Age: 39
At age 11, Munir Jivraj immigrated to Alberta from Tanzania. He didn’t speak English and knew little about western culture, let alone life in Western Canada. An overwhelmed Jivraj turned to the only thing familiar between his old and new home.
Back in Africa, Jivraj’s cousins and uncles had been in Scouts, a tradition he chose to keep up in Canada. He earned merit badges, worked with a team, and learned leadership skills that etched out his character. “Who I am today, I owe to what I learned in Scouts,” he says.
Today, Jivraj manages a multi-disciplined team that oversees the financial and regulatory issues involved with Suncor’s oilsands projects and Alberta’s new royalty regime. He handles up to $3.5-billion worth of projects every year, most of which are slated for completion in five to 10 years. And he helped Suncor land its royalty agreement by taking part in negotiating with the Alberta government to honour Suncor’s pre-existing contracts under the old royalty regime.
A self-professed busybody, Jivraj has a CMA designation and an MBA, both which were completed in the wee hours of the night over 10 years while he held down a full-time job. “If I do another degree, my wife said she’ll hand me the divorce papers,” Jivraj jokes.
Talkative and quick thinking, Jivraj often enlists the help of a whiteboard at work to sketch out project plans for co-workers. “Sometimes my brain fires faster than I can explain things,” he says.
At the end of the day, Jivraj escapes to flyfish, a hobby that lingers from his days as a Scout. “It helps to keep me grounded.”
COMMUNITY WORK
Chair and leadership
training, Scouts
Canada and Ismaili
Scouts and Guides
Fundraiser and
Calgary walk chair,
Aga Khan Foundation
Canada
Judge, Calgary Youth
Science Fair
Volunteer, Red Cross
First Aid
Volunteer, Calgary
Drop-In and Rehab
Centre