Emilija Davidovic

Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

“Global citizen with a passion for data visualization and an appreciation for good cheese boards.”

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Fun Fact About Yourself: I played basketball competitively for 10 years and was part of the varsity team at McGill. I also play in a women’s league!

Undergraduate School and Major:

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec

Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Accenture Toronto, Analytics Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a second-year analyst at Accenture, I was given the opportunity to define and execute a strategy to reduce Average Handle Time (AHT) within a call centre by 18%. It was the first time that I had been given so much autonomy – I had to learn the ins-and-outs of call centres and coordinate a team of over 30 people in two sites across Canada. By enlisting the support of the call centre managers, the operations lead, and the account lead, I was able to meet and exceed my goal for AHT.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Multifaceted. I’ve met scientists, engineers, classmates who’ve worked in NGOs around the world. There’s no “traditional” MBA candidate at Rotman. That’s what I love about the program – you can learn from every single one of your peers.

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 Creative Destruction Lab (CDL). I was immediately drawn to the CDL when I heard about its focus on science and technology and that, as an MBA Candidate, I could work directly with the startups in the program. The opportunity to see how cutting-edge startups are approaching improvements in quantum computing, space, artificial intelligence, and beyond seemed like such a unique experience to me – especially given Toronto’s rich technology culture.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Management Consulting Association! After being a consultant for nearly three years, I’m excited to get involved. Also, I’d love to be part of any club involving cooking or baking.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Who is someone you admire and why? I can never pick just one person – I look up to so many people and am fortunate to have amazing mentors in both my personal and professional lives. Everyone has some inspiration to offer!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?

I was fortunate to have worked in both consulting and finance early in my career. At Accenture, I had the opportunity to work across industries on a variety of projects. I wanted to be able to apply the experience I gained during my consulting career and the skills I learned at Rotman to high-impact startups, and firms focused on sustainability.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Harvard Business School, Wharton

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I looked at a mix of factors, including academics, student life, international student population (for schools in the US), and the location of the school. I made a spreadsheet comparing these factors and graphed some of the data (once an analytics consultant, always an analytics consultant).

However, I found it most useful to talk to both current students and alumni to get a sense of how the school had changed over the years, whether the current MBAs had the same career goals as I did, and the overall culture.

In the end, after attending the Rotman Open House in November, I was sold. The Self-Development Lab seemed so impactful and the Creative Destruction Lab such a unique opportunity that I knew it was the right fit for me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I spent most of my early life playing competitive basketball. When I came to McGill, I tried out for the team as a walk-on (most of my old teammates had been recruited for top programs at other universities). Nevertheless, I came out to tryouts and was ultimately selected for the varsity team.

Playing a varsity sport was difficult, but it taught me discipline, hard work, sacrifice, and passion for the game. Having to compete against others at tryouts and making sure my skills shone through was difficult. However, the season was rewarding – our team made it to Nationals and placed 5th in all of Canada!

Where do you see yourself in ten years? A COO at a firm focused on sustainability and design.