Artem Akopyan

After graduating from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and working with the leading laser development company as an R&D engineer, I quickly realized that I wanted to work in a more fast-paced environment. I decided to pursue a career in finance. During the following years, I had a chance to work with multinational consulting firms as an Audit and Corporate Finance consultant. Later in my career, I switched to Investment Banking and for the last three years prior to starting the Ivey MBA I was working on mergers and acquisitions in Russia, attracting foreign and local investors to Russian assets with a significant focus on pharmaceutical deals.

At this point, I understood that I wanted to make the next step in my career and gain international experience. I decided on the Ivey MBA to build my professional network in North America. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of how one of the most developed markets worked and to learn about a new culture. Studying in a diverse classroom with professionals from all over the world greatly broadens one’s views and helps to open a new perspective on problems you have been working on in your home market.

The first thing I noticed when I joined Ivey is a comprehensive culture of overall support. Ivey promotes a team environment. Most assignments are performed in groups and everyone is expected to contribute to the team’s success. This not only facilitates in-class networking, but also creates an environment of support and collective contribution. Competition is healthy — everyone wants others to succeed and to promote the school’s brand outside Ivey.

The Ivey MBA is heavily focused on the development of future leaders. The case-method allows you to see the problem from different perspectives. Every day when the class discusses real life cases you hear various opinions that might be very different from yours. The ability to listen, defend your opinion, and find an optimal solution are some of the hardest soft skills to develop and definitely one of the most important to seek in professional life. At Ivey, cultivation of those skills becomes your daily routine. I believe that these skills, strengthened and developed at Ivey, will help me to succeed in my career and help me to become a future leader.