University of Toronto Rotman School of Management is a leading Canadian business school with a strong international flair. Early-career business professionals from around the world flock to Rotman to study business, management, finance, and analytics. Increasingly, they’re focused on learning how to build sustainable businesses that create positive social impacts.
It’s no surprise, then, that Rotman features a thriving Net Impact chapter with more than 100 active members and a leadership team that hails from six countries. Rotman was named International Student Net Impact Chapter of the Year for 2018.
Rotman Net Impact presented more than a dozen events and activities in 2018, including the first Sustainability and Energy Industry Night with local professionals from the worlds of consulting, energy, social ventures, private equity, and clean tech.
The chapter hosted two case competitions: the first Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) International Case Competition; and a qualifying round of the Hult Prize competition. They also put together a team to participate in the MBA Impact Investing Network and Training (MIINT). Next year will be even busier for Rotman Net Impact with the addition of the first Rotman Sustainability Conference, a day-long gathering of sustainability professionals and students to discuss impact ideas and careers in energy, finance, asset management, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
Kiel Guerrero is the chapter’s Vice President for Careers and chief organizer of the inaugural Sustainability Conference. He’s focused on a career in renewable energy, but through his involvement in Net Impact, he sees just how broad the sustainability movement is. A 2018 survey of Rotman Net Impact members showed a focus on tackling today’s social and business problems from every angle: through consulting, social innovation, impact investing, corporate sustainability practices, clean energy, sustainable development, and improving racial and gender equality.
Guerrero credits his involvement with Rotman Net Impact for helping him take his leadership skills to the next level. His friends looked to him as a leader, but he felt uncertain and insecure. It was a leap for him to step up and lead the team organizing the Rotman Sustainability Conference, but doing so has shown him his capacity to make change happen.