Age: 34
Birthplace: Calgary
Company: Executive recruitment, leadership succession and board search services.
OBJ360 (Sponsored)
World Junior Championships set to boost Ottawa’s economy and global reputation
The World Junior Championships will kick off in Ottawa in December, bringing tens of millions of dollars of economic activity to the city, as well as a chance for local
The value of an Algonquin College degree: Experiential learning, taught by industry experts
Zaahra Mehsen was three years into a biology degree at a local university when she realized she wanted to take a different path. “I realized that it’s not my thing,”
Education: Bachelor of commerce, University of Manitoba Asper School of Business (2010)
Charitable involvement: National advisory committee, Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies at Cape Breton University
Biggest biz achievement: Successfully expanding our executive search business. This includes opening offices in Ottawa and Winnipeg and working with clients in nearly every province and territory in Canada.
Biggest obstacle: Higgins Executive Search pioneered Indigenous executive search in Canada. To do that, we worked with clients right across the country in various remote areas. This presented a number of challenges, and we have been at the leading edge in terms of using technology and virtual office models to successfully work with clients and selection committees. Biggest influence: My mother. She has been my business partner since I started in 2006 until our successful merger this year. She is simply brilliant and the hardest-working person I know.
Biggest lesson learned: Plan out what you want in life and then work backwards to determine the direction of your business.
First job: Skate sharpener
Advice I’d give the younger me: Always make sure to set time each week to look at your business from a bird’s-eye level. Don’t get caught in the weeds.
What’s left to do: To build Leaders International into the top executive search firm in Ottawa. Many Skuzzles movie and video game art projects. Get married (in September!). Have kids.
Favourite pastime: Playing hockey
I’m currently reading: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
Favourite movie: Army of Darkness
Favourite song: Leaving Trunk by Taj Mahal or anything by JJ Grey (however, according to iTunes it’s Caribbean Queen by Billy Ocean)
Favourite local pro sports team: Ottawa RedBlacks
Favourite local summer event: Ottawa Bluesfest
Preferred social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram
