Leeds alum Amir Abouzalam is currently employed at Deloitte as a technology consultant where he works with a variety of clients within the government and public sectors. His completion of the SRE certificate along with his finance degree helped him to define his personal values that now underlie his career in business.听
鈥淭丑别 Social Responsibility and Ethics (SRE) certificate gave me a more open world-view and an understanding of how business can be applied to any sort of civic or community engagement,鈥� says Abouzalam.
Technology Consulting听
As a consultant, Amir is faced with substantial business travel and a very fast paced environment, but he believes that his work is worth the challenges. The best part about his job is the access to opportunities such as the Step-Up initiative where Amir does pro bono consulting for nonprofits. This work is very rewarding, and he loves interacting with and learning from clients with different areas of expertise.
SRE Experience
鈥淭丑别 SRE certificate helped provide a qualitative component to my business degree,鈥� says Abouzalam. 鈥淔inance is a very quantitative field, and the SRE certificate helped to create a balance between the two.鈥�
Not only did the certificate enhance Abouzalam鈥檚 undergraduate education, but it also set the foundation for much of the work he does today. Each of the courses that he took provided him with a unique perspective and skillset that he carried into his career:
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Business Solutions for the Developing World: In Birdie Reznicek鈥檚 class, students work in consulting teams on nonprofit projects from all over the world. This class introduced Amir to consulting and shaped his desire to pursue a career in the field.听
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Sustainable Operations: This course, taught by Keith Stockton, gave a breakdown of sustainable sourcing of raw materials and how to maximize profits while improving environmental performance across the value chain. It helped define Abouzalam鈥檚 personal values and recognize the impacts that businesses can make.
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Corporate Boards: At Deloitte, Amir used what he learned in Liz Stapp鈥檚 Corporate Boards course to create a board for Step-Up at their Denver office. He used some things he learned in the class as foundational pieces to ensure that the board that he created for this office was successful.
- 鈥婨xperiential Learning: To complete this requirement for the SRE certificate, students can either take an approved course or complete an internship or community service experience. Amir chose to do a community service project called - an event where Amir and his peers organized a job fair for people who were experiencing homelessness in Boulder. This job-readiness fair provided housing and mental health resources, professional clothing, resume reviews, interview assistance, and general career guidance to help folks get ready for the job application process.
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For students currently pursuing the SRE certificate, Amir has the following advice:
鈥淪ome of the classes can be tough - keep your eyes on the prize and remember that it will pay off in the end, whether or not it immediately impacts your day-to-day,鈥� says Amir.
Upcoming Events
Meet more alumni like Amir Abouzalam at CESR鈥檚 annual Alumni Reception on October 3rd from 5:30-7:30pm. !
Image: Amir (blue shirt) and other Boulder Boost organizers.