Simant Goyal

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from UC Berkeley and soon moved back to India to pursue a post graduate diploma. While in India, I worked as a manager in internal strategy, as the head of an insurance brokerage business, and more recently as an investment banker at a boutique firm. During this time, I also successfully guided a medical diagnostics business that was eventually spun off to a larger company. While my experience in India gave me an exceptional understanding of the South Asian and Southeast Asian markets, I always felt it lacked the international diversity I had experienced at Berkeley. The decision to pursue a global MBA was a couple of years in the making, and Canada, with its world-class educational institutions, favourable immigration policies, and a growing economy, seemed like a great option.

I chose Ivey for a multitude of reasons. Its power-packed, one-year program presented an exciting blend of theory and practice making it a logical next step for me. Ivey’s case-based pedagogy would allow me to experience the role of a CEO every day, multiple times a day, for a whole year. The opportunity to do this in an environment where I could make mistakes and still learn was very appealing. The foremost reason, however, was my experience with Ivey’s alumni during my research process. When applying to the program, everyone I contacted was extremely forthcoming, helpful, and encouraging – values conspicuously missing from the other schools that were on my list. I found Ivey’s alumni to be a community of intelligent and humble people with remarkable achievements, proud to call Ivey their alma mater. Their camaraderie inspired me to want to be a part of this culture.

In retrospect, I was extremely fortunate to have been accepted to the Ivey MBA Class of 2021. I believe the aspect of my profile that probably clicked for the admissions committee was the balance in academic and professional performance. This, in addition to my extracurricular activities and prior international exposure, made me a good fit for the program. My background has been significantly helpful in navigating the case-based classes for the past three months, which have been challenging and full of learning to say the least.

Beyond the academic challenges I had anticipated at Ivey, this year has simultaneously brought an unexpected challenge of online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the situation continues to test our patience and resilience, the togetherness shown by my cohort has only bolstered my faith in my decision to come to Ivey. Supported by the flexibility and resourcefulness of the Ivey’s MBA office, the student community has been extremely active through student clubs and the MBAA. As we live through this crisis, apart yet together, and try to analyze the economic and employment impact on our cohort, I feel confident of always being supported by Ivey’s community and especially by my peers.