BE Cohort 9

Michael Akunyili
I
s a focused, self- motivated and performance
driven professional with over a decade career
experience spanning across the financial,
telecoms and public sectors. Currently
employed at Ontario Pensions Board as a
Business Analyst, he delivers IT solutions that
support and align with the strategic goals and
objectives of the enterprise. A bachelor’s degree
holder in Computer Engineering and expecting
the Certified Business Analysis Professional
(CBAP) and Project Management
Professional(PMP) designation makes him stand
out amongst his peers.
For leisure he enjoys laughing, watching soccer,
swimming and exploring the beauty of nature.
Business Edge has not just equipped me with the necessary
tools to advance my career confidently but also connected me
with other highly skilled professionals plying their trade in the
top tier industries moving the Canadian economy.
H
aving migrated to Canada, he
acquired a job similar to his previous
role and felt confident he would excel
but that was not the case. Two months
down the road, he was faced with
uncertainties, conflicts and
challenges navigating the Canadian
work environment. He pondered day
and night and arrived at the
conclusion that the Canadian work
culture actually differed from his past
life. There was a void, how would he
address this gap? How would he excel
in this wonderful position he landed?
How does he network and build
professional relationships in the
Canadian context? These questions
needed answers and behold he
stumbled on a Business Edge article
during his early morning commute. It
struck him at once, Yes, this was the
solution he had been seeking.
The courses, facilitators and coaches
were amazingly helpful but four
courses stood out for him namely
Intercultural dynamics due to the
diversity in GTA, unwritten rules/
feedback to understand Canadian
expectations and cues,
communicating your value by
aligning his transferrable skills to his
desired positions and peer coaching
to formulate his short and long term
career management plan.
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