Rishan Sathasivam (BComm) | 10x10 Alumni with Impact | Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics

Rishan Sathasivam (BComm) | 10x10 Alumni with Impact

rishan

Rishan Sathasivam 

BComm, (Management Economics and Finance) '11

Product Manager at MarshallZehr

Rishan is a left and right brain thinker that is passionate about business, finance, and technology. He’s worn many hats across multiple organizations, client engagements, and career opportunities.  What are his key mantras? Always serve something greater than yourself, dive headfirst into uncomfortable situations, and always be remembered for your work ethic.

Rishan dove into entrepreneurship early with an event marketing business and worked with local businesses and charities in Guelph while earning his degree – this is where he built a large professional and social network. In 4th year, he completed an unpaid internship at an advertising agency in New York City working with clients like AMC, NYC & CO., and the Oprah Magazine to earn his chops in corporate event marketing & production. After graduating, he studied to become a chartered professional accountant at KPMG LLP and led some of the Waterloo practice’s largest engagements in the private real estate and technology sectors like OpenText, Magnet Forensics, Thalmic Labs, and Lone Wolf Technologies. Rishan then moved to MarshallZehr (MZ) and worked with a passionate group of builders and institutional investors to manage a $75MM portfolio of real estate construction mortgages across Southern Ontario. 

Today as a Product Manager, Rishan is helping MarshallZehr develop and commercialize a proprietary mortgage brokerage and administration platform that securely connects teams and standardizes workflows through mortgage origination, underwriting, administration, funding, compliance, and reporting. To-date this platform has helped successfully process over 300 transactions, advance over $2B in private and institutional capital to projects in Southern Ontario, and it currently manages just shy of $1B in construction mortgages. 
 

Career Highlights

  • Managed and led the MZ Product & Innovation team, responsible for building MZ’s proprietary ERP platform, optimizing key business processes, coordinating and executing people and technology change management throughout the pandemic, and recruited a new senior leader to internalize the IT and Engineering function from a previous contractor relationship.

  • Managed and led the MZ Marketing function and recruited a new senior leader, handling CRM software selection and setup, trademark applications, signage for 50+ sites, event production, international investor packages, investor demos, and developing the corporate website and copy

  • Managed and helped drive MZ’s training, people and culture initiatives from general onboarding, coaching and mentorship, training on internal and third party software applications, to new and existing business processes and operating principles, to branded MZ swag

  • Managed a $75MM portfolio of low and mid-rise construction mortgages in Southern Ontario for MZ.

  • Lead KPMG Waterloo’s largest audit engagements in the technology sector for both private and publicly listed companies (OpenText, Thalmic Labs, Magnet Forensics, Lone Wolf Technologies, and more).

  • Founded an event marketing company that provided exposure for local businesses and executed ~300 events over 4 years, ranging from local charity fundraisers to musical concerts, generating $60K in revenue annually.

  • Started podcast titled “empowr” focused on empowering listeners with the insights and experiences of top founders, corporate executives, trendsetters, and influencers.

  • Frequent host and moderator for local community and technology events.

  • Served on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for the Guelph Community Foundation

  • Served as a member of the Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club

Previous Roles

  • Manager of Corporate Finance & Innovation.

  • Manager of Mortgage Underwriting & Funding, MarshallZehr.

  • Senior Accountant, KPMG LLP.

  • Staff Accountant, KPMG LLP.

  • Founder and Creative Director, Empowr Media Group.

  • Co-Founder and Director of Corporate Relations, Fresh Media Events Inc. 
     

Memories of UofG / Lang 

  • Rishan began his journey at the University of Guelph in the Bachelor of Sciences program and majored in Human Kinetics but shortly after starting his first business, he fell in love with entrepreneurship and finance, thus switching programs to the Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Management Economics in Industry & Finance.
  • Served as Vice President, Corporate Relations for the business school's Students’ Association at the University of Guelph (CMESA).
  • Founded first company Fresh Media Events Inc.
  • Interned for Lead Dog Marketing Group, an event marketing agency in New York City.

 

10x10 alumni, 10 years of graduation, 10x10 alumni with impact

The annual 10x10 Alumni with Impact Award recognizes ten University of Guelph business alumni who have achieved rapid and significant growth in their careers, who are within ten years of graduation. These proud and highly engaged University of Guelph alumni have garnered significant responsibility and influence within their respective industries and organizations. 

See all 2019 10x10 Alumni with Impact Award recipients

 

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