Three words that best describe him

curious, perceptive, empathetic

What's his life's work?

Vafa specializes in corporate leadership and management consulting, but he has executive experience in seven industries and 16 countries.

The president and senior adviser at NueBridge — a global consultancy of operating executives serving corporate and private equity clients — was previously CEO of Forum Corporation consultancy in Boston and global vice-president of Information and Media, a segment of McGraw-Hill in New York.

Vafa is active in mentoring programs for young people, locally and internationally. He’s passionate about helping children access healthcare, education and equality to elevate the human condition.

What academic work set him up for success?

Vafa holds an honours bachelors of fine arts from Toronto’s York University and a master of business administration in global management from the University of Phoenix.

Interesting tidbit

Vafa’s undergraduate degree is in film production. In fact, he won two awards for his thesis production.