Sirun Wang

University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management

“A happy soul always excited to learn and eager to help.”

Hometown: Beijing, China

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve had four cats all named after food – Cherry, Cookie, Truffle, and Pepper

Undergraduate School and Degree: Middlebury College, Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Minor in Studio Arts

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? The Brattle Group, Senior Research Analyst

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? Boston Consulting Group, Toronto, Canada

Where will you be working after graduation? Boston Consulting Group, Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• VP Recruiting, Management Consulting Association
• VP Finance, Human Capital Club
• First Year Representative, Rotman Net Impact
• Mentor, Management Consulting Association
• Andrew Alexander Kinghorn Fellowship & Dean’s List
• Forté Fellow
• Entrance Award Recipient, Rotman School of Management

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? As the VP Recruiting of Rotman’s biggest club, the Management Consulting Association (MCA), I led five recruiting workshops with over 200 and personally mentored four first year students. While it’s not always easy to juggle Rotman’s rigorous curriculum, my personal commitments and club responsibilities, it was one of the most rewarding moments when students reached out to appreciate our efforts and share their successes.

In my first year at Rotman, I received a tremendous amount of help from club executives, so I made it my mission to pay it forward and to support as many students as I could in their career exploration. Looking back, I am super proud of what the MCA executives have accomplished as a team, and on a personal level, I’d like to think that I have contributed to the student body in a meaningful way.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? During the early days of the COVID pandemic, I led a pro-bono initiative to design a series of interactive dashboards that shows real-time case data by postal code. It was particularly challenging for me as I had no prior experience in building dashboards and no one else in my organization possessed that knowledge either. Through numerous Google searches and YouTube tutorials, I taught myself how to construct complex interactive dashboards, how to build data pipelines on the backend, and how to automate the refreshing process so that the public could receive accurate and updated information. On top of showing basic case statistics, I focused on illustrative analyses that illustrated how COVID had impacted minority communities disproportionately. In the end, the dashboards that I published were reported by local news and helped my organization to generate future business opportunities.

While I was proud of the dashboards’ success, my most fulfilling moment was when I held a series of lunch-and-learn to teach my colleagues how to build dashboards. It later became an essential toolkit at my organization.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Rotman for its expansive alumni network in Canada. When I moved to Canada during the pandemic, I didn’t know anyone in the country and the two years of lockdown wasn’t helping either. With over 17,000 alumni across different industries and sectors, Rotman was the obvious choice for me. Upon starting the program, I felt instantly supported by the Rotman network, either through networking events organized by Rotman’s Career Service and student clubs, or through informal coffee chats and networking opportunities. As I navigate my career transition, I have received so much help and support from alumni, some of whom graduated over 20 years ago. I feel truly lucky to be part of such a close-knit community.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? There are few who could match the energy of Professor Tiziana Casciaro, who teaches Power & Influence at Rotman. She came into her Monday 7 am and 9 am classes with such passion and enthusiasm that instantly commanded the attention of the entire class. Professor Casciaro struck a perfect balance between introducing critical concepts and facilitating discussion and in-class activities, and the three-hour lecture went by before I could notice the time. Plus, you have to love her when she wrapped up every class with “Any deep thoughts? Any shallow thoughts?”

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Managerial Negotiations taught by Professor Geoffrey Leonardelli. The very idea of negotiation has always been daunting to me as I try my best to avoid conflict. However, this class shifted my mindset and helped me realize that not all negotiations are confrontational and distributive in nature. Instead, there are tools to help us seize negotiations as opportunities to collaborate with the other parties and arrive at more integrative outcomes. Professor Leonardelli did a fantastic job introducing fundamental concepts and toolkits, while keeping the class extremely lively with in-class simulations and debriefs. While I am still far from an expert in negotiations, this class has taught me to become a more flexible and certainly more confident negotiator.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I love the annual WIMA (Women in Management) Conference! WIMA is a Rotman club dedicated to developing women leaders in the business world. Every spring, WIMA hosts its annual conference, a full-day event of panel discussion, interactive workshops, and evening socials. I have attended three WIMA Conferences since I was a prospect student, and every year I leave the conference feeling extremely inspired and empowered. For example, this year, the closing keynote was delivered by Rachel Huckle, the recently-appointed CEO of Staples Canada. She shared with us the pivotal moments of her career, which started with her as a Pharmacist Assistant at Shoppers. On top of the amazing speakers, the conference organizes multiple workshops, where students can learn from industry experts in a more intimate and interactive format. Some of my favorites include the salary negotiation and the personal finance workshops. The WIMA Conference is a Rotman staple as it provides an excellent opportunity to learn from women business leaders, meet Rotman alumna, and mingle with peers.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I wish that I had attended more Self-Development Lab and Leadership Development Lab workshops. The Self-Development Lab is designed to enhance the communication and interactional skills of first-year Rotman students, while the Leadership Development Lab focuses on refining leadership skills for second-year students. During my time at Rotman, I attended two sessions – Integrative Dialogues and Masterful interactions, where I worked through various simulations around having difficult conversations and conflict resolution with a small group of three to four other students. The detailed feedback from both my peers and Rotman professors was incredibly insightful, making me more aware of my communication style and offering different tactics for improvement.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Having lived in five cities across three continents in the past ten years, I can say with confidence that Toronto is by far my favorite! I love how walkable the city is and how each neighborhood has its unique vibes and activities. My ideal Saturday starts with Persian brunch in the hippie Kensington Market, window shopping through the Queen West boutiques in the afternoon, walking along Ontario lakeshore in the golden hour, and savoring authentic Hong Kong dishes in Chinatown.

What surprised you the most about business school? When I decided to come to Rotman, I knew I would receive first-tier education from a prestigious institution, but I didn’t expect how much of the learning would come from beyond the classroom. The talent and diversity of my cohort is the biggest asset for me to learn about different industries, cultures, and experiences that textbooks cannot provide. I’ve expanded my knowledge from exchanges with my peers through dynamic case comps, Tipsy Tuesday socials, and international study trips. The collective wisdom of my classmates is what makes the Rotman experience so unique and invaluable.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? While it’s impossible to choose only one of all the diverse talents I’m surrounded by every day at Rotman, the first name that comes to mind is Derek Leung. Derek is your textbook Canadian; he is incredibly kind and always ready to lend a hand (case in point, he literally swam into the riptide in Bali, put himself in danger and saved a drowning stranger’s life).

Derek is also one of the most passionate and dedicated people I know. He has contributed a significant amount to the student community through his leadership roles at Rotman. As President of the Rotman Active Association, he has been organizing numerous activities to balance the workload at Rotman. Some of my favorite events include bouldering at local gyms, the Polar Bear Dip in January, and the 5k run around Casa Loma.

Derek and I first met at a Rotman reception before school officially started and we’ve become very dear friends through classes, case comps, and climbing. My MBA experience would not be the same without his bright remarks, hot takes and dorky jokes. I am so excited to see the greatness he will accomplish in the future.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I would never have been where I am today without the support and mentorship of many amazing women and fellow immigrants. I am committed to pay it forward and become an advocate and leader for women and minority empowerment in the organization and field where I work.

When I was growing up in a highly polluted city, seeing the smogless blue sky was a rare luxury. With environmental sustainability becoming an increasingly important topic, I want to make sure that we are doing the best we can to preserve our environment for future generations. Hence, my second professional aspiration is to contribute to the sustainability space, whether in a consulting capacity or working for a purpose-driven organization.

What made Sirun such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“As a leader, Sirun is always eager to contribute to the Rotman society and offer support where it’s needed. As the VP Recruitment of Rotman’s biggest club, the Management Consulting Association, Sirun led the planning and execution of five recruiting workshops and facilitated multiple rounds of opportunities for first-year students to network with alumni and upper-year students. She took the time to personally chat with over 60 students one-on-one, sharing her own recruiting experience and providing mock interviews. Sirun also served on the executive team of Rotman’s Human Capital Club, where she helped cultivate a tight-knit community through a blend of industry events and social gatherings. Sirun’s enthusiasm and genuineness distinguish her as a leader who naturally inspires those around her.

Outside of school, Sirun continues to pursue her passions. Formerly an illustrator of two published books and one bi-weekly column, she still enjoys making art and taking on various commissioned projects. In addition to arts, mental health has always been an issue dear to her heart, and she’s been training as a voice responder for Canada Suicide Prevention Service and Toronto 408-Help Line.”

Naz Syed
Career Coach
Rotman School of Management

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024