Dare Adeyemo Toronto Rotman MBA

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“An intrepid finance professional with a passion for sustainability investing and an interest in competitive soccer.”

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love playing competitive soccer and video games.

Undergraduate School and Major: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (BSc. Accounting)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group

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 means taking holistic decisions to minimize unintended consequences. This approach has been incredibly beneficial to me during team collaborations at Rotman. I find that I can incorporate my teammates’ diverse backgrounds and past experiences when deliberating on strategies to achieve our current objective.

What has been your favorite part of Toronto so far? Why? I love Toronto Island. The island and its surrounding water remind me of Lagos, Nigeria, and provide an opportunity to see Toronto’s beautiful seaside landscape.

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? My family resides in Canada, and I sought a Canadian business school with a notable alumni network in the private equity and investment banking industry. Rotman’s extensive connections in these sectors made the business school a clear choice for my MBA pursuit.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Toronto Rotman? I have enjoyed participating in the Rotman Finance Association (RFA) investment banking case competitions. Participating in case competitions hosted by prominent banks such as TD Bank, RBC, CIBC, and National Bank exposed me to some of the dynamics of executing M&A deals in Canada. It also allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the macroeconomic environment in North America.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Being able to complete each level of my CFA exams in a single attempt despite working 60-75 hours per week.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? It was an enriching experience collaborating with team members from diverse backgrounds and continents (India and Nigeria) during an M&A case competition hosted by TD Bank. Despite our distinct perspectives, our team managed to secure victory in the case competition.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? Given that I love playing competitive soccer, the best memory for me was when my team came back from a two-goal deficit in the last minute of a football match to secure a thrilling victory and advance to the next phase of the University of Toronto intramural soccer competition. Experiencing that win was truly surreal and memorable for me.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Toronto Rotman’s MBA program? Make sure you understand why you want to have your MBA and how would the Rotman MBA enable you to precisely achieve the objective. Also, you should try and obtain a competitive GMAT/GRE score to stand out during the application review process.

DON’T MISS: MEET TORONTO ROTMAN’S MBA CLASS OF 2025