Zeeshaan Mustafa, MBA '11

This is your third year at Reunite@Rotman, what keeps you coming back?

I love the energy and enthusiasm. It's a great way to reconnect with former classmates and the larger Rotman community.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your career background.

I love solving problems and helping people. I started my career as an engineer where I focused on solving technical problems, before moving on to project management and helping drive projects forward. Today, I am in consulting where I help clients think about their capital project portfolio.

Rotman gave me a new perspective, tools, and opportunities along this journey.

How has your career path shifted? What were the hardest lessons you learned?

My career path has shifted from having a linear, traditional career in which one develops a deep expertise in one subject area, to one where I have to look at broader cross-functional and enterprise-wide challenges and opportunities.

The hardest lesson I've learned is the importance of having the discipline to maintain neutral emotions in challenging situations. As a passionate person, it takes self-control.

How do you stay on top of trends in your industry?

A few ways – reading knowledge pieces developed by my colleagues, sitting in on ‘Lunch & Learns,’ and attending seminars and events at Rotman, for example.

What were the most important lessons you learned while at Rotman?

• Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. The key to success is to take a chance – put your hand up, be comfortable with not knowing the answer, but confident in finding one.
• Spend time understanding and developing your strengths. Putting in effort to make a weakness on par with someone else could have been time spent developing a strength.

What does being a Rotman alumnus mean to you?

Being a Rotman alumnus means being part of a community that is curious and driven by impact.