January 11, 2022
My life purpose is to help people grow and develop to their fullest potential. At PwC Canada, I fulfill this purpose by coaching and mentoring new immigrants, job seekers and young women as they navigate their own careers and life journeys. But I didn’t start here.
I grew up in Quetta, a small rural city in Pakistan. Many women didn’t pursue higher education at that time, and although seeing me married was important to my parents, they both agreed they wanted me and my siblings to also pursue an education that would lead to a professional career.
To become a chartered accountant, I had to move to Karachi, a large city. Initially, my parents wanted me to prioritize both my studies and getting married. But two years into my education, I had a strong academic track record, and they supported me to continue focusing more on my studies. I was one of three women in my class of 50 men to graduate.
When I graduated, I became the first female chartered accountant in my province! I even won our college’s gold medal for having the highest percentage in my class. I got married and started my career designing and monitoring Common Final Examination (CFE) equivalent exams. After two years, a partner from PwC recruited me to establish the Learning and Development (L&D) function at PwC Pakistan.
We eventually moved to Canada. Here, I dealt with a series of new challenges. I was a new immigrant, an existing and expectant mom, and a career-oriented woman who wanted to get back into the workforce. But after taking a new role at PwC Canada, I received the support to navigate these challenges and be my authentic self.
Who knew my love of reading and lifelong learning, socializing and always being ready to help others would land me a career in L&D versus working with numbers? I neither look back nor have regrets—I experience new opportunities to make a difference every day.
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Nazish currently leads the Learning and Development function for the Consulting practice and is a committee member of the PwC Canada internal Women’s Inclusion Network and a board member for a non-profit organization. She’s a full-time caregiver and mom of three children.
