Omar Ba mashmos   

McGill University, Desautels Faculty of Management

“An ambitious Yemeni looking to have a successful career and positive impact on his country.”

Hometown: Sanaa, Yemen

Fun fact about yourself: I don’t like pizza.

Undergraduate School and Degree: McGill University, Bachelor of Engineering

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Ford Motor Company

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? Bain & Company in Toronto, Canada

Where will you be working after graduation? Bain & Company

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• President, Yomn Council
• Vice President, Desautels Graduate Consulting Club

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of running numerous workshops to prepare students for job interviews and investment pitches.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of joining one of the top consulting firms as an intern and securing a full-time offer after completing my MBA. Beyond being very competitive, the experience there was very rewarding and enjoyable.

Why did you choose this business school? McGill is one of the most prestigious schools in Canada and around the world. The small size of the MBA cohort, however, was the main selling point. It fosters building a strong network and makes the experience very enjoyable. I made strong life-long connections during my journey in the McGill MBA.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Sujata Madan was my favorite professor. In addition to her engaging and top-notch teaching style, Sujata is so caring and helpful to students. Despite her busy schedule, she was always willing to offer help when we needed it with regards to academic, career or even personal problems.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Information Systems was my favorite course in the MBA because the course material covered some of the most innovative and modern business models. Moreover, the content was very practical and I applied the concepts in my daily work.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The MBA welcoming dinner, which takes place in the first three weeks of the year, was my favorite event because it reflects the cohesive nature of the program and a special opportunity to meet new students and alumni.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I’d invest more time on on-campus events and activities such as case competitions and engage less in outside work so that I could immerse myself in the MBA student life, which I will miss.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The workload of McGill courses is very heavy, something I can attest to as a McGill engineering graduate. People believe that MBA classes are no different, but it is not true. The MBA workload is very reasonable and allows students to develop other skills and engage in extracurricular activities.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Montreal is a place where European and North American culture mix, bringing a special energy to the city. Moreover, downtown Montreal has a unique blend of business and entertainment, making it a perfect place for work and life.

What surprised you the most about business school? The class workload was very reasonable, unlike what I experienced in my undergraduate studies.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Brett Kwan. Brett is very intelligent and I have no doubt he will have an exceptionally successful career. At the same time, he cares deeply for his family.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• Excel in my career as a consultant in a first-class firm
• Invest in startups in Yemen and Canada to foster economic growth

What made Omar such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Omar’s focus, determination and consistent effort were evident to me on day one of his arrival on campus. He made it clear to me in my first meeting as his career coach that he had set his sights on becoming a top-notch management consultant. Then he went systematically about achieving just that by building his skills and responding to feedback. In fact, he secured a prestigious internship at Bain & Company early on, and parlayed that into a full time, post-graduation role. Throughout this pursuit, his work ethic was quite remarkable; he showed a strong commitment to honing his impressive analytical skills, refining his leadership abilities and collaborating seamlessly with others.

At the same time, I saw Omar generously share his growing expertise. In particular, I sat in on a well-attended session he organized and hosted for his classmates to help them finetune their case interview capabilities. His presentation skills, clear explanations, and on-point feedback were much appreciated by his colleagues, and the post-session scuttlebutt in the halls confirmed the positive impact he had made.

On a more personal level, Omar’s positive attitude and calm demeanour reflect a leadership style which instills confidence and provides reassurance that things will turn out OK. I am sure this will serve him well as his career unfolds.”

Zsolt Kekesi
Graduate Career Coach
Career Services
Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024