Adnan Mehdi’s successful banking career in Bangladesh included roles with global conglomerates such as Citi, HSBC, and Standard Chartered. After amassing 10 years of experience, Adnan wanted to leverage his cash management skills to become a global banker. Equipped with an intense desire for career advancement, he took a leap of faith, packing up his family and moving to Canada to gain a better understanding of North American conglomerates. That’s where Centennial College’s Global Business Management program came in.
“The course content was very exciting,” says Adnan of the program, which delivers a blend of management and international concepts to train students to effectively lead in the international business environment. “It helped me to understand how the business community and people work in North America. One especially impactful aspect was the capstone project. We got to work with a company that imports Canadian wine to Japan. We were able to look at many global aspects and apply them to the real world.”
While Adnan was enrolled in the Global Business Management graduate certificate program, the pandemic caused his courses to be transitioned to an online environment. Adnan says the digital delivery actually helped him to gain skills that are pertinent to today’s business world. He also continued to encounter a range of networking opportunities through various Centennial platforms. One such unique experience occurred when he joined Enactus Centennial. A chapter of Enactus Canada, the organization connects student, academic, and business leaders through entrepreneurial-based projects that empower people to transform opportunities into real, sustainable progress for themselves and for their communities.
“Through Enactus, I was able to demonstrate my skills and expertise and I was promoted to Vice-President, Sales and Strategy,” says Adnan. “I worked with a few other team members and the president of the club on a project that allowed me to coordinate with multinationals. It was also great to understand how the College functions in terms of giving opportunities for networking through clubs like this one.”
Shortly after graduating from the Business School, Adnan was hired by CIBC, where he worked for seven months before moving onto the Vice-President, Senior Account Management Specialist position at Citi Canada. It’s a role in which he provides cash management and trade solutions to Canadian multinationals.
Not only does Adnan continue to use the skills he gained at Centennial, but his expertise is continuing to benefit the College as well. That’s because Adnan now sits on the Global Business Management Program Advisory Committee (PAC), which helps to steer the direction of the curriculum and provides insights to ensure the program is aligned with industry needs.
“Report writing, case analysis, looking at various regulations are among the things I still use in my day-to-day job that I learned at Centennial,” says Adnan. “[As for the PAC], it’s a great honour to be back at Centennial. In my discussions with the Dean of the Business School, I mentioned that I look forward helping connect the School to industry and connect more businesses with the College. I think it’s time for Centennial’s Business School to become more well known.”
Written by: Izabela Shubair