Meet Toronto Rotman’s MBA Class Of 2024

SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND CREATIVE DESTRUCTION

Inside Rotman, leadership training is considered one of the MBA program’s strengths. Notably, the program offers its vaunted Self-Development Lab, or SDL for short. Personalized and feedback-driven, the lab is designed to prepare students for executive roles by helping them develop greater self-awareness and empathy. Even more, the SDL hones in on interpersonal and personal skills, adds Patrick Mooney – something he found invaluable.

“The SDL offered my teammates and I the opportunity to participate in modules throughout the term, where we were paired with faculty and walked through exercises together,” Mooney explains. “The exercises are filmed and played back for us, where we reflect with the coach on what we did, how we did it, why we chose to do that, and what we could have done differently. As an optional and ungraded offering, the SDL provided me a low-pressure opportunity to see how others perceive me, from my choice of language to tone, to body language, to overall presence. It gave me real insights into my communication style, as well as the communication style of my teammates, which helped us work more effectively together going forward.”

Another Rotman signature is its Creative Destructive Lab – also known as the CDL. Call it an early-stage startup incubator – one geared towards commercializing research, connecting investors with innovators, and scaling ventures in broad, socially-valuable areas ranging from space travel to climate change. Next year, it will also be home to Rohit Challa, who earned a fellowship there. Another differentiator is Rotman’s Business Design Initiative, an education centre that features a collection of workshops, projects, and research initiatives. It also exposes MBAs to a design methodology that spurs innovation through researching, testing, reflecting, and revamping.

“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,” notes Fernanda Miki Genda de Almeida, an Accenture consultant who has also run a family business. “The Business Design approach taught at Rotman combines values important to me, such as empathy and creativity.”

A CLASS PROFILE

Overall, the Class of 2024 features 275 students. The class is split 55%-to-45% in favor of men. The split is 65%-to-35% for international students, making Rotman one of the most cosmopolitan programs in North America. In fact, 75% of the class was born outside Canada. As a whole, they speak 24 languages and hold 49 passports. Even more, 81% of the class speaks two or more languages – and the percentage is 41% for three or more languages.

In terms of admissions, the class averaged a 674 GMAT, with 80% of the scores ranging from 600-730. As undergraduates, the class together produced a 3.6 GPA. 23 class members are pursuing a joint JD-MBA, with another 30 first-years being Forte Fellows. Academically, 31% of the class majored in Business and Commerce. 43% of the class majored in STEM-related fields, including Engineering (25%), Life Sciences (8%), and Applied Sciences (7%). Social Sciences majors make up another 10% share.

On average, the class is 28 years old, ranging in age from 21-36. Boasting an average four years of work experience, the largest segment of the class (23%) last worked in Financial Services. Consulting and Technology hold 14% and 12% shares of the class, followed by Healthcare (7%), Energy (7%), Consumer Goods (6%), Manufacturing (6%), and Retail (4%).

AN INTERVIEW WTH ROTMAN LEADERSHIP

Earlier this year, P&Q reached out to Rotman administrators to learn more about new developments, along with signature experiences and resources for women and underrepresented populations. Here are some thoughts from Joseph Milner, Professor of Operations Management and Vice-Dean, MBA Programs, and Maria Jimena Rivera, Managing Director, Full-Time MBA Program and Morning/Evening MBA Programs.

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program in the past year and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

Rotman: “Rotman created eight majors (called emphases) students can complete to distinguish themselves in our program. The emphases are Data Analytics, Finance, Marketing, Sustainability & Society, Strategy, Global Management, Leadership, and Innovation/Entrepreneurship/Business Design.  By completing an emphasis, students will have dug deeper into an area of disciplinary or interdisciplinary study and honed critical skills employers seek.

Rotman is going global again. We have restarted our global practicums, global consulting projects, and our support of Canadian trade through experiential courses to Barcelona, Singapore, New York, Silicon Valley, and Austin, Texas. A key part of the Rotman experience is the chance to study for a week or two in a foreign location with firms and practitioners. This year we have expanded our global offerings to include work with the Toronto Board of Trade and Global Affairs Canada to help domestic firms develop global trade strategies and support them on trade missions.”

P&Q: If you were giving a campus tour, what is the first place you’d take an MBA applicant? Why is that so important to the MBA experience?

Rotman: “We would take students to The Exchange – our cafeteria and vibrant heart of student life. It’s where students congregate before meeting team members in the nearby study rooms, or grab a coffee and sit in the cozy chairs by our working fireplace. And it sits right in front of our famous Rotman pink staircase that leads to state-of-the-art classrooms, research labs such as the world-famous Creative Destruction Lab, and the MBA student lounge.”

P&Q: What is the most innovative thing you have introduced into the MBA program in recent years? How has it been a game-changer for your program?

Rotman: “In recent years Rotman has greatly expanded its student supports to enhance the student experience: We have brought in a student mental health and wellness program manager; created an Equity Diversity and Inclusion office; expanded our team in the Office of Student Engagement to provide greater academic counseling,; and are now in the process of developing a support strategy for our Indigenous students. This expanded list of supports ensures that students’ holistic needs and concerns can quickly be addressed by an empathetic and professional staff.”

P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them?

Rotman: “The signature experience most students have in the program is engaging with one of our second-year research centres and labs whether it is the Creative Destruction Lab, the Institute for Gender and the Economy, the Global Management Initiative, or the Business Design Inititiative. These experiential programs immerse students in practice with companies under the guidance of a leading faculty member. Through these experiences students are able to form lasting bonds with our world class faculty while applying what they learn at Rotman.”

P&Q: Where are some of your students’ favorite hangouts? What do they do and why do they gravitate there?

Rotman: “As students walk to campus or emerge from the St. George subway station they stop at L’Espresso Bar Mercurio for some of the best Italian coffee and baked goods in the city. Between or after class, they are found at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport for a workout in our modern training facility. Or perhaps they head to Hart House, the University’s centre of student life for a dance or martial arts class. Later, they may go to the close-by Annex neighborhood for thrifting and shopping, or a meal at one of the many restaurants and bars. The campus is also minutes away from the bustling Toronto financial district, where students often meet with prospective employers and alumni for networking and coffee chats.”

P&Q: How does the MBA program leverage the resources of the larger university? How does that create more opportunities for your students

Rotman: “Rotman is part of a world-class university. The University of Toronto is a leader in AI and Deep Learning, Health and Life Sciences, Policy and Political thought, Law, and Engineering. We have developed combined degree programs with our Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, the Munk School for Global Affairs and Public Policy, the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering through our Skoll fellowships, and with our Faculty of Law. Through these partnerships students at Rotman can get two degrees in a shorter time. More importantly, for students not in the combined degree programs, they learn from and study with a wider variety of students, enhancing their network and developing a broader set of friends and colleagues.”

P&Q: What types of programming or services does your business school offer that make it welcoming and advantageous to women? Underrepresented minorities? International students?

Rotman: “Rotman has a long-standing and fundamental commitment to promoting EDI.  We recognize that a diverse campus and a culture of inclusive excellence is at the foundation of our School. Our EDI Office supports staff, faculty, and students with consultation services, resolution of concerns, as well as training and education. The office supports the Rotman community in the advancement of equity from dialogue to action.  Rotman boasts one of the most diverse incoming MBA classes of any top global business school – with 45% of the incoming MBA Class identifying as women, 9% identifying as Black or Indigenous, and 65% of the student body being international (49 different passports represented in the class!). Each year MBA program staff partner with a vibrant ecosystem of student clubs representing our diverse student body to deliver EDI programming such as Rotman On Inclusion Week and the Future Black Business Leaders Conference.”

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Stacy Arciniega	Lima, Peru	Peruvian University of Applied Science	Superintendency of Banks, Insurance and Private Pension Funds Administrators of Peru
Rohit Challa	Vijayawada, India	Indian Institute of Technology, BHU	ZS Associates
Alp Cinar	Ankara, Turkey	Middle East Technical University	Sanko Holding
Alexandra (Alex) Foty	Oakville, Canada	McGill University	Newcrest Mining Ltd.
Fernanda Miki Genda de Almeida	Maringa, Brazil	Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)	Accenture
Patrick Mooney	Toronto, Canada	Amherst College (MA)	M2O Private Fund Advisors
Tuan Nguyen	Quang Tri, Vietnam	University of Economics and Law, Vietnam National University	Keppel Land Vietnam
Ann Ocampo	Cavite, Philippines	University of the Philippines	First Gen Corporation
Maddie Secco	Victoria, Canada	Stanford University	Deloitte
Rohini Sharma	Mumbai, India	St Xavier’s College, Mumbai	Acinta Pharmaeuticals
Adedayo Tope Akinyandenu	Ondo Town, Nigeria	Adekunle Ajasin University	Servier Pharmaceuticals
Eric Zekai Zheng	Vancouver, Canada	New York University	Deloitte & Touche LLP