Yohan Mahimwala

Worth knowing

He knows how small business and commercial credit decisions actually get made at Canada's largest bank, and he has sat on the other side of that table as an owner seeking capital. Through Growthsimple he advises small firms on growth, and he has spent years connecting Rotman Executive MBA students to people who can hire them.

Story

Yohan studied psychology and human resource management at York University, then co-founded and ran a small urban hotel business in Toronto from 2010 to 2019. He earned his Executive MBA at Rotman in the middle of that stretch, and in 2015 started Growthsimple, the consulting practice he still co-owns. He joined RBC in 2016 as a commercial banking manager trainee and moved up through the commercial bank in Toronto, taking on the Central Canada small business adjudication department in 2023. He has taught in York's Asian Business Management Program, works closely with the Rotman Executive MBA and careers teams on student networking, and is active in Ascend Canada's Pan-Asian professional network.

Canadian story

Financial services leader; Chair and past chair of non-profit boards, investor in AI-first firms, community builder and diversified small business owner.

Highlights

• Co-Owner and Principal Consultant, Growthsimple Inc. (since 2015)
• Arbor Award, 2020, University of Toronto's highest honour for volunteer service
• Executive MBA in Leadership, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
• BA (Hons), Psychology and Human Resource Management, York University
• CivicAction Emerging Leaders Network member