened, get some illness, or be in a natural disaster. But you can choose to work and be prepared if these situations arrive. You have to stay positive and see that there are worse things in the world and you should be grateful for what you have in the moment.

All of this has taught me to be always getting better, to look for new opportunities that will benefit yourself and your beloved ones, and to be independent. Also, I learnt that it is important to stay positive in bad situations and to smile to life every day.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I have been in Toronto three times and I can say that it is one of the greatest cities in the world. I would be grateful if after my graduation I can stay to work in a multinational company. I am passionate about building brands, so I plan to stay in Marketing or Strategic areas that are related.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself in a senior position in Marketing or Strategy in a multinational company where I can have an active role in adapting teams, visions and strategies towards new trends. I also see a better version of myself with the soft skills learned at Rotman and with the network I plan to build.

Sophia Duncan

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“Quirky, curious, softhearted nerd obsessed with food, the outdoors, and social justice.”

Hometown: Newton, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love to go on long canoe trips. For our honeymoon, my partner and I went on an amazing 25 day canoe trip in Wabakimi Provincial Park in Northern Ontario and brought all our own dehydrated food.

Undergraduate School and Major:  Wesleyan University, History

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Milton Community Youth Coalition, Youth Programs and Food Access Coordinator

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While managing a farmers market in rural Vermont, we more than doubled our vendors’ total sales from the previous season, and increased federal food benefit redemption by low-income community members by 172%.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Approachable. The classmates I’ve met so far have such impressive accomplishments and backgrounds but are still so approachable, friendly, and interesting to talk to.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Class diversity was a huge factor for me. Coming from three years living in Vermont, which is certainly not known for its diversity, working with and learning from diverse peers was a big priority. When I visited Rotman and sat in on a class, I was particularly struck by students’ diverse backgrounds not just in country of origin but also in work experience and career goals.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m looking forward to joining Rotman Net Impact and also getting back on the soccer field.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I felt I was learning a lot in my day-to-day work, but needed a serious skill boost to move forward in my career. I considered Planning and Public Policy programs but decided that an MBA would be the best fit and would provide essential leadership and financial skills as well as a greater degree of career flexibility.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Primarily, I spoke with mentors, family friends, and acquaintances in fields that I’m interested in. I also looked at school salary reports.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Yale School Of Management

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I wanted to find both academic rigor and a supportive community. I knew I wanted to get a strong foundation in classic MBA skills like finance, accounting, management, etc., but also wanted some flexibility to learn about my specific career priorities. I looked at Poets and Quants, spoke with admissions and with current students, visited a class at Rotman, and did a lot of online research to determine which schools would be a good fit. Finally, I put a lot of thought into school location and how that fit with my partner’s and my plans for the future.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I spent 2013-2014 in Morocco on a Fulbright Research grant. My focus was on traditional food and ideas about authenticity, and I traveled around the country learning from farmers, rural cooperatives, home cooks, chefs and restaurateurs. I loved speaking Moroccan Arabic, and spent most of my time asking taxi drivers, elderly ladies, and anyone else who would listen endless questions about food. That year really shaped my world view, solidified my interest in working with rural communities, and strengthened my ability to adapt to a different environment, to work independently, and to forge a network in another language (and often with shaky phone reception).

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan to work in a non-profit or social enterprise focused on social and economic justice.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope to start my own non-profit or consulting organization in Ontario. I plan to work with community members and farmers to facilitate equal access to food and land while building strong, just rural communities.

Marwan Hamdan

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“I am a management consultant with a passion for music, art and design.”

Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon

Fun Fact About Yourself: I work to fly, fly to dream, dream to design, design to live, live to work!

Undergraduate School and Major: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the American University of Beirut

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

• Senior Manager, Peppers & Rogers Group
• Senior Consultant, Ernst & Young

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I consider the work my team and I did for a key government institution in Dubai during 2016-2018 timeframe to be the biggest accomplishment in my career so far. Over the course of 1.5 years, we grew the business with this account from 1 project to over 4 projects and half-a dozen short assignments. Revenue from this account tripled over the same period. The highlight of our accomplishment was when the crown prince and future ruler of Dubai approved the 5-year Culture, Arts, Heritage and Literature Sectorial Strategy we had developed for the Emirate of Dubai; the accomplishment was published in the local news.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I haven’t met any of my classmates face-to-face yet. From the interactions I had with some of them on social media, I realized that they all shared one common denominator: Drive. They are driven by their career goals and are channeling all their energy and focus to achieve those goals. The MBA program is a journey. You can’t sprint your way through a journey; you need to have the energy, focus, drive and intellect to experience every moment of truth across this journey.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Rotman has a unique major called “Business Design” that distinguishes it from the rest of the competition. Business Design is an area that interests me as I am looking to further my career within this field post-MBA. For this reason, and because Rotman is considered the number one business school in Canada, I found Rotman’s MBA program to be the right fit for my professional career aspirations.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Business Design Club will be on top of my list. I am also looking forward to engaging in many of the sports activities that are going to happen on- and off-campus.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I realized that, although I had 9+ years of experience working in management consulting – serving both private and public sector clients across several verticals and areas of expertise – I still did not have all the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve my long-term career ambitions. An MBA will provide a solid base in the areas of design, entrepreneurship and innovation.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Coming from a Business Administration educational background and having worked in management consulting, an MBA is the next logical step in my career.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None. From the start, my target was an MBA program in Canada. Since Rotman is the number one Business School in Canada, its MBA program was the obvious choice. Therefore, I focused all my energy and effort to nailing the Rotman MBA application.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? (What factors did you prioritize? What tools did you use to evaluate schools? How did you research culture? How did you know it fit your career goals?) Two factors influenced my decision to choose which school to apply to: (1) the school’s learning methods, and (2) networking opportunities. Rotman excels in both areas, with its innovative “integrative thinking” framework and as a multi-cultural hub.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I consider (1) becoming a Canadian permanent resident and (2) a Rotman MBA student as two of the most defining moments in my life right now. I always wished I could live, study and work in Canada, seeing how beautiful and culturally rich this country is. After all these years of planning for such a move, I get to finally experience it!

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Post-MBA, I hope to join an industrial design consultancy firm such as Karten Design, RKS, or IDEO or a technology firm that has “design” engraved in its DNA such as Apple and acquire the skills needed to realize my long-term career goal.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself having established my own creative design consultancy company, focused on delivering customer-centric solutions to SMEs by embracing creativity, innovation, and disruptive technologies.

Cayman Heng

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“A hobbyist e-commerce entrepreneur who is also a vegetarian foodie.”

Hometown: Singapore

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have visited what was dubbed the world’s northernmost McDonald’s outlet in Rovaniemi, Finland. It is located near the Arctic Circle.

Undergraduate School and Major: Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University – Bachelor of Business with major in Banking & Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Royal Dutch Shell – Business Development Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:I was tasked to lead the strategic review of an aspect of the company’s business, which was performing poorly and make recommendations on how to turn the business around. High logistics costs rendered the business uncompetitive and the business could cease unless the issue was addressed. Through several rounds of negotiations with our logistic partners, my team was eventually able to secure significant cost reductions under a newly-negotiated contract. This enabled the business to continue and provided a foundation for the business to grow its sales volume. I was also commended by the General Manager for the work that I delivered.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Diverse! Even before the program began, I met up with some of my MBA classmates who are based in the same city as I am. What struck me the most was that despite all of us being based in Singapore, I am the only Singaporean and everyone else is of different nationalities. Besides that, all of us held different roles and worked in various industries.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Rotman was a clear choice for me because of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL). I have been privileged to be awarded the CDL Fellowship which puts me at the heart of action of technology ventures. As part of the program, I will have the opportunity to work with venture founders and learn how to manage a technology business. Being a strong believer of experiential learning, the program is a perfect fit for me to explore my interest in technology.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to joining the Business Design Club. Business Design is an interesting approach to problem-solving with a strong focus on end-users. It has very practical applications across different roles and industries and I am keen to develop my skills in this area through club activities.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? There were a few considerations which prompted me to make the move. First, I have always aspired to live and work abroad. After evaluating my options, I decided that pursuing an MBA overseas is the quickest way for me to realize my aspiration at this point in my career. Second, having been working for the past four years, I have gained a good clarity on my strengths and career interests. Hence, I felt that it is an opportune time for me to leverage on the MBA program to embark on my ideal career.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? My role as Business Development Analyst requires me to build financial models to determine the Net Present Value (NPV) of investment projects. Naturally, I did exactly the same when it came to deciding whether an MBA was worth the investment. Thankfully, my projections indicated a positive NPV! Financials aside, there were also intangible aspects that I considered. To me, an MBA offers me the opportunity to broaden my perspective and launch my career overseas, which is something that I have always aspired. Hence, I decided that it was worth the investment.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Rotman was the only Canadian MBA program that I applied to.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I considered the school’s reputation, culture, and location when deciding which school was the best fit for me. I have a personal preference to study in Canada, as it is a great country with high quality of life. This helped me to narrow down my options considerably. Within Canada, I then researched on which are the schools that have the strongest reputation among employers.

Apart from business school rankings and employment reports, I found that it was very useful to attend MBA fairs and events to speak with the admissions teams and students. Doing so enabled me to gain valuable insights into the school’s culture, which would not have been possible if I only relied on internet sources.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I got into a road accident and the thought of death flashed through my mind at that point in time. The incident was a defining moment for me as it shaped my outlook on life. I realized how short and unpredictable life can be. This taught me to cherish my loved ones more and not take things for granted. I am grateful to be alive and have the opportunity to experience what life has to offer.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Coming from a business development background, I would like to pursue a career where I can continue to deepen my commercial acumen. My ideal role would be one that empowers me to lead projects or manage products and make a contribution to the company’s bottom-line.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself assuming greater responsibilities in my career and becoming a business leader with direct Profit & Loss (P&L) accountabilities.

Adesola Oladipupo

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“I am passionate about Finance and I love experiencing the peculiarities of different cultures.”

Hometown: Ogun State, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I can drink steaming hot tea in an oven and I start to shiver at below 26 degrees. Toronto’s winter will be my biggest challenge!

Undergraduate School and Major: Babcock University, Nigeria; Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Investment Analyst, Sigma Pensions, Nigeria

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My most impactful achievement was when I worked in a retail bank, determining appropriate credit structures for small and medium scale business. The bank I worked for was risk averse and opposed to granting any financial assistance to non-traditional oil & gas businesses. At my junior level, I was able to convince the management of my bank (which had over $1billion in AUM) to grant a credit facility worth $100,000, at the time, to a start-up company with interest in Agriculture. The business currently employs about 200 indigenous staff and has generated over $120,000 in revenue within the first year five years of business.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Bright, diverse and Friendly: We have this group chat on all social media platforms with members from all over the world and you will find chats ranging from football, to trade wars, to Indian movies. I feel like I have already made friends for life without even meeting them.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Diversity. I believe personal culture and society may influence – but also limit – creative and innovative thinking as well as the ability to proffer lasting solution to legacy problems. More so, I think the gap between developed countries and third worlds can be bridged by creative and integrated thinking. The Rotman MBA spools from all continents and provides an opportunity to interact with people from all over the world and tap into their wealth of experience and background. This will undoubtedly broaden my perspective and improve my creative and innovative thinking, and analytical skills. To my pleasant surprise, I also noticed the great diversity even amongst the students admitted from my country – there are no two people with the same background and experience.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The list is endless! First, I have a lot to fix at the Rotman Self-development lab which provides an opportunity to improve my communicative, interactive and interpersonal skills. Next stop is the Active/Sport Club, because I am a sports enthusiast.  I can’t wait to see what these activities have in stall for me.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Having just completed my CFA exams, it is important, especially now while I am transitioning from accounting to core finance, to enroll in an MBA program so I can leverage the core technical curriculum of the CFA program with the academic rigors of a top MBA program. More so, my country, Nigeria, is going through structural changes and I believe my skill set and experience post-MBA will be a benefit at home.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I don’t believe I will be the same person mentally and psychologically after my problem and this is my biggest return on investment. Rotman’s robust curriculum includes activities in various spheres of business management that will make me a proactive program solver.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None!!!, Rotman is my one and only! I wanted an MBA program in a country that provide a stable environment for learning. Canada is and was my first choice for international experience and Rotman is the top School in Canada. After speaking to various alumni, I was more than sold!

How did you determine your fit at various schools?

What factors did you prioritize: Cultural diversity – half the people in Toronto are not originally from Canada.

What tools did you use to evaluate schools: Mostly LinkedIn, FT times, Quora, GMAT Club, and a lot of Google searches!

How did you research culture?  I spoke to Rotman Alumni and friends living in Toronto. My interview with the school (Leigh Gauthier) strengthened my decision to enroll at Rotman.

How did you know it fit your career goals: I really can’t overemphasize the importance of a diverse, global network as it relates to my career. Further, the rigor of the curriculum will equip me with qualitative and analytical skills I require in pursuit of a career in investment.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The global financial crisis of 2008. My family lost it all, and my interest in investment was born. This was when I decided to pursue a career in investment management.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  Portfolio management

Where do you see yourself in five years? A Vice-President at a top global asset management firm. I am also hoping my time at Rotman will help me to frame my five year outlook.

Ana Maria Perez Sanchez

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“A passionate coffee drinker who is the happiest when performing aquatic activities.”

Hometown: Escazu, Costa Rica

Fun Fact About You: My closest friends always joke and say that I could have been a detective. I’m very perceptive and for some reason I just enjoy connecting the dots.

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidad de Costa Rica – Bachelor in Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Ernst and Young (EY) in LATAM North – Senior Associate Investment Banking and Corporate Strategy

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: One of my biggest accomplishments was at EY, when I co-led the creation of an in-house business development and sales intelligence unit (IU). During its first year, the IU originated three M&A transactions that successfully closed and contributed to generate one of the highest revenues in my department. It also became the go-to resource for client relationship management and our deal pipeline. The IU’s most important contribution has been internally, allowing EY to harness fresh perspectives, create greater firm loyalty, increase brand recognition, and train new leaders.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I would describe my MBA classmates as unique, talented, successful, and driven individuals who effortlessly create a synergistic environment. My colleagues come from more than 50 countries and from diverse professional backgrounds, what fosters an environment where their experiences added to their creative ideas allow us to tackle conventional challenges from fresh and innovative perspectives.  More than classmates, they are now my life-long friends.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? A key factor that led me to choose Rotman for my full-time MBA was the opportunity to major in an industry of interest. Rotman stood out for its strong real estate program and commitment to hands-on business training. The real estate core curriculum is ideally suited to my goals, offering courses in investment, development and economics. Rotman also has a prestigious location in the heart of Toronto a vibrant, growing and dynamic city, ranked among the best cities to live in the world.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school?I look forward to joining the Rotman Real Estate Association (RREA), which I consider is a valuable learning opportunity and a good way to connect with other people who are also passionate about this industry. This club intends to inform students on the different paths and careers within the industry, support with interview preparation, and connect its members to current industry professionals. My goal is to attend RREA panel discussions and participate in their case competitions.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I had a strong desire to pursue an MBA because I wanted to work and learn from people with different backgrounds, engender new abilities, push myself beyond my own limits, and gather the necessary tools to make a positive impact in the world.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? For me, it was very simple. I have always valued the MBA experience as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve a holistic growth and broaden life’s perspectives.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

• HEC Paris
• LSE

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I prioritized several factors when deciding which school to attend such as the opportunity to major in an area of interest, a highly selective and diverse student body, a rigorous and innovative MBA curriculum, a strong career support, the school’s location, and a robust international alumni network. Before making my final decision, I spoke with several students, attended a class, and finally made my decision.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I wouldn’t say it is a specific moment, but more of a combination of them. Growing up in Costa Rica, I constantly saw many families and people I deeply care about struggle with substandard housing and communities torn apart by the lack of partnerships between private real estate developers and public policymakers. For this reason, my life purpose is to create a positive impact for these families and provide them with better living conditions and economic opportunities.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? My goal after graduation is to join an international real estate investment and development firm. I would love to have the opportunity to work alongside industry experts across the financial and strategic aspects of the real estate industry.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years from now, I see myself as an industry expert, working in more senior roles within a real estate company. My goal is to experience a global spectrum of best-in class practices across the world and to promote long term partnerships between private and public entities to support families living in substandard conditions achieve economic inclusion and sustainable growth. These aspirations stem from my personal values and experiences.

Mimi Shih

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“I wanna be the very best  #wealthandhealth.”

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia

Fun Fact About Yourself: I ran the Tokyo marathon dressed as Pikachu.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Southern California, Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: CIBC Wood Gundy, Investment Advisor

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I am a millennial female, raised in Canada, and am able to work with both Eastern and Western cultures and connect with clients from an older generation in a different language.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Eager to learn. Speaking with them, you notice the excitement they hold for themselves and society at large.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Location, location, location. I worked in Vancouver in Wealth Management and the connections in Toronto, the financial capital of Canada, will be pivotal for my career going forward.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Letters Club – I am passionate about social advocacy and look forward to bringing MBA candidates in the Toronto community together.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? The MBA at Rotman will provide the network and portfolio management skills I need to further my career.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? It’s an investment in my career and myself, so it was a no-brainer.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Only part-time at Sauder and Rotman this year.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I looked at the programs and the professors and spoke to alumni. I considered my long-term goal and whether the school would help me achieve it. I visited the campus, sat in on class, and spoke to 2nd years about their experience. The feel of the city also helped in my decision making process.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The death of my close friend in college made me re-evaluate my life and prioritize helping people in whichever method I could.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Continue to refine myself personally and professionally – it’ll be a life-long endeavor. Focus on my career in wealth management and my five year plan.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Cultivating my brand presence in the Vancouver, Toronto, and Asian Private Wealth Management market.

Brad Souter

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“A collaborative builder who is constantly seeks the next challenge.”

Hometown: Grimsby, Ontario

Fun Fact About Yourself: During my undergraduate years, I competitively built and raced canoes and toboggans made of concrete. This past January, I led a team of alumni to organize and host a concrete toboggan race in Waterloo. Over 500 competitors from 23 North American universities participated in the four-day competition.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Waterloo – Civil (Structural) Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Entuitive Engineering (Structural Engineer)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: There are two new condominium towers being built in Toronto right now – this development represents both the greatest challenge and the greatest accomplishment of my career so far. My involvement with the project began during an undergraduate internship, as I contributed to the most basic design tasks. When my internship was over, the project was put on hold for sales, but by the time I returned after graduation it had become active again. Through the following two years, I gained more and more responsibility for the design of the buildings. By the time construction began in 2016, I had moved into the lead role for our engineering team. Every single step of the way was a new “first” for my career, so I feel like I grew up with the project. I’m incredibly proud to see the buildings nearing completion.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Diversity – both in geographic background and area of expertise. This was most obvious at the Rotman Problem Solving Challenge weekend that I attended in May. I was really surprised to find that I was in the minority as a Toronto native for a single event held four months before the program even began. There was an incredible turnout of international students who had flown in from all over the world just for the weekend. The wide range of individual thought processes became obvious to me as soon as we broke out to work in teams, and I’ve heard from many others who had a similar experience. The diversity of my team members allowed us to quickly assess the problem from many angles, and eventually we converged on a great solution to present.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? This is a tough one for me – it really was a lot of incremental factors that led me to choose Rotman. If I had to pick the most dominant one, it would be the trajectory of the school in recent years. From the faculty generating thought leadership to the ever-expanding labs and institutes, it seems like the Rotman MBA program is constantly improving, and outpacing the competition. I am really excited to engage with faculty members whose work I’ve already read, and to get involved in some of the seemingly infinite extracurricular activities. We all expect that the network built during an MBA program will be one of the most valuable assets in our lives, and it seems that the total talent attracted to Rotman grows each year. I’m sure this has a lot to do with the efforts to continuously improve the program.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? My biggest focus in extracurriculars will be on building new problem-solving skills and applying them to business challenges. I’m also very competitive and love working with new teams, so naturally I’m looking most forward to getting involved in as many case competitions as I can. My functional interests are mostly related to business strategy and real estate asset management/investment, so I’ll certainly be looking to get involved through the clubs that focus on those topics.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Early in my career, I tinkered with the idea of pursuing an MBA, but it remained a fringe interest as I focused on my technical skills. To be perfectly honest, up until about a year ago I had really shelved the idea of pursuing an MBA, as I seemed to be on a very promising path in my engineering career. However, as my role expanded to include team leadership and client management, I found I was losing interest in the technical engineering work and wanted to focus on these new responsibilities instead. There didn’t seem to be a good path towards this goal in my organization, so I started to look externally.

Through this process, I came to realize that nearly all of my long-term goals were centered on management and leadership. This naturally led to a rekindling of my interest in the MBA. As I dove into research of programs and possible career paths, each new piece of information excited me more than the last. By the time I had completed my research, I couldn’t imagine a future where I didn’t get my MBA. My mind was made up; I just needed to decide on the timing for starting a program. I felt that more time in my current role wouldn’t contribute much to the new management and leadership skills I sought, so I began the application process immediately.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? This decision was very much two-pronged. First, I spent a bunch of time making financial projections to determine the “break-even” point, when I would be in about the same financial position I would have been in if I didn’t pursue an MBA. At some point, that became a bit of a futile exercise since I was working with such speculative assumptions. However, I became confident that this break-even point would come some time in my thirties. I decided that I was comfortable with this and was satisfied that an MBA would be a financially positive investment in myself. Beyond the ROI, one of my major life goals is to either achieve a senior leadership role in a company or to run my own company. My engineering career has served me well so far, but it lacks opportunity for consistent focus on management and leadership. I saw the skills I could build through the MBA (especially intangible leadership skills) as essential to achieving my future goals. This really helped to confirm that the MBA was the right investment for me right now.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Richard Ivey School of Business (Western University), Smith School of Business (Queen’s University), Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University).

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I visited all three of the Canadian schools that I applied to, and spent some time getting to know the current students to understand what their day-to-day is like. I’m very much a “throw me into the deep end” kind of person, so I wanted to find a program where I could immerse myself without limitations. I also wanted to be able to make my own experience at business school – I take a lot of pride in my work ethic, so I wanted to be somewhere where I would never run out of extra things to get involved with. As cliché as it sounds, I really wanted to find a culture built around the work hard, play hard mentality. More than any of the other schools I visited, Rotman felt the most aligned with what I was looking for.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The defining moment of my life so far was the day I received my acceptance to the University of Waterloo. In all honesty, I applied myself poorly in high school and had barely scraped together a sufficient profile to get myself into the program. I’ll never forget the sinking feeling beforehand that I might not have done enough to achieve my goal, and I was terrified of that failure. When I received my acceptance, I was obviously relieved – but mostly I was motivated. Built on that fear of failure, I committed myself to always give 100% effort towards any goal I wanted to achieve. This has become the most fundamental principle that I live by today, and I owe most of my early career success to it.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduating with my MBA, my goal is to land a career in management consulting. All my research and conversations with people in the industry have pointed to it being the most aligned with my interests. The biggest draw for me is the ability to work on diverse, challenging, and impactful problems.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Five years from now, I see myself continuing to work on my management, leadership, and business problem solving skills – and hopefully climbing the ladder at a consulting firm. It’s no secret that some consulting careers can be short-lived for MBA graduates, so if I happen to not be in a strategy consulting role in five years, I think that the most likely alternate path for me would be in commercial real estate investment/development.

 

Maggie Yun

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“I always do the opposite of what others tell me to do!”

Hometown: Changhua, Taiwan

Fun Fact About Yourself: I travel a lot in developing countries, but I only collect travel information when I arrive in the country. I prefer travel by land and read old lectures about the country.

Undergraduate School and Major: Fu-Jen University Taiwan, International Business and Finance.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Director, Micro Empire Myanmar

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: With very limited resources, I was able to set up an accelerator with a sustainable business model in only eight months’ time in Myanmar, one of the least developed countries in the world.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why?  My classmates are very collaborative and open-minded. The class is so diverse in nationality and academic and professional backgrounds. I am excited to learn different, valid viewpoints through class discussions. By the fact that so many business decisions are situational and there is not always one right answer, I know that we will all respect one another’s opinions and work together to further navigate the best solutions.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I am a free spirit. I look for a place where I can be myself rather than being shaped and influenced to pursue a traditional successful career. I have been working in economic development in emerging markets for so long and I am set to continuing doing so. It’s just a unique career that I don’t find many MBA graduates doing. However, from the first conversation I had with the recruitment and admissions team, I knew Rotman was willing to look beyond test scores and spend time getting to know my career aspiration.  What I appreciate the most is that instead of following traditional MBA recruitment indicators, Rotman found out the key traits that lead to success of their students (and it did not match with traditional indicators).

The moment I found that the school didn’t get swayed by the mainstream opinion, but instead does what is right after rationally analyzing the case, this is when I decided I wanted to be with them because I like Rotman’s attitude. Rotman is like me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Join clubs! The Venture capital club and Net Impact club are at the top of my list, along with the Self-Development Lab modules and Creative destruction lab course.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? An MBA allows me to access the markets and resources that I need. I spent time talking to early stage entrepreneurs in emerging markets and I realized that in order to be more helpful for them, an MBA would be the best next step.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? For me, it’s not the immediate salary that I receive post-MBA that will determine this. Network is a better indicator. It’s invaluable to meet someone that gives me advice when facing difficult choices or an opportunity that changes my life. The MBA is about exposure to those opportunities.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Schulich, UBC

How did you determine your fit at various schools?

• Working visa requirements for post-graduate students
• Career center resources
• School alumni network
• Soft skill development

I build my own spreadsheets to evaluate schools. I read many articles online about schools and compared notes with school websites and the conversations with recruiters.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? It’s a hard question. Humans develop through various events in their life. My childhood background, first leadership role in AIESEC, first job in Uganda, and second job in Myanmar all gave me many lessons. These all add up and led me to my recent encounter with a group of angel investors from Calgary who forced me to reflect on my experience and made me decide to be an entrepreneur and an early stage investor. The best way to help a person is bringing them opportunity and the network they need. This is particularly true in least developing countries.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Join a VC focused on investment in emerging market and run a business.

Where do you see yourself in five years?  Become an Angel Investor who delivers entrepreneurship training sessions in Africa, South East Asia or Latin America.

Rodrigo Zubian Mercado Vallejo

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“Change agent looking to make a positive impact doing what I love, in innovative ways.”

Hometown: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

Fun Fact About Yourself: I don’t know anything about sports, but I like to attend sporting events only for the social interaction 

Undergraduate School and Major: Bachelor in Financial Management, Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Business Consultant at Auric Consulting

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: One of the latest accomplishments I have had was my work at Specialty’s. It was a company bought by one client from the consulting firm where I worked. One of the partners was offered the CEO position since the company was in a turnaround situation due to bad management from the prior executives.

The new CEO invited me to work for at least one year, where I coordinated different departments to generate a strategic plan for next 5 years. I secured a $60 Million USD fund from the parent company and worked on the implementation of a new operating system for the stores that on the pilot with the same labor reduced 39% the store openings and 41% the customer complains. Also, at the end of the year, I was offered a full-time position with the company to work as a strategic planning associate.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why?They have been approachable, humble and extremely successful individuals. I have been astonished about the background and experience of my classmates, but still, they talk and listen to people with a simplicity and humility that amaze me.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The culture and values of the Rotman School of Management were the key factors that made my decision clear. That’s because I see them reflected in my professional and personal life too. I truly believe that the real importance of an MBA is not only on the academic level, but the people that belong to the program and how they reflect their values (staff, current students and graduated alumni).

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Everything about Rotman DesignWorks, the Business Design Club and the Business Design Major as well as the Creative Destruction Lab!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Pursuing the MBA program now makes that most sense for me for two main reasons. First, it will complement the knowledge that I have gained and will allow for my development in new areas where I want to improve. Second, I am at a point in my life where I am able to strike the right balance between the personal and professional aspects of my life, and I have the full support of my family.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? The MBA program is a unique opportunity to leave your comfort zone into a place where the challenges from my peers and the program itself will help me to further develop professionally and personally. I believe that without the investment in an MBA program, I would not be able to develop I the same way, so the MBA will allow me to generate more value in future roles and allow me to enjoy the benefits for the rest of my life.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None. Rotman was the only full-time school where I was willing to invest time and money.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? To start my MBA quest, I used the Financial Times Ranking as a guide. I knew that all the schools on that list have a top academic level and that being in the first place of the ranking didn’t mean that the program was the best for me.  So I started reviewing the schools looking for a list of attributes that for me seemed like they would generate the best experience:

• Personal match with culture and values (The way of doing things)
• Approach to solving problems (Traditional thinking vs innovation)
• Majors or specialization in strategic planning
• Diverse and inclusive environment
• Location of the program

I filtered programs by using their online information and talked with current, past and incoming students to understand the type of culture that I could expect in those programs. In the end, I decided to apply to Rotman, but it was during the interview process that I knew I made the right decision. The admission committee was a truly interested not only in the intellectual capability and professional achievement, but also on the human side where the values of Rotman would be reflected and the culture constructed.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I started working in a consulting firm one year before my graduation. At the time, I didn’t know the extent of the impact to my personal and professional life. This enriching consulting experience has given me the opportunity to work with different companies, industries, countries – and with people from different backgrounds (and even with different teams on every new project). This has helped me to realize the importance of diversity. Now, I truly value a work environment that provides for different points of view or ways of approaching problems, where people will challenge your opinion in a respectful and empathic way.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Given my interest in strategic planning, I’m looking for a role in a company that impacts the lifestyle and well-being of the society where I can add value by leading and participating in the strategic projects and planning-cycle of the company. I’d also like to learn more about what customers really need and leverage my experience in the different business functions to generate a value proposition that fits those needs.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I would like to keep doing what I love. Be a recognized professional in strategic planning in a leading company that impacts the lifestyle and well-being of the society.

 

 

 

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