According to CNBC, women now control over $10 trillion in U.S. financial assets. By 2030, this number will rise to 30 trillion dollars. So why do several women (including me) shy away from finances? How can we better empower them?
Zahra Hirani, the CFO of Boeing Capital Corporation, is launching us into Season 4 of the AVIATE with Shaesta podcast. If there is anyone who can talk about finance in aviation, it is Zahra.
Zahra has a compelling story that I resonate with. She and her family were expelled from their home in Uganda back in 1972 and were placed in a refugee camp in the U.K. Eventually, Zahra and her family settled in Canada, where she would spend her early years figuring out her place in the world and her passions.
My family was expelled from Uganda in 1972 by the notorious dictator Idi Amin. My family and 70,000 other Asians left with only what they could carry and were not compensated for our home, business, or possessions left behind.
With the support of her parents, Zahra enrolled at the University of Waterloo, where she pursued a bachelor’s in mathematics. Waterloo provided Zahra with a nurturing and unbiased environment, which was vital since she spent most of her adolescent life being bullied by her classmates because she was an immigrant.
After fearlessly pursuing her passion for numbers, Zahra’s career includes accounting, auditing, and business advisory services to domestic and international companies. She has dedicated the past decade to serving in various financial and leadership roles for Boeing.
In this conversation, Zahra shares her story of being a refugee and the challenges of moving around to find a place to call home. She shares how being an immigrant made her vulnerable to bullying at school. Zahra talks about how she discovered her passion for math, connected and empowered her community, and offered resources on how women can become more financially confident.
Financial literacy and women’s empowerment go hand in hand. Increasing your financial literacy can help you achieve your life and career goals more effectively.
Welcome, Zahra!
Now available on your favorite podcast app or tune in below.
A special thank you to Atlantic Aviation for sponsoring our podcast and providing these critical conversations and insights to the industry. It has been four seasons now, and we appreciate your partnership.
