Meet Ivey’s MBA Class Of 2021

5 BENEFITS OF AN IVEY MBA

For the Class of 2021, the alumni were the biggest draw at the Ivey Business School. That was particularly true for Sam Sim, who got an early front-row seat to the fruits of an Ivey MBA education. “I ultimately chose Ivey because of the people,” she admits. “Throughout my career, I’ve had the pleasure of working with many amazing Ivey MBA alumni and I’m consistently impressed by how they conduct themselves as leaders. In fact, one of those alumni was the individual who instilled in me that, “Leadership is not what you get, but what you give.”

Here are some defining features of the programs, from students past and present…

1) Engaged Alumni: “Ivey’s awesome alumni network is one I heard of before I applied to Ivey, and I can say the strong alumni network is very real. The alumni are always willing to give their time and resources to help during this journey into career management. I have learned as much from them as I have from the program. The guidance and support is important for me new to Canada with no connections. The strong alumni have provided me with a springboard to success.”
Ifeoma Okonkwo

“Before getting to Ivey, I had heard a lot of good things about the strong alumni network the school has. Having gone through the program and witnessed the engagement first-hand, this was not oversold. Alumni are always happy to come back and do panel events, help with interview prep, have a coffee chat, and really go above-and-beyond to help you in whatever ways they can. I think this spirited engagement is one of the defining features of Ivey and something I will be proud to carry forward as a future alumnus of the school.”
Riley Love (’20)

2) Personal Attention: “While evaluating whether Ivey was the right program for me, I had the opportunity to sit in on some MBA classes and those experiences played a part in me choosing Ivey. I observed how the professors knew their students with such detail and they would call on individuals they knew had particular professional backgrounds to enrich the case experience. The fact that the professors studied the backgrounds of their students indicated the level of care and passion they put into their teaching, which was a great thing for me to see. All of this was important because I was looking for an MBA program that could give me a more personable, intimate class experience like Ivey does.”
Sam Sim

3) Sustainability: “One of the things I enjoy about Ivey is the program’s commitment to incorporating sustainability into our core courses. For example, we’ll study how traditional operations fundamentals and strategies are being adapted for more sustainable business models. This has helped me to understand how important sustainable organizations are for the planet and the local communities in which they provide economic opportunities to. It’s also inspired me to start doing digital marketing and eCommerce consulting work with a focus on B Corp businesses.”
Sam Sim

“My favourite MBA tradition is the annual Ivey Impact Day, where MBA students have the opportunity to give back to the London community through various initiatives, ranging from park cleanups to homebuilding. In each event, students are assigned to their respective organizations and spread out across the city to lend a helping hand. Not only does this initiative encouraged community service, but it also strengthens participant teamwork and friendships. Part of what Ivey teaches is the impact our business decisions can have beyond the bottom line, including on social and environmental matters. As future leaders in business, it’s vital to practice diligence and mindfulness in any venture we undertake. Impact Day reinforces those valuable lessons and that have a lasting impact on those involved.”
Alexandra Krolak (’20)

4) 1-Year MBA Program: “Ivey’s MBA is a fast track program, what means that I will have the opportunity to complete the #1 Canada’s MBA, return to the workforce, and retake my career sooner than with any other program.”
Santos Marquez

“I think the biggest myth about Ivey is the fact that you can’t have any type of social life because of the 1-year nature of the program. Yes, the compressed timeline makes things busy, but there is still plenty of time to engage in activities you enjoy outside of the classroom. We have a group that rents ice every week and plays hockey and I’ve also played a bunch of intramural sports. You will be busy, but Ivey doesn’t consume your entire life.”
Riley Love (’20)

5) Ivey Field Project: IFP offers teams of MBA students the chance to work as consultants for real companies solving real problems and putting what you learn in the classroom into real life. My team was fortunate enough to work with a local non-profit healthcare organization and tasked with designing a business model for affordable senior-living for marginalized seniors.

This is my proudest moment at Ivey because of the impact our report can have for the London community long-term. It solidified for me exactly why I went to Ivey in the first place, to learn fundamental business skills to be able to solve the problems of the future. It was a lot of long days and many hours of work, but working on a meaningful project with the best team that I’ve ever been a part of making it such a rewarding learning experience.
Riley Love (’20)

A FINAL NOTE

What is the secret to becoming a member of the Ivey Class of 2022? Sam Sim, for one, believes authenticity during the interview is key to being accepted into Ivey.

“I approached that conversation with candid answers about what I believed my strengths and weaknesses are, as well as why I wanted to pursue my MBA now. I remember a particular moment during the interview where I was asked to describe a time where I had failed. I was very open about a moment during my undergrad that I had learned immensely from and the interviewer stopped the conversation and thanked me for being so open about my experience.”

Noah McColl, a Yale-educated portfolio manager, also encourages potential MBAs to engage with the Ivey community before the application process. “I spent many hours chatting with Ivey alumni. This both sold me further on the program, but also prepared me well for the application and interview. People are a huge part of Ivey, so it’s important to know them.”

What motivated these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these Ivey MBA candidates.

MBA Student	Hometown	Alma Mater	Last Employer
Jay Deverett	Toronto, Canada	McGill University	BMO Financial Group
Tuan Doan	Vung Tau City, Vietnam	National University of Singapore	OCBC Bank
Simant Goyal	Jaipur, India	U.C.-Berkeley	Taxpert Professional
Carl Hageraats	Pembroke, Canada	University of Ottawa	Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Alanna La Rose	Edmonton, Canada	University of Calgary	BTO Contracting Ltd.
Santos Marquez	Caracas, Venezuela	NA	Procter & Gamble
Noah McColl	Saltspring Island, Canada	Yale University	charity: water
Ifeoma Okonkwo	London, United Kingdom	University of West of England Bristol	Aniuzo Palm Kernel Oil Mill
Olumide Olawale	Lagos, Nigeria	University of Ibadan	PwC Qatar
Sab Sankaranarayanan	Chennai, India	Ohio State University	Lutron Electronics
Sam Sim	Toronto, Canada	Ryerson University	Twitter
Paloma Stuart	Lima, Peru	Polytechnic University of Valencia	Ernst & Young