Whether they have swum with sharks, competed in sports, founded businesses, or lived around the world, Ivey’s newest MBA students have already proven they can be bold and think big.
Now, they’ll take that ambition even further as they embark on their MBA journey, which officially began today.
The MBA Class of 2026 came together for the first time at a reception on March 2, followed by today's welcome event, where they learned more about each other and what lies ahead in the program. At the event, they were greeted by faculty, staff, and Ivey Dean Julian Birkinshaw, who encouraged them to continue demonstrating courage.
“We want you to be bold, to try out your ideas, to be prepared to make a few mistakes,” he said. “It’s important that you develop a point of view on what might be, rather than what is; and that you learn to have the courage to pursue that view.”
He also encouraged students to support and learn from one another, especially given their diverse backgrounds and experiences. Among the class are a trained theatre actor, a four-time Canadian champion and world bronze medallist in synchronized skating, a former competitive downhill ski racer, and someone who swam with sharks in the Maldives.
“I am so excited to welcome Ivey’s 2026 MBA class! They come together from such a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, but they share a deep commitment to ambitious impact,” said Martha Maznevski, PhD ’94, Faculty Director of the Ivey MBA Program. “They’re here at a transformational time for the world, and they’re going to transform their own journeys to leadership in that context. I look forward to working with them as they build lifelong bonds and challenge themselves to grow!”
The diverse class of 151 students come from a variety of different industries and birth countries and for the first time, more than 40 per cent of the cohort self-identify as women. Here’s a look at the MBA Class of 2026 by the numbers.
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