Meet Toronto Rotman’s MBA Class of 2019

Heather Beatty 

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m an empathetic leader that you’ll often find on a mountain, no matter what season.

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Fun Fact About Yourself: I used to be a competitive downhill ski racer and have been clocked at going 120km (75mi) per hour!

Undergraduate School and Major: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. Major – Art History

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• Manulife Financial, Internal Auditor
• Canadian Tire Corporation, Category Implementation Specialist
• Canadian Tire Corporation, Forecasting Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  My biggest career accomplishment so far is not a neatly packaged award or achievement. Instead, it is an attitude shift that I’ve seen in myself. As a liberal arts undergraduate with a major in the humanities, there was a time when I didn’t think I had the quant chops to make it in business. Through my career though, I’ve pushed myself to take on increasingly quantitative roles and not only have I found success in those roles but I’ve really enjoyed them too!

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  In terms of the GMAT, the best two pieces of advice I can give are to leave more time than you think you’ll need to get the score you want and to get serious about addressing your weaknesses early in the process.

In terms of interacting with admissions and completing your written application and interview, I would recommend spending the time finding your authentic voice and being confident in what you bring to the table. No seriously, I mean it. If you can’t articulately answer, “Why do you want to go to this business school?” and “Why are you a good fit here?” then you’re not setting yourself up for success. Admissions is not interested in speaking with a candidate who is projecting what they think the perfect candidate is, they want to get to know YOU!

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’s sense of community and support for its students was unparalleled through the application process. I was immediately impressed by the admissions team who did everything in their power to help me get a better understanding of the school, and answer any questions I had through the process. The experience I had with the admissions team coupled with the incredible faculty, and the programs Rotman offers like the Self Development Lab, the Global Consulting Projects, and the Creative Destructive Lab make it a great fit for me!

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  When I look back on my first year at Rotman, I will measure success based on the personal and professional transformation that I went through, the relationships I built, and the global impact I’m learning to have.