(Business Management BSc, 2013)
The powerful thing about mentorship is that you get an insight into another’s life experiences and thoughts, without having to be in the same shoes. It teaches you empathy, broadens your horizon and keeps you open-minded.
Why did you choose to study a BSc in Business Management at Queen Mary?
As an international student, Queen Mary was one of my top choices because of its multi-cultural student base, global reputation, and academic standards. I was also excited about joining a university that was repeatedly recognised for student experience and satisfaction.
What aspects of your degree did you find most enjoyable and was there anything that surprised you in your studies?
The aspect of my degree I enjoyed the most was working and learning with a diverse group of individuals, not just in terms of their background but also their interests, experience, and ideas, including both faculty and fellow students. Some of my fellow students were aspiring entrepreneurs, others were activists, writers etc., and the opportunity to hear from them and work with them on projects was truly amazing. I was surprised by how much you could learn from your fellow students, in addition to the faculty and academic resources.
Can you describe your career to date and your current role?
I have over half a decade of experience in the data and analytics industry, whereby we provide critical insights and data to companies and decision makers. During my career I have worked with clients from European banking, insurance, automotive and professional services sectors. My current role entails leading the Customer Success team, who help retain customers by delivering world class service.
University life is a truly special time in anyone’s life. It is also the time where you can expose yourself to many different environments, people, and projects, with the sole intention of learning, even from your failure.
How did your time and study at Queen Mary help prepare you for your career?
When I think about what I took away from my time at Queen Mary, two aspects come to mind. Firstly, the confidence to build relationships, meet new people and learn constantly, both about the world around us and the people that fill it. Secondly, the core concepts of finance and accounting. While in practice there is a whole lot more to financial data and accounting, I found the basic understanding and knowledge that I had acquired at Queen Mary helped speed up my process of getting to know my company’s current business and how its clients use financial (and other) data.
What was special about your time at Queen Mary and what are some of your fondest memories from that time?
University life is a truly special time in anyone’s life. It is also the time where you can expose yourself to many different environments, people, and projects, with the sole intention of learning, even from your failure. Some of my fondest memories are from the gatherings and events we organized and attended as part of the Pakistan Society, including Basant when we flew many kites! Some people I met through the Pakistan Society are in my close friends’ circle even today.
As an alumni volunteer, you support current Queen Mary students as an SBM Career Mentor. Why did you want to give back in this way and what do you enjoy most about being a mentor?
I am a big advocate of mentorship as a concept, whether you formally take it up (as mentor or mentee) or whether you incorporate it in your day to day, as a student, lecturer, colleague, or a manager. The powerful thing about mentorship is that you get an insight into another’s life experiences and thoughts, without having to be in the same shoes. It teaches you empathy, broadens your horizons, and keeps you open-minded. I have also found that during my career, I have benefitted immensely from good mentors, so being involved in the program was an easy decision.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
As a team lead for the Customer Success team, I get to not only contribute to our clients’ first vision by providing them with a world class experience, but I also get to build and empower my team, which is truly fulfilling. The aspect of my job I enjoy the most is working with people, both to solve problems and to help them progress in their lives and careers.
What are your hopes for your career going forwards?
I am proud of working for a company that not only puts emphasis on aligning their business activities to a high and sustainable ESG (environmental, social and governance) standard, but which is also helping its clients understand their impact and take steps to improve it. In future, I look forward to being part of and leading teams that will deliver products and solutions to make corporate finance and operations sustainable and ethical.
Is there any advice you would give to students interested in pursuing a similar career path to yours?
For most industries, being able to manipulate and understand data is a key skill to have, so take the opportunity to learn about data analysis, statistics, and artificial intelligence (among other data analysis techniques). While this is an important skill for any industry, it is especially paramount if you decide to work in the data and analytics industry. Another skill that I think is essential and extremely underrated is being able to articulate and ask good questions. Through curiosity and questioning we can uncover and solve problems, build relationships, and generate ideas.
If you would like to get in touch with Maryam or engage them in your work, please contact the Alumni Engagement team at alumni@qmul.ac.uk.