Ann Ocampo

Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

“Life-long learner, aspiring citizen of the world, hopeful and passionate about sustainability.”

Hometown: Cavite, Philippines

Fun Fact About Yourself: I got into a few hobbies during those long COVID lockdowns back home, and the most interesting one was vermiculture!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of the Philippines, BS in Business Administration and Accountancy

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: First Gen Corporation, Finance 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? It’s one of the reasons I decided to do an MBA. Depth of expertise should be complemented with this ability to seek and synthesize insights from several sources. Integrative thinking means weaving these insights together to get to a robust solution. Rotman is big on leveraging diversity and surfacing differences constructively. Our program draws on teamwork and the breadth of experience and perspectives present in the cohort. I see integrative thinking in action throughout our coursework and in case competitions.

What has been your favorite part of Toronto so far? Why? Food scene! The diversity bleeds into the alleys and restaurants. There are so many spots to try and fusion dishes to discover. Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market, and Ossington are great places to start with.

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? Rotman offers core courses and a host of electives. The core builds a solid foundation on business essentials and gets students into integrative thinking right at the onset. After the core, students choose their focus areas and select what courses make the most sense for them. Having this flexibility allows me to keep my stay at Rotman interesting and relevant for my career.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Toronto Rotman? I’d say it’s the career support. An MBA is a huge investment. Rotman delivers with its program offering, student clubs, and development labs. That said, it’s the career coaches and career support at Rotman that took away a lot of uncertainty for me. My career coach helped me stay focused on my goals and made sure I had the resources I needed to navigate networking events, job search milestones, and connections with the Rotman alumni network.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In my previous role, I helped senior management through the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. Hours of analysis, cross-functional sprints, and discussions with senior management underpinned decisions that prepared the company for the headwinds ahead. Our team had a quick turnaround on urgent discussions with the executive committee and the board. We closed loan agreements that were important milestones. I’m proud that the insights from my work are key ingredients to these decisions.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? It has been successfully navigating the transition from being locked down throughout the COVID pandemic to being a student again and engaging with a brilliant, diverse cohort. It’s never easy to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but I’m very happy with how I’ve adjusted to being in school again, moving to Toronto, getting to know amazing people, and hearing their stories.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? I worked with a team on a live business case where we engaged with the subject company’s directors. My teammates and I leveraged our backgrounds and professional experiences to come up with a solid set of recommendations that got us 1st place! The case immersed us into developments and conversations that are relevant to the energy industry today. It’s great to think through live business problems instead of canned cases. Of course, it also stretched our creativity, business writing, and presentation skills!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Toronto Rotman’s MBA program? Start early. Engage with advisors and resources from Rotman, i.e., do your homework. Don’t self-reject or lose yourself in the application process. Remember that it’s about putting your best self forward.

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