President: Saumya Johri
Saumya Johri is an MBA candidate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UBC Sauder and serves as Class President for the Class of 2027. She brings a background in luxury retail leadership, brand management, and community building across Canada and international markets. Through her professional experience and close exposure to seniors and the realities of aging, Saumya developed a strong interest in senior care, ethical innovation, and technology that improves quality of life. She returned to business school to deepen her skills in strategy, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Known for her ability to connect people and ideas, Saumya is committed to strengthening the MBA community and helping her peers create meaningful and lasting impact.
VP External: Akshat Mandotra
Born in Jammu, India and now based in Vancouver, Akshat Mandotra is an MBA Candidate in the Class of 2027 at UBC Sauder and serves as Vice President - External for the MBA Society. Over the past eight years, he has built a rich tapestry of experiences across Canada, first establishing himself in Toronto, then planting roots in Kelowna where he continues to maintain a base with his family, and most recently moving to Vancouver to pursue his graduate studies. This cross-country journey has deepened his understanding of diverse cultural, and even business landscapes.
With eight years of professional experience in revenue management, sales, and marketing strategy across Marriott, TELUS Business, and Bell Media, Akshat brings a relationship-focused and analytically driven approach to driving key partnerships between the MBA cohort and Vancouver's vibrant professional ecosystem. Whether he's been optimizing revenue strategies across hotel chains in India, building consultative relationships with enterprise clients, or driving account growth in media and broadcasting, he has consistently demonstrated an ability to translate strategy into measurable results. His track record includes award-winning sales performance, successful team mentorship, and a proven knack for navigating complex business relationships.
Looking ahead, Akshat is charting a course in subjects related to Innovation and entrepreneurship finance, with aspirations to launch something meaningful and impactful of his own. His interests span marketing, public relations, and media relations, where he sees opportunities to leverage both his background and creative instincts.
Beyond the boardroom, Akshat is an avid badminton player and spontaneous adventurer, often found planning last-minute road trips across mountain terrain by bike or car. He regularly dives into reading South Asian geopolitics and follows emerging defense technologies as a hobby. For Akshat, the mountains of British Columbia offer a familiar sense of home, much like the terrain of his native Jammu.
VP Internal:
Eva Galura
Meet Eva. She laughs a lot, when she’s happy, when things get awkward, or just because that’s how Filipinos are.
As a Product and Strategy Manager, she enjoys working with cross-functional teams to solve complex problems, balancing business growth, risk, and customer experience while creating meaningful impact.
She loves cooking (with a dash of sugar, because why not?), long walks, meditating, binge-watching, and hanging out with her two dogs, just as quirky as she is. She values deep conversations and making real connections, always happy to chat.
Eva approaches life with warmth, curiosity, and laughter sprinkled everywhere.
VP Finance: Phoebe Wang
I’m Phoebe Wang, and as a CPA, I serve as VP Finance for the MBA Society. I’m currently pursuing a dual-track journey - an MBA at UBC Sauder and an MSc in Quantitative Management (Business Analytics) at Duke as I love turning complex problems into clear decisions. I’m the “numbers gal” who excels at budgets, process improvement, and making data useful for humans (not just spreadsheets). Outside of finance, I’m a certified rescue diver who remains calm under pressure, even when things get messy. I’m also big into wine, which means I’m equally comfortable discussing cash flow and Cabernet. Joke aside: if you have ideas to make the Society run better or more fun - let’s connect.
VP Communications: Hong-il Kim
Hi! I’m Hong, but most people call me Tube from South Korea.
I’m serving our community because I truly care about creating a positive and supportive environment. I believe even small positive signals can shift the mood in a meaningful way. A simple message, a kind word, or a small nudge can make a big difference. Through this role, I try to bring that energy into our MBA community.
After talking with many of my cohort friends,
I realized that everyone came here with their own story like different challenges, opportunities, and personal goals. That made me see how meaningful this MBA journey truly is for each of us. And it naturally made me want to contribute more to this community and be part of making this experience even better.
If you’re curious about this role, our community, or just want to connect, I’m always happy to chat.
Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn 😊
*Photo from my election speech!
VP Academics: Sydney Edwards
As Vice-President Academics, Sydney is passionate about helping people and supporting the cohort in getting the most out of their MBA experience. She enjoys creating opportunities for collaboration, shared learning, and real-world applications, and is always eager to connect students with resources that help them succeed. Her background spans running her own small business, e-commerce, and retail operations, and she has a strong interest in innovation and growing women-owned businesses. Outside of school, Sydney can usually be found at the barn with her horse, spending time with family and friends, or walking her dog, Stevie, through Campbell Valley Park. She’s excited to support her cohort and make this a memorable academic year.
VP Events:
Aditya (Adi) Soni
Aditya is a connector and community builder with a background in strategic HR and marketing. Originally from Mumbai, a coastal city sharing a multicultural heartbeat with Vancouver, he moved to BC ten years ago for his undergraduate degree at SFU. A driver of change and efficiency, Aditya spent years refining recruitment and HR operations before joining the MBA program at UBC Sauder, specializing in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
As Vice President of Events, Aditya is dedicated to creating inclusive spaces where his cohort can connect beyond the classroom. He aims to foster a vibrant community that supports both personal and professional growth. Looking ahead, Aditya is passionate about building systems and companies that redefine the "bottom line," seeking to balance long-term profitability with a positive, lasting socio-economic impact.
When he isn’t buried in cases, you can find Aditya balancing his love for hosting with much-needed downtime to reset. An "introverted extrovert," he thrives on bringing people together for a night of stand-up comedy or a spontaneous road trip, but equally treasures his time as a homebody. To stay active, he swaps the books for the gym, a swim, or a game of badminton. His curiosity extends far beyond the classroom, with interests ranging from deep dives into geopolitics and evolving health-tech trends to exploring the best of the Pacific Northwest with friends.
VP Student Development: Rahul Pyne
Curiosity and a builder’s mindset have taken Rahul Pyne from mastering computer science at Northeastern University to shipping products in major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft—and now to a full-time MBA at UBC Sauder.
Rahul spent nearly 10 years in software engineering, building cloud and data-driven systems while learning what great leadership looks like in practice. He is especially driven by developing people—creating clarity, mentoring peers, and helping others take ownership and grow into confident leaders.
As VP of Student Development, Rahul aims to cultivate new leaders across the cohort through practical, high-impact opportunities—peer sessions on storytelling, networking, and professional development—while fostering a supportive culture where everyone feels seen and encouraged to step up.
Rahul also brings a strong sustainability lens to his work and decisions, focused on building solutions and communities that balance growth with long-term responsibility and positive impact.