Fernanda Miki Genda de Almeida

Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

“Creative and analytical professional with experience in leading change as external consultant and general manager.”

Hometown: Maringa, Parana, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself:  Moved to Toronto with my 2 dogs (and we’re excited for the winter!)

Undergraduate School and Major: Bachelor in Business Administration, Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: General Manager at Almeida Miyasaki (family business), and Business Strategy Consultant at Accenture

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? Integrative thinking is to me the key skill in the fast-paced digitalized business world. A leader cannot consider functional areas independently but as an integrated ecosystem that requires risks and creativity to solve complex problems. As MBA students at Rotman, we are not only given a strong foundation in traditional functional areas of business, such as strategy, accounting, finance, and marketing but also consistently required to think of the big picture and how to apply our knowledge outside old-fashion frameworks and into real-world challenges.

What has been your favorite part of Toronto so far? Why? It’s hard to pick just one as Toronto is, in my opinion, the best city for international students. First, diversity is at the core of the city and companies, which makes me feel truly welcomed here. Second, the friendliness and sense of security make such a big city often feel like a small one. Finally, Toronto is a world leader in a range of areas, such as business, technology, and culture.

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? I was drawn to Rotman for many reasons. One of them is the Business Design approach embedded in the school’s curriculum. There are many streams to gain technical knowledge in different areas, but not effectively learn how to drive innovation and discover new opportunities for growth and competitive advantage. The Business Design approach taught at Rotman combines values important to me, such as empathy and creativity.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Toronto Rotman?

The club “Women in Management” has offered the most enjoyable and engaging events so far. It is an amazing opportunity to meet female leaders, hear about their journeys, and understand how important it is to have confidence and a support system of professionals that experience similar challenges.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During my experience with the family business, we launched a new Customer Relationship Manager software as the result of a partnership with a technology company. During a year-long development, I collaborated with our experts to deliver industry knowledge in the shape of digital features. The innovation led to internal improvement in the client-centric mindset and to diversification in the family’s assets – exploring the gaps of a late-to-digitalization industry such as real estate.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far. I have given and received support from many incredible colleagues in the program, which has helped me manage the busy schedule, achieve above-average grades among intelligent peers, and to be elected the 1st year representative of the Real Estate Association.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? My best memory so far has been the delivery of our Strategy group project, which we had to finalize during my birthday – even though I was working, it did not feel like a burden at any time, and we were proud of the final delivery.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Toronto Rotman’s MBA program? Be authentic, and don’t be afraid to be ambitious. The most important thing is to understand what motivates you, as both the application and the MBA journey will be challenging (and so rewarding!), so don’t lose sight of your goals. Also, you must be someone that gains energy from consistently developing yourself.

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