Going Places in Public Transit
Naeem Farooqi (BBA ’08) made this year’s Mass Transit’s Global Top 40 Under 40 list for his leadership, innovation and impact in public transit.
He believes that his experience at Schulich enabled his successful career in this industry. “During my third year as an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to go on an exchange to Warwick Business School, in Coventry, for over a year. I was able to rely on public transit as my only form of transportation across England,” shared Farooqi.
“This experience got me interested in public transit as a career choice, which led me to my internship at Canadian Urban Transit Association as part of my undergrad course.” Yet it was a fourth-year elective course in government policy and business that highlighted the way that Farooqi could leverage his management and finance training to enhance transit infrastructure globally. “Being taught by the former Deputy Minister and Treasurer [Ian MacDonald] cemented the fact that I could use my BBA to tackle growing public issues.”
Upon graduation, he moved on to become an award-winning Program Analyst at Metrolinx (Ontario), a dynamic Supply Chain and Business Development Director, and now as global bus expert and Principal Consultant at WSP, where he oversees the company’s Canadian transit advisory services group.
“I enjoy being part of the industry because it really is a family of people who share a common vision and idea of improving the lives of people and how we all move through our cities, towns and rural communities.”
Farooqi is also heavily invested in nurturing new talent in the industry. Last year, he taught a graduate business course on infrastructure for the Master of Real Estate and Infrastructure and MBA program at Schulich, and provided workshops and books to schools in emerging markets.