Jasleen Hehar enjoys the challenge of “new.”

As a clinical operations lead at Roche Canada, the Canadian affiliate of Swiss pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche, Hehar ensures clinical trials are done efficiently at ophthalmology clinics across the United States. It’s a wide range of roles from day to day, and the perfect blend for her interest in both business and data management.

“I’ve always been science-heavy growing up,” said Hehar, MM-A ’25, who has a Bachelor of Science from McMaster University. “I have some skills on the business side that I ended up merging with my passion for science. But I wanted more.”

That desire for growth drew her to two “new” opportunities: Ivey Business School’s one-year Master of Management in Analytics (MM-A) program and a recently formed team at Roche called Analytics Portfolio and Optimization.

“It’s an emerging field where I would still get to work in a science environment but also utilize the logical side to develop tools to make us more efficient and eliminate the manual labour,” said Hehar.

It’s also what drove her into looking into Ivey’s program and its case study method. However, she had an honest concern: How was the case study method going to teach her data management?

But soon she discovered the case method provided a practical approach to the problems she faced at work. “The case method helps you apply what you read about in the case. It replicated the real world, and I think it’s the best way to learn.”

Standout moments also included strategy sessions with Professor Glenn Rowe as part of the Ivey Essentials class. “He really drove home how strategy in organizations works and how picking the correct strategy for your organization really matters.”

Also supporting her learning experience were classmates, who brought their unique perspectives from industries like mining, rail or transportation to her challenges. These connections have only grown stronger since the program’s conclusion.

“My learning team was my daily stress reliever because we had so many projects together. We were able to bond with no problem because we were all feeling the pressure at some point,” said Hehar, who noted she has developed some strong relationships as a result of this approach.

Hehar also discovered a new passion for Pilates and how those early morning classes became a regular routine throughout the program.

“They definitely kept me sane.”

Hehar now brings her expanded skill set to her evolving role at Roche, applying strategic thinking, analytical tools, and the confidence to lead through change—proof that embracing the “new” can open many doors.