Noor Amjad is a University of Calgary graduate in Chemical Engineering, currently working as a Product Manager with a software product focusing on pipeline integrity. She is passionate about seeing products through from their ideation stages all the way to the hands of the customers. This passion also translates to her personal work of fantasy fiction writing. As an author in this genre, Noor enjoys creating ideas, interviewing readers, researching the book industry, and publishing books that create an immersive experience for the audience through vivid imagery.

Please tell us about a turning point or challenge that you feel shaped you as a leader or mentor.

"I came to Canada in 2014 for undergraduate studies at the University of Calgary. I owe a lot of what helped shape my amazing undergraduate experience to mentors: from those assigned to me through engineering-specific programs, to orientation leaders, to Community Advisors in the university's residence. Their support made my adjustment experience seamless, allowing me to feel comfortable in a new environment. They were the reason why I went on to join mentorship programs, to pass on the value I received. I became an orientation leader, a Peer Helper at the Centre for International Student and Study Abroad at U of C and a Community Advisor in residence to support incoming students. I continued this in my professional life by finding more mentors for myself in product management while imparting what I learn through my career."

What would you say is the most important trait or skill to develop for someone working in your field?

"The role of a product manager is quite cross-functional. They engage with multiple stakeholders, including users of the product, engineers, designers, marketing teams, business analysts, solutions specialists to other stakeholders. Hence, one of the most important skills for a product manager is communication. It is important to effectively communicate alignments between stakeholders, user needs, cross-functional collaboration, roadmaps, prioritization, and gathering feedback."

Noor's session will be delivered virtually.