Category: Spotlight

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Spotlight

Alim Hirani

IPN Spotlight: Alim Hirani (General Manager/Managing Director at Hilti India)

Alim Hirani has been General Manager / Managing Director of Hilti India since October 2015. He is responsible for the strategy and long term development of the Hilti organization in India. He began his career with Hilti in 2004 in the United States and he has held various diversified roles in sales, finance, strategic marketing and general management. Alim has lived in Houston, Dallas, Tulsa and in San Francisco where he was Divisional Head for Northern California, Oregon, Washington & Alaska.
In 2015, he was appointed as General Manager / MD for Hilti India and relocated to New Delhi for this role. He has always been instrumental in developing and implementing strategy in alignment with Hilti’s mid- and long-term goals. Alim has majorly contributed towards steering the business results through the execution of strategic initiatives while fostering the development of organizational talent. He holds a Bachelor in Finance/Marketing and an executive MBA from the University of Houston.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Empathetic leadership, passion for people, relentless pursuit to deliver results, listening more talking less, being curious and being patient yet persistent.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Don’t get dishearten by failures. Failing is learning and it is part of the development process. Take every moment positively and don’t be to hard on yourself when things don’t go right. If you are not making mistakes, you are making the biggest mistake.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
1) Read – I travel alot and as a result find time to read a lot in the air. I recently read Hit Refresh, by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. It’s an authentic masterpiece about the importance to stop what we’re doing, rethink, re-energize, & recalibrate
2) Social media platforms – I believe social media if utilized correctly can be a huge learning platform to continuously learn and develop
3) External stimuli – once a year I make it a point to engage in an external conference or executive education to gain different perspectives and stay relevant. The world is changing at such rapid speed and it’s important to try and keep up. It’s very easy to get blinders on and begin to see the world from your viewpoint
4) Mentorship – Leadership can sometimes be a very lonely job and it’s important to have someone to give you feedback and that you can reflect with from time to time

What is next for you in your career?
I have had a very simple policy of not worrying about what is next. I believe in focusing on doing the role you are in, doing it well, developing people and delivering results. As long as I am personally growing, having fun and having the opportunity to have an impact and difference in people’s lives, I am happy doing what I do. When the time is right and if I am ready, the organization will give me a new challenge.

What advice would you offer to others?
1) Set your own benchmark on what success looks like – don’t let others define your personal journey
2) Have a mentor and be a mentor – I truly believe that you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want
3) Don’t forget to give back – when you give back (in any form) and are a contributing member of civil society, I believe you always receive much more than you give
4) Discipline and focus are underrated and boring, however, they are cornerstones for success

Krish Dhanam said it best – “Plan w/attitude, prepare w/ aptitude, participate w/ servitude, receive w/ gratitude, & that should be enough to separate you from the multitudes.”

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Building high performing teams
• Career advice
• Sales leadership
• Job placement
• Strategic Marketing

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Alim Hirani

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Spotlight

Shemin Nurmohamed

IPN Spotlight: Shemin Nurmohamed (CEO, Pitney Bowes)

Shemin is currently CEO of Pitney Bowes France. She joined PB in early 2016. She is a member of the PB Leadership Team, and has been nominated to the PB Technology team to help craft the strategy on innovation, accelerator and machine-to-machine learning. Prior to joining PB, Shemin had a successful 17-year career at IBM, where she held a number of other leadership roles, in both finance and sales, at the national, European, and Global levels.
Shemin started her career on Wall Street working for D.E. Shaw. She is also Chairman of fast-growing startup LiveMon. Passionate about helping young women navigate their careers, Shemin is regularly invited to speak at seminars and conferences in Europe and the Middle East. She most recently gave a Tedx talk on the subject and plans to release her first book on Amazon Nov. 23, 2017.
Shemin holds a BA in Chemistry from Cornell, an MA from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from Henley. She resides in Paris with her husband and two children.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Believe it or not I think that the softer skills which are easily transferable from job to job have helped me in my career. Skills like: a) listening – people are so worried about making an impression so they are always thinking of the next comment they forget to actually listen and this is where breakthroughs are made; b) Compassion – when you care for your team and think of them as people and not just means to a goal not only breed loyalty but you will outperform because you will truly work as a unit and finally c) Consistency -I have found that in terms of career longevity, looking at it like a marathon versus a sprint, in my opinion. Consistently working on long term objective will allow one to achieve incredible results in one’s lifetime. Although these are soft skills, I believe that they can be real game changers in the trajectory of one’s career.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Well – I really have no regrets, but if I had a time machine I would tell my younger self to not be so hard on herself and not to be scared to take short sabbaticals between jobs. Additionally, I would tell her not to laugh at Jeff Bezos’ startup idea of selling books on the internet in 1995 when we worked at the same investment bank. 🙂

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Well first I do take advantage of any opportunities offered by my company – for example IBM offered to pay for my MBA which I did and Pitney has a Harvard Manage Mentor program which I am in the process of completing. Additionally, I try to read as much as I can to find the nuggets that will help me improve my team, my leadership and myself – one small step at a time.

What is next for you in your career?
To be very honest sometimes I have to pinch myself as I never thought I would get this far! Given that it is by the grace of God that I am I feel that it is my duty to help others on this journey. So, in terms of next steps to complement my career, I plan on doing more coaching and speaking and who knows maybe write another book!

What advice would you offer to others?
The two best pieces of advice I had received was:
1) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes just don’t make the same ones twice and
2) You can have it all just not all at the same time – this last piece of advice is really helpful for a working mom as it takes the pressure off being perfect all the time

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Career coaching
• Interview prep for students wanting to go to IVY leagues as I am an interviewer for Cornell
• Women mentorship

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Shemin Hirji-Nurmohamed

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Dr. Shirin Poonja

IPN Spotlight: Dr. Shirin Poonja (Hospitalist, Loyola University Medical Center)

Dr. Shirin Poonja is board-certified in Internal Medicine, and practices Hospital Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center. In addition to her clinical time, Shirin is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Nutrition Vertical Curriculum at Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine. She also currently serves as Kamadiani Ma for the Chicago Downtown Jamat Khana.

What skills have helped you in your career?
There are three fundamental skills I have used to navigate my career – empathy, problem-solving and taking initiative. When patients are admitted to the hospital, they are likely most vulnerable, requiring me to extend a level of empathy that acknowledges their psychosocial state. I then mobilize to gather patient data, and analyze and synthesize a diagnosis that is then addressed with cost-effective treatments. Additionally, when I first started at Loyola University Medical Center, I was determined to fulfill my clinical duties while building a presence on the medical campus via teaching engagements. I have also pursued scholarly activities such as co-authoring book chapters, participating in speaking engagements at peer institutions, and contributing to medical literature in national publications. I have learned that in many western societies, choosing one’s career is an important decision, but the luxury we have is to pursue opportunities that can dramatically evolve our skill set.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I had the privilege of serving as Chief Resident during residency, which offered me a unique and valuable perspective on leadership, administration and medical education. However, I was not trained in the methodologies and processes for curriculum development. How does one define goals and objectives for curriculum content? What are various methods of assessment for students? When I took the role of Director of the Nutrition Vertical Curriculum, I had to lean more heavily on senior colleagues, online modules and best practices to gain a better appreciation to fulfill my role. Similarly, your profession may require you to think more holistically about accomplishing objectives, and gaining team support to acquire new skills; be ready and willing!

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Like other professions, the healthcare field requires continuing medical education that I attempt to fulfill daily – reading health care journals, attending on-campus presentations, and frequenting regional and national conferences. Additionally, there is no better way to stay ahead of new knowledge than teaching it, so I find delivering medical education key to my ability to continue building my own knowledge.

What is next for you in your career?
Given that my primary focus is clinical, I am pursuing the clinical educator track, which will lead to academic promotion following demonstration of greater scholarly contribution, excellence in teaching, service to the Stritch School of Medicine, and even recognition outside the Loyola Community. These efforts cannot merely be achieved overnight, but require investment and dedication from day one. In order to advance your career, start early!

What advice would you offer to others?
Realize that one reason we aim to excel in our professions is to serve our community. Use the skills that have been acquired in your career to further our institutional capacities, either at the local or national level. Additionally, for those who feel that accommodating service into an already demanding career is difficult, remember that personal or professional challenges will always present themselves in various forms. Someone once told me, when there is a “seva” knock at the door, open it (in other words, be willing to accept service opportunities when they are presented to you)!

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Career counseling in hospital medicine
• Balancing work/life/jamati responsibilities
• Nutrition-related guidance

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Shirin Poonja

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Nabila Tejpar (UK)

IPN Spotlight: Nabila Tejpar (Operations and Events Management Executive, Dunkin Donuts UK)

Nabila’s 23, and is a rally driver in the UK. She currently works in marketing and operations for Dunkin Donuts in the UK. Nabila received her BSBA in International Business, Entrepreneurial Management and International Relations from American University.
Nabila always dreamed of becoming a rally driver. Upon completing her degree, she returned to England, acquired her rally license and started to compete. In 2016, she participated in the Junior British Rally Championship. It was an intense experience, and a big learning curve, nothing like jumping into the deep end and learning how to swim!
The Junior class had talented individuals competing in it, she was nervous but excited for the challenge. It was a baptism of fire, but one she worked well with, even with a major accident, she came 8th out of 16 in her first year, against prominently male participants. 2017 has been a strong year so far; she has scored points on every round, and achieved a career best of 2nd.
She is currently 4th in the BRC cadet class, and has secured the Ladies Championship in 5 rounds. Nabila will be fighting for 3rd place in the final rounds.
To know more visit her website: http://www.nabilatejpar.com/

What skills have helped you in your career?
The skills that have helped me most in my current career path are courage, perseverance, teamwork, and constantly learning. Rallying is a sport where teamwork is essential because the co-driver is just as important as the driver if not more. Trust and understanding are vital for this sport. You also have to be willing to push and work hard with every step and every round, or with anything in life. Perseverance and positive thinking allow you to improve, and the harder you work the more changes you will see over a shorter period. Communication is also a key skill, both within the partnership in the car and the team, and also with media and PR aspects. Portraying yourself in a professional yet understanding way is important.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Although I have only been competing in my sport for two years, there is still a lot that I can learn and could have changed. I wish I had started to train and compete earlier. I don’t regret completing my degree per say, but have debated on the possibility of “what if” I had started when I was younger? Would I be faster, better and possibly progressed further? Rather than dwell on these possibilities, and focus on my accident last year and my mistakes, I use them to push me forward, they have made me stronger and more resilient, and have progressed my driving forward.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
There is homework in everything you do, and you have to be willing to learn and make changes to improve. I don’t plan to pursue further academic studies; my primary focus is to make significant progress as a rally driver. I educate myself by learning from other drivers by using their feedback to help improve my driving. In between races, we spend time testing and training with professionals to increase my pace and ability. As a team, we analyse car set up, and watch previous event in the car, to see where you can gain seconds, and implement any changes to increase speed. Another key aspect is focusing on pace notes, we practice recce, and work on ways to create a concrete and consistent set of notes. I believe in continuous learning, and I am actively learning from everyone around me and not just from those who are in my field of interest.

What is next for you in your career?
Next for me is to decide on what championship to compete in. There are many options, however, at the moment it is still undecided. I will be looking to move to a faster car, and possibly progress into Europe and some World rounds over the course of the next year. The importance is to continue growing my pace and work on the results. I also plan on working to secure more partnership deals, to help progress to the next level.

What advice would you offer to others?
The best advice I can offer is, don’t get caught up on what you could change or your failures, they are a part of you and a significant part of life that help you get to that success. Instead of getting upset or angry about your failures, look at them and learn from them, don’t dwell on what if I had done this, or I didn’t get where I wanted. Instead look at the failure and think, that didn’t work so I will try this next time, or I can focus on this part, and I should get the outcome I want. My daily mantra is by Jari Matti Latavala a WRC driver, “set your goals high and don’t stop until you get there!”. Also, don’t listen to people who demotivate you or insist that you can’t do something. I wouldn’t be a rally driver if I had! You can achieve whatever you want so long as you are willing to work hard and invest everything into your efforts. Life is short so make sure you can look back and be proud of yourself!

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Public Speaking
• Marketing
• Media Relations
• Sportsmanship

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Nabila Tejpar

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Ayesha Daya (UAE)

IPN Spotlight: Ayesha Daya (Founder & CEO, Al Kalima)

Ayesha Daya is the former Middle East oil correspondent for Bloomberg News. Now she runs a content creation and communications company called Kalima, based in Dubai. Ayesha has a BA in French and Politics from Bristol University and an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard.

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Tenacity
• Curiosity

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I used to be upset when things didn’t go according to plan. I eventually learnt that all it means is that there’s a much better plan out there. So now I desire the thing that happens, rather than trying to mould events to my desires.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I read. And I seek out people that know more than me about certain things.

What is next for you in your career?
Growing my business.

What advice would you offer to others?
Follow your passions.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Advice in reading
• Advice in writing
• Advice in communication

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Ayesha Daya

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Dr. Rasul Ramji

IPN Spotlight: Dr. Rasul Ramji (Assistant Dean For Global Affairs, The University Of Louisville)

Dr. Rasul received his Doctorate of Public Health from Texas A & M University in 2013. He assumed his position as Assistant Dean for Global affairs at the University of Louisville in 2013 and is currently an active member involved in Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) which is a USAID initiative. In 2000, Dr. Rasul received his Master of Public Health, and in 1997 he was a recipient of Doctor of Chiropractic from Texas Chiropractic College. His International academic career achievements include Bachelor of Science with honors in Entomology/Horticulture from the University of Sind in 1971 and high school graduation diploma from The Aga Khan High School, an affiliate of Cambridge University, UK.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Rural Development Education, interacting with and participating in Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) – Interacting with rural farmers and agriculture workers.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
Nothing really – was blessed to have direction.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Take CE courses and teach.

What is next for you in your career?
Continue as Assistant Dean for Global Affairs – Lecture Internationally on Rural development and assist in rural development projects in Georgia (country) Lahore and parts of India.

What advice would you offer to others?
Identify your goal and make sure the goal is not leading to a dead end – must chose a career with a “broad spectrum” Have multi specialties – not just one specialization.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• University admission
• Guidance in admission to higher education
• Emphasize research based careers

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Abida Taher Jooma

IPN Spotlight: Abida Taher Jooma (Nuclear Radiologist, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute)

Abida Taher Jooma is an MD PHD from Tulane University School of Medicine. She is currently working in private practice as a Nuclear Radiologist for Florida Cancer Specialists.

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Good communication
• Adaptability
• Networking
• Being open to new and different opportunities
• Expanding your skill set

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I wish I had known how important it is to have a senior mentor who could guide you in the career choices within the field of medicine.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Attend meetings specific to my specialty, CME and consistent reading to keep up with new data and advances in my field.

What is next for you in your career?
Exploring options to teach medical students and allied health professionals.

What advice would you offer to others?
Build a network of peers and mentors throughout your career that you can lean on and will help you advance your career goals.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Mentor students looking to enter the field of medicine or thinking about getting a PHD
• Mentor medical students for residency selection and programs
• Job placement

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Abida Taher Jooma

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Najma Shah

IPN Spotlight: Najma Shah (Early Years Coordinator, Aga Khan Education Services)

Najma completed a two-year term working with Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) Tanzania. There, she managed a team of 35 educators and over 200 student’s ages 2 to 6 years. During this term, Najma spearheaded many programs including community gardening, nutrition, and health awareness, after-school activities, recognition and awareness of global holidays, and partnerships with local libraries.
Najma fostered ongoing continuing education of all staff by collaborating with accredited universities in the United States to provide training and certificates to staff. She also personally provided need-based scholarships to select individuals to become certified teachers, and mobilized resources across US and Canada to advance faculty and enrich classrooms.
Along with AKES, Najma was a consultant for Early Childhood Development programs across Dar-es-Salaam, Zanzibar, and Zambia. Before working in Tanzania, Najma was head of a Montessori school in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

What skills have helped you in your career?
One skill that has helped me succeed as a manager is staying positive. I believe in the power of positive reinforcement. When I am working with a team of people, it is important to identify individual’s strength and play up those strengths. I have found that this improves morale and benefits the child’s learning experience. I value the ability to work collaboratively with all stakeholders. It is important to assist in identifying and aligning effort towards a common goal which is synonymous with the mission and vision of the school.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I do not think I would have done anything differently throughout my career. I have learned something new from each of my experiences.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I always keep myself abreast of new research and development in my field by enrolling in workshops, webinars, attending seminars, and constantly learning.

What is next for you in your career?
I will continue my work in Early Childhood Development by supporting and mentoring teachers in my community. I will also continue my work in developing countries by providing consultancy and resources.

What advice would you offer to others?
My advice is to work hard in whatever you chose to do. If unique opportunities arise, go for it! It is important to go to places where you can provide your skills and education and also learn from those experiences.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• I can help professionals in areas of Early Childhood Development
• I would be happy to share my overseas experiences and challenges
• Share experience on nutrition and health awareness

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Najma Shah

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Khudabuksh K. Walji

IPN Spotlight: Khudabuksh K. Walji (U.S. & Int’l Legal Advisor, Walji International Law Firm)

Born in Dar-es-Salaam, Khudabuksh came to the U.S. as a first-generation immigrant for college. His grandmother always wanted him to be a doctor, so he studied pharmacy to prepare for medical school. While working as a pharmacist, Khudabuksh also served on Jamati committees. At the time, in late ’70s, several community members were being deported. These were heartbreaking incidents, and he felt there had to be a way for them to be helped. Khudabuksh turned his sight to law school and in 1985, started his law practice as an immigration lawyer. After his clients obtained their legal status, many became entrepreneurs with new legal needs. Thus, Khudabuksh attended seminars and CLE courses focusing on business and tax laws to expand his legal practice. In 2002, he was asked to work as Senior Director at AKU in Karachi where he developed projects in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and East Africa. These international experiences opened his eyes to emerging opportunities and transformed his career as an international legal advisor.

What skills have helped you in your career?
Active listening, strong analytical and persuasive skills, project and risk management plus team collaboration skills. As my law practice and staff expanded, my management responsibilities increased and so did my oversight role in execution of legal strategies. These skills became valuable with large clients. As an example, I was engaged by a Middle East group of companies with multi-faceted legal issues relating to U.S. Army contracts valued over $500 million. I had to hire legal and non-legal experts, oversee the work and ensure we were one team. This approach helped rebuild trust and confidence with the U.S. Army HQ, and most of the disputes were resolved. And, when a major contract dispute involving millions of dollars against a Fortune 500 company did not settle amicably, I pursued arbitration route in U.K. instead of litigating in U.S. court to avoid potential risks of collateral damage. We were awarded the full amount claimed by London Court of International Arbitration.

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
I should have taken more time to enjoy the journey of life. I came to the U.S. at age 17 and was quickly thrust into survival mode for myself and family. As a result, I continuously expanded my professional knowledge and worked very hard to improve the quality of life of my family. In addition, I served on Jamati institutions and community organizations as a way of giving back to society. As a result, I did not take sufficient time out for my family, including taking regular vacations. I also did not participate in sports although I loved tennis and table-tennis as a youngster. Furthermore, I did not spend time enjoying cultural and art events until recently. Finally, I spent a little time reading about areas of my interest, e.g. autobiographies of world leaders and thriller novels. To summarize, I did not maintain a great “work-life balance” equation. Goals continuously change and therefore enjoying the journey of life is more important than racing to destinations.

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Pursue new areas of knowledge – in my case; these new areas were primarily triggered by my clients as they experienced new levels of successes – and challenges too. Therefore, I took professional courses and attended seminars in diverse areas of law, including intellectual property, franchising, real estate development as well as bankruptcy and white-collar criminal law defense. Now as my clients are reaching quasi-retirement phase, I am acquiring more knowledge in wealth and legacy planning as well as impact philanthropy and probate laws.
Serve in community organizations in diverse fields, especially those which require working with domain experts, and which encourage acquiring new knowledge to achieve the best outcomes.
Obtain formal credentials – they open new opportunities, e.g. my additional qualifications as U.K. Solicitor and Dubai Legal Consultant, and the professional certifications, enabled me to become successful in my role as a U.S. and Middle East Advisor.

What is next for you in your career?
My career growth has been defined mostly by my clients as they succeeded in their endeavors. The next phase of my career is to advise clients regarding asset protection, business, and succession planning as well as wealth and legacy planning. In addition, with my clients’ trust and confidence, I am increasingly engaged as their Counselor/Mediator, particularly by global affluent families in solving their sensitive and complex family and business disputes in a confidential manner. I also work to restore the family relationships – this is particularly critical for these families in their succession and legacy planning efforts. I would like to complete my doctoral thesis and obtain my doctorate degree in international relations and diplomacy. And having served as a leadership academy facilitator internationally, including in Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey, I will be exploring opportunities to teach in academia as well as advise corporate and not-for-profit boards.

What advice would you offer to others?
Take time to enjoy life – work hard and play harder! Develop wider interests beyond work and family. Engage in voluntary services with challenging assignments – they provide opportunities to learn from experts and encourage you to take relevant courses. Let me share an example – during my appointment as National Board Member on the Conciliation and Arbitration Board for USA, I was given the responsibility to develop and conduct mediation training programs for the Regional Board Members. To ensure we were utilizing the best practices, I enrolled at Harvard Law School and obtained Certification in Mediation. This new knowledge from a premier institution was remarkable, however, what was more important to me was the access to these distinguished professors to pick their brains. As a result, our mediation training programs were very successful – the Boards handled over 100 new cases per year with a 75% success rate. Finally, learn to be more patient and practice Mindfulness.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs, especially in their start-up phase and/or when they are in crisis situations.
• Advise law students and professionals regarding legal career choices.
• Act as an advisor on challenging Jamati and AKDN projects.

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Khudabuksh K. Walji

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.

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Spotlight

Faheen Allibhoy

IPN Spotlight: Faheen Allibhoy (Principal Investment Officer at International Finance Corporation)

Faheen Allibhoy is IFC’s Regional Representative for Sénégal, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Mauritania based in Dakar. She is responsible for coordinating IFC’s investment and advisory operations in these countries and managing the operations of the IFC Dakar Office, which is the hub for West and Central Africa. Before this position, she worked directly with the CEO of IFC’s Asset Management Company with respect to strategic efforts and the financing for development agenda. Prior, she was the sector team lead for IFC’s investments in the renewable energy supply chain, having worked on important transactions with large solar and wind companies such as SunPower, Gamesa and Goldwind. In her 15-year tenure at IFC, she has worked with the Manufacturing and Infrastructure departments. Prior to IFC, Ms. Allibhoy worked at Merrill Lynch in New York in the Investment Banking Division. Ms. Allibhoy holds a BA from Wellesley College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is on the Executive Committee of the Harvard Business School Alumni Board and a former Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

What skills have helped you in your career?
• Finance
• Business
• People management

What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
To be more of a risk-taker and to have veered off the “linear path” from time to time. To take the time to build skills (e.g. business level fluency in a language).

What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
Management and leadership skills, language skills

What is next for you in your career?
A leadership role in a global organization.

What advice would you offer to others?
Be ambitious, stay ambitious.

Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• MBA applications
• International finance
• General management

Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Faheen Allibhoy

If you would like to nominate someone to be a part of the spotlight, click Here.