Christian Grande

Ivey Business School at Western University

“A driven individual with a growth mindset, striving to have a positive impact on society.”

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

Fun Fact About Yourself: As a junior golfer, I was ranked amongst the top 25 in Ontario. This provided me with the chance to travel around Canada and the United States competing against the best players.

Undergraduate School and Major:  University of Toronto, Bachelor of Commerce – Major: Finance and Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: BMO Nesbitt Burns, Senior Wealth Management Associate

How has the case method enriched your learning?  Case learning allows us to apply the theories and principles we learn in class to real-world situations. It provides us with the opportunity to learn from the successes and failures of the most well-known corporations in the world. The teachings derived from these cases can be brought with us to our own professional careers.

Aside from classmates and cases, what part of the school’s MBA programming led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I was impressed with the strength of the Ivey network and the propensity of alumni to give back. I have always understood and valued the importance of giving back to the community. While at the University of Toronto, I participated in Street Patrols hosted by the U of T Newman Catholic Students’ Club. On these patrols, we prepared food and delivered it to homeless individuals in Toronto. This was a rich experience enabling me to connect with dozens of individuals in need, many lessons of which I carry with me to this day. As a result, I have always been drawn to communities which emphasize the importance of giving back.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As an entry-level associate, I was able to leverage my personal network to secure a new client for the Investment Advisor bringing $1,000,000 into the portfolio.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: My biggest accomplishments as an MBA student so far stem from my role as co-president of the Finance Club alongside my co-president Vineet Yagnik. We have organized fireside chats for our club members, giving them the chance to hear from highly experienced industry professionals. We have also planned networking events, so that students can build relationships with the firms that hire from Ivey. Lastly, we have sought ways to provide educational finance resources to our members at a preferred rate by leveraging the existing relationships of Ivey.

Where is your favorite hang-out in London (Ontario)? Why do you (or your classmates) gravitate there? One of my classmates, Kurtis Aleksandre, is gracious enough to host the entire cohort at his house in London every Friday. These events provide us with the ability to speak with members of the cohort who we may not speak with on a regular basis. It is an inclusive environment that welcomes everyone in the cohort. Kurtis ensures that everyone feels comfortable coming and as such, I feel fortunate to have someone like him in my cohort.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? After graduation, I hope to obtain a position in capital markets. I am presently targeting roles in Investment Banking.

What did you do during the application process that enabled you to get accepted into Ivey? Ivey emphasizes the importance of leadership, so I shared personal and professional experiences that exemplified leadership qualities. These included captaining my competitive hockey teams and managing professional work teams.  However, I also stressed my desire to continue growing as a leader so that one day I can utilize my knowledge and expertise to advise companies and enhance their value to stakeholders.

DON’T MISS: MEET IVEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2024