INTEGRATIVE THINKING AND YOUR CAREER IN...
Energy and Natural Resources

In the competitive world of business education, Rotman has one key advantage that no other school can match: an innovative approach built on Integrative Thinking.

Our students receive a solid grounding in all the functional areas of business: Strategic Management, Operations Management, Finance, etc. But they also learn how to think beyond them to consider the big picture, approaching each challenge with creativity, a willingness to consider multiple perspectives, and the ability to build new and better models. It’s a groundbreaking approach that can help you shape your business — and the world— for the better.

A survey by the student-run Energy & Natural Resources Group indicates that:

  • 22% of MBA candidates in the Class of 2010 are interested in a career in the energy industry;
  • Of those, nearly 88% are looking forward to a career in renewable energy; and
  • More than 80% are interested in the solar energy market, closely followed by the wind, hydroelectric and biofuel markets.

Currently, close to 200 Rotman alumni work in this industry. Meet some recent graduates who are putting Integrative Thinking to work in the world of Energy and Natural Resources:

Francois Cartier (MBA), Manager, Mergers and Acquisitions, Direct Energy Marketing Ltd.: "In my current role at a large and diversified energy company, requires interaction with virtually every business function, from geological engineers for natural gas acquisitions, to HVAC professionals for home and business services transactions, along with human resources, legal, accounting, marketing, and many others, with the objective of providing robust financial analysis of all targets and efficient execution of all transactions. A key take-away I have adopted from Integrative Thinking is to put myself in my colleagues’ shoes in order to understand what constraints they have to deal with and what objectives or specific performance targets they have to achieve. This allows me to be proactive in providing them with the necessary information. I can also be specific in requesting support from them, and most importantly, I can more easily resolve issues arising from limited resources and limited time to complete the mountains of work required to close a deal."

Alex Fuentes (MBA), Director, Strategic Accounts, Bullfrog Power Inc., Toronto: “In essence, my role at Bullfrog (Canada’s 100% green electricity provider) is to communicate the business case for environmental leadership. Business and the environment have traditionally been characterized as two opposing models, so delivering value in this space requires the construction of a new model, based on a new way of thinking. Organizations struggle with taking credible action to reduce their emissions footprint, authentically communicating their environmental commitment and translating environmental stewardship into competitive advantage. My Integrative Thinking training enables me to add value for our customers by helping them address these challenges with creative, multifaceted solutions that merge environmental action with business results. By shifting the focus to the bigger picture and accounting for the benefit of additional factors such as brand value, employee engagement and product differentiation, Integrative Thinking helps me transform customer challenges into opportunities.”

Energy/Natural Resources firms recruiting at Rotman in the past few years include:

Prospective students interested in careers in Energy and Natural Resources Management will want to: