The University of Toronto Rotman School of Management MBA Class of 2027 showcases just how many different paths can lead to business school, and how naturally those paths converge in downtown Toronto. This year’s Real Humans: MBA Students include architects, bankers, consultants, physicians-in-training, and data scientists, all drawn to Rotman’s blend of analytical rigor, leadership development, and proximity to Canada’s financial and innovation hub.
A proud Torontonian and triple U of T student, Chaya Bhardwaj joined Rotman as a licensed architect eager to pair design thinking with financial and strategic skills. After years delivering complex projects on time and on budget (including coordinating the creation of a branded camel sculpture in Dubai), she’s now exploring how her creative background can intersect with real estate, infrastructure, and strategy roles, supported by clubs like the Business Design Club and Rotman Real Estate Association. From Nigeria’s banking sector, Gbemisola Babafemi-Ojo brings seven years of experience building credit risk frameworks from the ground up. She chose Rotman for its location in Canada’s financial center, its Self-Development Lab, and its strong finance ecosystem, as she pivots into investment banking and asset management.
Rotman’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem also appealed to Gur Agci, an Istanbul native and chemical engineer who has worked in both early-stage startups and global consulting. Selected as a Creative Destruction Lab Fellow, Gur is leaning into opportunities at the intersection of digital transformation, consulting, and healthcare innovation, while clubs like REVCA, the Management Consulting Association, and the Healthcare Management Association help him deepen his toolkit. On the healthcare side, Heather Rossong, a neurosurgical resident from Winnipeg, chose Rotman to better understand the business and systems-level forces that shape patient care in Canada. She’s using her research phase in residency to gain management and leadership skills now, with plans to return to the OR and ultimately lead at the intersection of surgery, health systems, and innovation.
Rounding out this group is Vishnu Kadambanat, a Toronto-based consulting manager who has spent eight years building data science solutions for global clients. Realizing he wanted to understand not just how to build analytics tools but why businesses make strategic choices, he chose Rotman to deepen his grasp of strategy, AI-driven transformation, and business fundamentals— while staying rooted in the diverse city he now calls home. Whether they are designing buildings, reshaping credit access, scaling startups, steering hospital systems, or translating data into strategy, these Rotman MBAs embody the program’s focus on integrative thinking and real-world impact. Read on for more about their stories and admissions insights.
