Minoo Shahriarizavareh

August 2012 was the start of a new season in my life. After living in Iran for 22 years and struggling with numerous challenges a Bahai faces in that country, I moved to Canada to pursue a Master of International Business degree, with Queen’s University. The goal was to gain a greater understanding of ‘international’ factors that impact a company’s growth perspective; along with exploring new academic and professional opportunities in my life. I have lived in different places since then; Kingston, Brisbane, Sydney and currently living in Toronto.

Majoring in Marketing, I researched and wrote my bachelor’s thesis on “Masculine or Feminine brand logos” whereby I learned the theoretical and scientific aspects of consumer behavior that drives marketing strategy. Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to build real business experience, Working as a Project Consultant for ‘Booking.com’ to analyze the current business model, evaluate its brand portfolio, and assist with devising a business development strategy, as a marketing team associate for SAE foundation to manage social media platforms and prepare a range of documents for inside and outside audiences; and more recently as a Direct Marketing and Sales Leader for Appco Canada to teach and train the sales force, effectively plan for and manage territories and make sure targets are hit. These experiences afforded me the opportunity to practice my knowledge and build valuable skills.

Adding to these, taking part in international business competitions such as GeeBiz (New Zealand) and carrying out a number of student consulting projects, have all guided me in this path to growth.

Learning is a process for which there is no end. As a Teaching Assistant and Marketing Discussion Coordinator, I learned and applied critical thinking in a collaborative, team-based environment.

I have strong ethics in my personal and professional life; giving back to the community is one I hold very dear. Working with junior youth in my neighbourhood and close by, is an act of service to help making the world a better place to live in.