Lynda Vanderburgh
Assistant Director, Recruitment & Admissions
Lynda’s Portfolio:
Lynda’s recruitment focus is on South East Asia, as well as Canada and the United States.
Why Rotman?
Lynda’s first exposure to Rotman was as a summer intern in 2004 working with Rotman’s Career Centre team. She enjoyed the work so much so that she decided to stay on full time! Lynda joined the Recruitment & Admissions team a few years later. She has also been a member of various Rotman social committees, helping bring together the Rotman community. That kind of giving – both time and money – is a signal of how great she thinks Rotman is and can’t imagine working anywhere else!
Prior to Coming to Rotman:
Prior to Rotman, Lynda worked in early childhood education and as a Montessori teacher.
Did you know?
Lynda is actively involved in the Annual Rotman Vision fund, a foundation that gives back to Rotman to support the school’s needs, as both a donor and co-chair. Lynda is also an avid runner having competed in several half marathons and has an identical twin sister!
Chris Jones
Assistant Director, Recruitment & Admissions
Chris’ Portfolio:
Chris focuses on finding Rotman talent in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea as well as Europe.
Why Rotman:
His passion for education and helping university students find meaningful careers was the motivation to move into his coaching role at the Rotman School of Management in 2013. With an extensive background in graduate recruitment, he’s provided guidance on all aspects of career education from creating effective resumes and online profiles to job search strategies and interview preparation.
Prior to Coming to Rotman:
Originally from the UK, Chris graduated from the University of Nottingham and spent the early part of his career in education as a high school teacher in England and Japan. Making a career switch into a recruitment and search role, he worked in London for an organization that placed overseas teachers into the public school system in the UK. Since moving to Canada, he has worked almost exclusively in the campus recruitment field where he spent over five years at Deloitte as the student program lead for all university hires in Ontario. He joined Sun Life Financial in 2010 to direct their campus recruitment across Canada.
Did you know?
Chris is a keen runner, cyclist and soccer enthusiast, coaching boys in his free time through High Park Football Club. He has represented Rotman as part of the Scotia Bank Toronto Half Marathon and cycles to work every day (even in the winter).
Agnes Mak
Assistant Director
Agnes’s Portfolio:
Agnes focuses on recruiting Rotman talent in East Asia (i.e., mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Japan, South Korea and Mongolia).
Why Rotman:
Agnes is an alumnus of Rotman Commerce, University of Toronto. From her first day stepping into the Rotman building as a student over 20 years ago, she immediately fell in love with the spirit and energy of the Rotman culture. Rotman has played a large part of Agnes’ life professionally and personally, so she is thrilled to help attract new top talent to the school by joining the Full-Time MBA Recruitment & Admissions Team.
Prior to Coming to Rotman:
Prior to joining Rotman, Agnes worked in the corporate sector in Toronto for about 18 years and her last position was a Partner at KPMG Canada. She has led numerous consulting projects for a wide variety of corporate clients including many Fortune 500 companies and large Canadian banks. She has also held leadership roles at various non-profit organizations focusing on women leadership, diversity and inclusion. During her career, she has interviewed and recruited many MBAs for her team so joining Rotman was a logical fit in pursuing her passion in talent recruitment and mentorship.
Did you know?
Agnes loves travel, food and wine. Her passion is to explore the world to experience different cultures, customs and cuisine. As a foodie, she spends her free time learning and creating new recipes, and growing her own herbs and vegetables for her “Farm to Table” dishes
Danielle Spence
Assistant Director
Danielle’s Portfolio:
Danielle leads recruitment activities in South Asia and the Middle East.
Why Rotman:
Danielle was motivated to join the team because of Rotman’s reputation as Canada’s leading business school. She values the opportunity to work with top talent and enjoys meeting highly-motivated people with diverse professional and academic backgrounds.
Prior to Coming to Rotman:
Prior to joining Rotman, Danielle worked in various educational institutions in both Canada and the UK. She has also worked in human rights and advocacy; political and security risk analysis; and luxury yacht sales!
Did you know?
Danielle has studied in four countries and has been fortunate enough to travel to over 50 nations. In her spare time, she paints portraits and draws inspiration from the works of Francoise Nielly, Frida Kahlo and Paul Wright. Danielle is also a regular patron of the National Ballet of Canada.
Akansha Jakhar
Assistant Director, Recruitment & Admissions
Akansha’s Portfolio:
Akansha's regional focus is on Latin America.
Why Rotman:
Akansha's passion to contribute to Rotman's mission of nurturing outstanding talent and driving positive transformation. She recognizes the program's significance in career growth and its reputation for academic excellence. The emphasis on fostering intellectual growth and collaboration at Rotman strongly resonates with Akansha, as she believes in the power of a supportive community.
Prior to Coming to Rotman:
During her career, Akansha has held several international roles in marketing, recruitment, and admissions, with a focus on high-growth markets such as Middle East, Africa, Canada, and India. Her diverse background has enabled her to develop a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that students face in different parts of the world.
Did you know?
Beyond her professional endeavours, she is a passionate artist who finds inspiration in the beauty of nature. She gets tranquility in the enchanting melodies produced by traditional instruments. Her fascination with the possibility of life beyond our planet serves as a catalyst for her inquisitive nature and fuels her desire to unravel the mysteries of the universe, and this is often evident in her artwork.
Imran Kanga
Administrator, Recruitment and Admissions, Full-Time MBA
Imran's Portfolio:
Imran oversees the Recruitment and Admissions team for the Full-Time MBA program.
Why Rotman:
Imran’s motivation to join Rotman stemmed from the culture of community and collaboration that is inherent in the students, faculty and staff. Rotman’s focus on students’ academic and career success, its focus on being a catalyst for positive change in the community and the country is what drew Imran to Rotman!
Prior to Coming to Rotman:
With almost a decade of experience in Higher Education, Imran has held several international roles in Marketing, recruitment and Admissions with a focus on high growth markets like Latin America, South East Asia and India.
Something you didn’t know
Imran is an avid scuba diver and runner. He has completed two half marathons and hopes to complete a triathlon in the near future. His love for ocean conservation is matched only by his passion for travel and food!
Jonathan Soo
Administrator, Recruitment and Admissions, Full-Time MBA
Jonathan’s Portfolio:
Jonathan supports the recruitment and admissions team in all areas – from your first interaction to the final details in the application process.
Why Rotman:
Jonathan truly believes in the transformational journey students experience when they complete their MBA at Rotman. This, combined with the hard working and dedicated focus the team brings to supporting students through the admissions process is what drives Jonathan each and every day.
Stephanie Pereira
Administrator, Recruitment and Admissions, Full-Time MBA
Stephanie's Portfolio:
Stephanie supports the recruitment and admissions team in all areas – from your first interaction to the final details in the application process.
Why Rotman:
Just before joining Recruitment & Admissions, Stephanie had the opportunity to work at Rotman’s Registrar’s Office. Through this experience, she was motivated by everyone’s commitment to academic excellence and their constant efforts to create a positive and successful experience for students. She is excited to join the Recruitment & Admissions team and further carry on these values.
Prior to Coming to Rotman:
Stephanie completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto. Shortly after, she worked in Customer & Membership Services in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. Her focus was on achieving the highest level of customer satisfaction, while also creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for students, staff and members.
Did you know?
Stephanie's passion for women’s health has led her to become the Chair of Ovarian Cancer Canada’s Toronto Walk of Hope Committee. Her involvement with the Walk is in support of the organization’s mission to raise awareness and funds to help combat this disease. In addition, Stephanie is a fitness enthusiast, and enjoys working out frequently, as well as traveling.