Ashmeet Siali is a HBA and International Relations ‘21 graduate who has a passion for using business to create positive change.
When Ashmeet was at Ivey, she felt that sustainability was just entering the conversation as a core facet of business. She found that compared to students with more traditional business interests, she had to take extra initiative to get things done. And that she did. In its second year of operations, she was Vice-President of Communications for the Social Impact Club, helping the club gain its presence on campus. Since Ashmeet’s leadership, the Social Impact Club has become one of the largest clubs.
Building Skills Through Volunteer and Extracurricular Engagement
During her time at Ivey, Ashmeet was an avid volunteer, taking strides to build her sustainability competencies. Ashmeet was a Fellow for Propel Impact, which provides capital and capacity-building support for impact-first organizations across Canada. She helped the organization take off in its first year of operations and previously worked as a Challenge Advisor, providing mentorship to current Fellows.
Ashmeet also participated in the Canadian Comeback Challenge, where the theme was ‘the future of work’. Her project focused on the alarming number of women dropping out of the workforce in the post-COVID era. Their group created tele-framework that worked to account for the balance between domestic and professional duties that women face. This innovation afforded the team a spot as one of 10 finalists.
With her driving ethos of using business as a tool for good by her side, Ashmeet found her interests sparked by the economic side of governmental affairs. Ashmeet took on internships at the Embassy of Canada and Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, her focus on economic policy, diplomacy, and strategy. Now as a Climate and Net Zero Associate for UN-supported Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI), she works with international financial initiatives to support institutions’ goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of and support the incorporation of environmental, social, and governance factors in the global financial system.
Ashmeet’s current role has brought on the realization that the opportunity to rebuild the economy is there. She believes can be possible through business due to the power that organizations currently hold – some companies’ portfolios exceed the GDP of entire nations. But when doing so, any economic transition must be a Just Transition. This means building an economic system that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned and one that leaves no one behind. Ashmeet notes that not everyone is going to have the same lived experiences and approaches to finance. But she hopes everyone will begin to push forward a sustainable agenda in their own ways, including by demanding more from their institutional providers and doing their own research in the brands they support.
Pursuing a Global Career Path
Throughout her career, Ashmeet has worked in various countries including the Netherlands, and is currently in London, England. Her advice for students who want to take their careers international is to take matters into their own hands. One must seek these opportunities out by themself, as they are not the commonly promoted ones, and reaching out to other Ivey alumni working abroad. Ashmeet urges students not to be afraid to take risks if it means pursuing their passions.
“By having courage in your convictions, and being comfortable with the unknown, you can have a meaningful and fulfilling career.”
To connect with fellow alumni, join Ivey's LinkedIn Sustainability Community.
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