Meet Ivey’s MBA Class Of 2026

Sometimes, the scariest moments produce the best memories. In those moments, you come face-to-face with what you don’t know and what you can’t do. You’re exposed – every doubt and worst-case scenario racing through your head.

In MBA programs, you’re not alone. At the Ivey Business School, your classmates experience the very same anxieties during their first 24-Hour Report. Working together, you flush out the issues, identify the options, and formulate the plan. Under pressure, you witness how others tackle problems and manage personalities. In the process, you learn more about each other than you ever would over morning coffee or late-night sushi.

24 HOURS TO BUILD A MODEL…AND TRUST

When the 24 hours have passed, your team can look back and celebrate. That’s because the first report is a rite of passage. It tests your limits, reinforcing that you truly belong and capable of so much more than you know. In the larger picture, the 24-Hour Reports simulate high-level, real-world management, where you’ll get that unthinkable 2 a.m. call that requires poise when time is short, information is limited, and action is required.

What does a 24-Hour Report entail? Picture receiving a case assignment at 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday night – and being expected to deliver a board-level presentation and report due at 6:00 p.m. the next day What do MBAs over that time? Mansargun Kaur, who works part-time as a corporate chief of staff during business school, remembers her 24-Hour Report for his Decision-Making with Analytics course. She describes her team as “zero ego and full effort.” Knowing Kaur’s love for data, they let her run with her ideas – “even the wacky ones” – while they delegated according to their own strengths. While a time crunch loomed, that didn’t stop them from enjoying the moment, Kaur explains.

“I spent hours building the core algorithm, while they split modules, cleaned up edges, and helped bring the whole vision together. It wasn’t about hierarchy; it was about momentum. At 11 p.m., they blasted Punjabi songs to keep the energy up for me. By 2 a.m., we were still laughing. We didn’t just build a great model, we built trust, in 24 hours flat.”

THE PRESSURE BRINGS OUT THEIR BEST

The takeaway wasn’t just how to operate as a team under duress, Kaur adds, but the confidence that comes with beating the odds and achieving peak performance.

“That night reminded me why I came to Ivey: to work with people who back each other, think hard, and build fast,” she writes. “Honestly, that was the first time I felt like I truly belonged in an MBA classroom. My path wasn’t paved with brand names. It was built in the trenches of early-stage chaos, where resilience and ownership mattered more than logos. That shift in energy, that feeling of being seen and trusted, that’s what I carry forward.”

Omar Elaraby, an engineer from Ontario, describes the 24-Hour Reports as a “trial-by-fire,” fostering an intensity that spurs growth and teamwork. His classmate, Nikolay Dimitrov, agrees that the relationships and can-do spirit carried over long after his team completed their first 24-Hour Report for their LPO (Leading People and Organizations) course.

“We were all stressed at the start, unsure how to tackle the case, but somewhere between ordering pizza and taking hot laps around the building, we found our rhythm. It was a moment where we really came together; we were really able to bond as a team and lean on each other’s strengths and realize the value of collaboration under pressure.”

FROM ROCKET SCIENCE TO EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Of course, Dimitrov was accustomed to time-sensitive collaborations. Before joining the MBA Class of 2026 at Ivey, he managed a cross-functional banking team for a $50-million-dollar AI automation project. The same could be said for Luke Fior, a banker who once turned a cold call into an $8-million-dollar deal that enabled a lighting company to boost its presence in the American market. By the same token, Arham Ali, a Pakistani financier and musical performer, launched SportsPort Technologies, a platform that connected athletes with coaches.

“As a solo founder, I led everything from ideation to branding to MVP development using React and AWS. It taught me how to build from scratch and trust my creative gut.”

Ever hear the joke that someone is as smart as a rocket scientist? Meet Mansargun Kaur, a product manager and entrepreneur who earned her degree in aeronautical engineering and worked in the web development, fabrics, and automotive industries. Speaking of the sciences, Erin Drury studied biological sciences before moving into a genetics lab to work in genome sequencing. For the past two years, Sophie Yang has helped host an international gene-therapy symposium, including the Nobel Forum in Stockholm this year.

“We recruited renowned speakers from all over the world, ranging from neurotology scientists to senior consultants in the field,” she tells P&Q. “As a sales lead at Guoyi, we I delivered live demonstrations to more than hundreds of ENT (ear, nose, throat) department Otolaryngology specialists, showcasing how our AI integration is reshaping everyday rehabilitation practice and building a pipeline of qualified international leads.”

TEACHING OPERATIONS USING VIDEO GAMES

Among the class, you’ll also find Jeff Liu, who most recently worked in communications for Deutsche Bank. Before that, he partnered with the Gates Foundations to organize Bill Gates’ speaking engagements during a 2019 trip to China. And you can add Namita Tyagi to the list of luminaries. An engineer by training, she was a pioneer in practice. Tyagi spent over a decade in the Indian Air Force – rising to the level of senior operations manager – before moving into the private sector.

“During my service, I became the first woman to receive the highest professional categorization for combat proficiency and technical expertise in the missile fleet,” Tyagi adds. “This achievement challenged long-standing stereotypes about women in combat roles and encouraged others to pursue and succeed in this domain. Later, I assumed the role of the first female examiner for combat readiness assessments, which allowed me to mentor fellow officers and promote a more inclusive culture.”

After arriving on campus, Arham Ali followed Tyagi’s blueprint. He was elected MBAA president – a crash course in “listening, leading with empathy, and building community.” Nikolay Dimitrov followed suit, with classmates giving him the nod as VP of the Consulting Club. Here, he organized the summer Superday, which paired students with alumni and industry experts. In the process, his members completed 40 mock interviews and over 90 peer-to-peer case sessions. For Jeff Liu, the highlight – so far – has been using a Nintendo game, Overcooked!, to explain operations concepts to his classmates.

“It is a fast-paced kitchen simulation game, where players manage food orders under time pressure. My team and I used a live gameplay demo to demonstrate key concepts like how to keep the bottleneck (the stove) always running, why overproduction creates waste, and how managing flow is often more important than maximizing capacity. I was proud to introduce a great game while also finding the connection with key operation concepts.”

SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS

Creativity is just one way that the Class of 2026 made business school their own. In the end, their grit is what laid the foundation for success. Just ask Rio Baudisch-McCabe, most recently a senior analyst for NielsenIQ. Thus far, he notes, his biggest achievement has been surviving the core courses, whose mix of readings, group projects, and class participation forced him to better manage his time and priorities. The same could said for Sophie Yang, whose scientific background sometimes made the transition steeper than expected.

“In a few intense months, I moved from fMRI neuroimaging and p‑values to income statements, DCFs, supply chains, and strategy…learning the language of business the night before I had to defend my decision the second day during class. I leaned hard on my learning team during 24‑Hour Reports, identifying the accounting problems, and figuring out the regression models by sunrise. Finishing the core with confidence, and actually enjoying it, demonstrating that curiosity and discipline travel well across domains. That pivot is the accomplishment I’m proudest of so far.”

If anything, the Ivey experience became a primer on how to adjust and grow as much as how learn and lead. That was the takeaway for Racheal Bhosha, a banker from Zimbabwe.

“My biggest accomplishment has been thriving through a significant life transition, moving to a new country and city where I had no personal network, and immersing myself in a demanding MBA program. Starting from scratch socially while managing the rigors of academics required adaptability, resilience, and inner drive. Today, I am proud to be excelling in class, building meaningful connections, and fully embracing this new chapter with confidence and purpose.”

NEVER BORING AT BARNEY’S

For the Class of 2026, that chapter began in London, a city of 550,000 people that’s three hours south of Toronto. Home to four-million trees and nearly 500 parks – hence the “Forest City” moniker – London is known for its outdoors activities, particularly in hiking, skiing and fishing. It is also a healthcare tech hub, not to mention the headquarters for firms like 3M Canada and Coca-Cola Canada Bottling. Outside school, students can enjoy music festivals like July’s SunFest – which attracted over 40 acts – or the ever-popular London Rib and Craft Beer Festival.

Alumni describe London as a “calm” and “slow” college town – a welcome respite for students arriving from the likes of Shanghai, Mumbai, and Toronto.  Melanie Starke, a 2025 MBA grad, relished her morning jogs with the MBA Social Run Club – and her evenings cheering on local hockey clubs.

“The nightlife had a fun, laid-back vibe, and there was always somewhere to go with classmates after a big academic event,” she adds.

For the Class of 2026, that place was often Barney’s, which Luke Fior describes as the “go-to hangout” for a “quick beer.” Sophie Yang was equally bullish on Barney’s.

“It’s close enough to campus to wander over after our report or a heavy week. It has a big patio, where the whole team can grab a table. Service is fast and prices are student‑friendly, and staff there know who we are – everything just makes London feel smaller and warmer. Thursdays often have live music; we hold drinks in our hand and it easily turns into a mini‑celebration. It’s where we toast tiny wins, and the hang-outs every Friday just bring us closer and make this year unforgettable.”

AN OLYMPICS LIKE NO OTHER

Erin Drury takes refuge at the Junction Climbing Gym – when she isn’t at Barney’s patio. For Jeff Liu, that special place has been the Thames Valley Parkway (TVP), where he cycles along the Thames River (and its geese). Namita Tyagi also prefers the solace of nature – this time at Gibbons Park.

“It’s the perfect place to clear my thoughts. The scenic trails along the Thames River make it especially peaceful and refreshing. It’s a perfect place to recharge and clear my thoughts. I often go alone to spend some quiet time with myself, but sometimes my friends join me for a walk or run along the trail. Whether solo or with company, Gibbons Park always feels like a refreshing escape from the everyday routine.”

Those escapes also include popular Ivey traditions. In August, for example, the school hosts a Social Impact Day, where students spend a day partnering with local not-for-profits for projects like sprucing up parks. In October, the school holds its annual Ivey Olympics, a full-day “competition” packed with fun events ranging from obstacle courses to bubble soccer. For Mohit Ganesh, a ’25 grad and P&Q MBA To Watch, the 2024 event fulfilled its purpose: fostering teamwork, building relationships, and creating life-long memories.

“It’s a celebration of the community we’ve built and a reminder that relationships are as important as resumes in business school,” he writes. “This year, we had 19 teams and 13 games, including a hilarious dunk tank during the lunch hour where our Dean, Julian Birkinshaw, gamely volunteered to be dunked. Students paid to throw, and all proceeds were donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. It was fun, meaningful, and perfectly reflected Ivey’s culture — one that values connection, inclusivity, and giving back, even while having a laugh.”

THE CASE METHOD

What the Ivey Business is best known for – the case method – is no laughing matter. Just ask any student who gets cold called after failing to do the requisite preparation. Case studies are the foundation of Ivey teaching. Picture 15-20-page readings, taking readers inside real-life business situations. They may include stories about industry-disrupting technologies, failed positioning strategies, or public relations fiascos. Here, students take the roles of senior executives, where they collect information, weigh resources and options, and devise solutions that minimize the fallout while addressing the core issues. These are imperfect solutions – mired in unknowns, contradictions, and tradeoffs – that are presented to 75 Ivey classmates to be debated. All the while, professors act as facilitators who raise questions and channel conversations to bring the widest range of viewpoints to the forefront.

Luke Fior observes that the case method has “pushed” him to “dig deeper [and] think critically,” with Nikolay Dimitrov adding “speak confidently” to the mix. Dimitrov also points to the case method helping him “develop a structured approach to problem-solving.” By this, he means that the continuous stream of case readings produces a muscle memory that enables them to tackle issue in a consistent, step-by-step manner. For Arham Ali, the case method is an active means of learning, with stories delivering an unforgettable context and urgency.

“I’m constantly challenged to apply them in real time; under pressure, with incomplete information, and surrounded by diverse perspectives. It’s sharpened my ability to structure ambiguity, ask the right questions, and influence others through logic and empathy. Whether it’s navigating an M&A deal or a failing supply chain, I’ve learned how to think like a decision-maker, not just a student. That mindset shift has been transformational.”

At the same time, says Mansargun Kaur, the case method reflects the realities of business, where “no one hands you a clean, well-structured problem in real life.” More than that, the volume of cases exposes students to a variety of industries, organizations, and issues. In turn, these are shaped by company-specific “resources, leadership, client dynamics, and competit(ors),” says Racheal Bhosha – who tacks on the “broader economic, regulatory, and technological landscape” as additional factors.

In the end, cases are ambiguous, with right-or-wrong often replaced by better-or-worse. “We practice judgment, not just recall,” observes Sophie Yang. “We are forced to take a stand, make our decisions, get grilled by smart peers, and leave with sharper instincts and empathy for perspectives that we hadn’t considered. Within my learning team, we share our insights, debrief what landed, and surface blind spots. That process of analyzing, deciding, debating, and reflecting all mirrors projects of a real product, where time is tight, stakeholders diverge, and there’s no “answer key” – only better hypotheses and faster iterations.”

Next Page: Profiles of 12 MBA students and an interview with Martha Maznevski.

© Copyright 2025 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.