Michael Parker, MBA, is living in Toronto and was recently promoted to team lead in commercial business development for Salesforce, a position that will allow him to continue to hone his customer-facing skills while also mentoring young talent for the Fortune 500 company. “My Queen's MBA experience gave me the confidence and professional tool box necessary to exceed in the tech world, something I never would have even considered pre-MBA.”
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Pankaj Prasoon, EMBAA’20, has been busy since finishing the program. He joined Microsoft, where he is senior director of product management; acts as an advisor for ventures in the startup ecosystem; serves on the Digital Marketing Program Advisory Council at California State University, Chico; and has written a soon-to-be published book on purposeful leadership. “From a consultant striving to make a mark to a product leader at Microsoft, an advisor for startups, an academic contributor and an author, my journey has been exhilarating. It’s a testament to the transformative power of the EMBA Americas program and the myriad opportunities it opens up,” he writes.
Published in: Fall 2023
Mario Romero, EMBAA, says that he recently moved back to Monterrey, Mexico, to take on the role of regional general manager for Rappi, a Colombian multi-vertical company that he says is “defined as the Latin American SuperApp, and one of the fastest-growing companies in the region.”
Published in: Spring 2021
Kimberley Shuya, AMBA’20, recently accepted a job at BMO Financial Group as senior leader, strategic initiatives. Kimberley lives in Edmonton.
Published in: Fall 2022
Omar Khalid, MIB, has joined Rothmans Benson & Hedges, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International, as a business-development representative. Omar says this is his “effort to be part of the ‘smoke free future’ that PMI aims to achieve.”
Published in: Spring 2021
Samantha Wagner, GDB’20, Artsci’20, tells us she started playing recreational dodgeball after she learned the sport was played down the street from her apartment. “The convenience swayed me, and I quickly fell in love! It's such a high-energy, intense game, even at the rec level and has allowed me to make many new friends while keeping active. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to stay active in a fun and engaging way.”
Published in: Spring 2023
Karim Zaïdi, MMIE, has launched a startup called Luvmunny, which helps lower- to middle-income families raise gifts as contributions toward their education savings. “We have processed almost 50 gifts and are growing very fast,” Karim says. “Fund your loved ones’ futures with Luvmunny!”
Published in: Spring 2021
2019
Saif Aftab, EMBA’19, BSc(Eng)’09, shares that after graduating from Smith he joined Ernst & Young and relocated to Bahrain. Today he is a senior manager in EY’s consulting practice, driving intelligent operations and digital transformation for clients in the energy sector. Saif also got married in 2020. “We now have two kids and continue to call Bahrain home,” he writes.
Published in: Fall 2023
Rene Alcala, EMBAA, notes that after working for the Mexican federal government for six years, he was motivated by his EMBAA experience to move into the private sector. Rene is now with Killam Development as its business-development specialist in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas.
Published in: Winter 2020
Jordan Allred, EMBAA, is the co-founder and EVP of Bōde Canada, based in Calgary. The new venture employs intuitive technology to help people buy or sell a home without an agent, thereby saving thousands of dollars on commissions. Bōde, which started in fall 2019, also connects buyers and sellers with service providers such as photographers, stagers, inspectors and lawyers. “People are frustrated with how real estate is bought and sold today, and we have a solution that relieves that frustration,” Jordan says.
Published in: Winter 2020