Adedayo Tope Akinyandenu

Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

“A goal-getter who is passionate about positively impacting lives.”

Hometown: Ondo Town and Ondo State, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have a friendly personality that makes everyone around me comfortable communicating and interacting with me

Undergraduate School and Major: Adekunle Ajasin University (B.Sc Biochemistry) & University of Lagos (M.Sc Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Management)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Servier Pharmaceuticals (A French multinational Pharmaceutical company), Group Product Manager

Integrative thinking is one of the cornerstones of the Rotman MBA experience. What does integrative thinking mean to you, and how have you been able to apply it thus far? One of the main reasons I chose Rotman for my MBA study is to experience the concept of integrative thinking embedded in all aspects of the school program and curriculum. I enjoy every classroom session as it is a way to improve my knowledge and structure my thought process; class discussions are so in-depth due to the richness in the contributions from various perspectives, leveraging our diverse experience and thought processes, coupled with the knowledge and professionality of our faculty.

Following the program curriculum, the courses and terms are interconnected such that learnings from a course help to better und to understand the intuition from another method better. In term 1, I had Managerial Economics, whose learnings helped with understand and promote my contribution to the Strategic Management course in Term 2. This well-thought-out structure ensures the practicality and application of all classroom learnings to real-world business problems.

Additionally, it helps me to be critical in my analysis by visualizing situations from different angles and perspectives, hence, designing innovative solutions that satisfy all parameter indicators of the given situation. Applying this concept of Integrative thinking in my everyday life helps improves my choices and trade-offs.

What has been your favorite part of Toronto so far? Why?  I found the beauty in the cultural and racial diversity fascinating in Toronto. Before coming to Toronto, I had the opportunity to travel to some cities around Europe, and I can attest that there is a vast difference in how diversity is embraced here in Toronto compared to these other cities. I felt the society here is built to welcome everyone regardless of their ethniticies, culture, gender, and religion. The city is built in such a way that it connotes the notion of Home away from Home. I felt a sense of belonging, which helps me to strive and succeed.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Toronto Rotman’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was, it so important to you? One common thing to most great business leaders is their knowledge and acumen in Accounting and Finance. I am from a non-accounting or finance background and look forward to improving my skillset and knowledge. Rotman was my top priority because of the school’s strong financial ratings and faculty. I am glad to say I am not disappointed in what I have seen and learned. In my first six weeks, I understood and analyzed financial statements. I was also able to anticipate and understand why some financial decisions are or need to be made and ultimately look for ways to improve a business’s financial health status.

What course, club, or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Toronto Rotman? There have been many activities and clubs on campus that I belong to, such as Healthcare Management Association, Rotman Marketing Association, Management Consulting Association, Rotman Operations Management Association, and Rotman African and Caribbean Business Club. I have participated in many of their activities and enjoyed every bit. However, I found the MCA (Management Consulting Association) more exciting and engaging. They organized training sessions, networking activities, Industry meet-ups, and socials. The executives have been selfless and committed to making the consulting recruiting journey hassle-free for everyone, empowering us with the right tools and information, and supporting us by creating more time for one-on-one coffee-chat sessions.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Over the years, I have been opportune to work in different roles and functions, designing strategies and action plans that directly impact human (patients) lives. Also, these opportunities have given me opportunities to work collaboratively with diverse teams across Nigeria, Africa, and the world on different projects that enhance customer experiences. Among all these accomplishments, the greatest is the design and execution of an access to medicines program. This aimed to bridge accessibility gaps for the vulnerable in our society – those with low purchasing power to access quality pharmaceutical products (both anti-hypertensives and anti-diabetics) to manage their health challenges. I am passionate about improving lives, and I believe in this philosophy that everyone, regardless of their economic status, should have access to quality healthcare.  I am from a resource constraint environment where access to quality healthcare is a hurdle because the healthcare system is a payout of the pocket system. This program ensures that quality chronic disease medication is available to these patients at much more affordable prices.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far. I have always liked responsibility, which prompted me to volunteer and apply for some roles that will allow me to serve. My achievement thus far is being a Rotman Student Ambassador and Class Representative of the RACBC (Rotman African and Caribbean Business club). These roles will give me the opportunity to contribute my quota in assisting my fellow students and incoming candidates.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Toronto Rotman’s MBA program? Your application should be about yourself and what you aim to get from the program.

Rotman is a renowned B-School in the world, and one of the best in North America, so it is worth every effort invested in ensuring an admission opportunity. The resources available are enormous to help potential candidates become the best in their desired careers. Rotman will provide you with the platform, faculty, alumni community, colleagues, and network to succeed.

Another uniqueness about the Rotman admission application process is that it allows you to tell your story in a way that showcases your superpower through the Spike factor essay. This will enable you to demonstrate to the admission team what makes you different and the values you will add to your class and the Rotman community.

Moving away from the intensive academic work, Rotman will also invest in your personal and professional growth and development through the Self-development and Leadership Development lab. All these are geared to make you an all-around professional in improving your communication, interpersonal, strategic thinking, and leadership skills.

DON’T MISS: MEET TORONTO ROTMAN’S MBA CLASS OF 2024