Simon Fraser Alumni and global entrepreneur Almira Bardai is a PR and communications professional with over 17 years of experience in the field, working internationally from Vancouver to Australia. She is the co-founder of a boutique PR firm that has grown to three locations: Vancouver, Toronto, and Los Angeles. Besides running a thriving PR agency, she still finds time to devote to philanthropic efforts, mentoring young entrepreneurs and fundraising for various non-profit organisations such as the Aga Khan Foundation and Passion Foundation. On her rare days off you will find Almira on the golf course, walking or cycling the Vancouver sea wall, or honing her yoga skills.
As an advocate for leadership in business not only is Almira a recipient of Enterprising Woman magazine’s 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year Award, PROFIT and Canadian Business W100: Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs 2016, Business In Vancouver Forty Under 40 2016 Winner and finalist of the 2014 Vancouver YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, but she is a thought leader on issues affecting the PR Industry and frequently appears as a commentator in the media.
With an enviable network of influencers and a storied career, her expertise lies in developing strategic communications and social media plans focused on brand experiences, building brand awareness, and user engagement. She’s delivered results-driven campaigns for the likes of Granville Island Brewing, Flight Centre, Nike, Best Buy, Future Shop, Molson, and TELUS.
Almira’s road to success was one paved with right choices, hard work and the decision to complete two different eight-month Co-op terms whilst completing her degree at Simon Fraser – a decision that Almira now cites as the major stimulus for her exciting career. Co-op opened doors, increased her networking skills, and gave her the experiential, hands-on understanding of communications in the real-world.
Would Almira offer any advice to a new student considering completing Co-op?
“Absolutely! Just do it. Now, more than ever, new graduates need solid and relevant word experience in order to get a job. And Co-op provides that relevant work experience. It was a huge catalyst to my career, and I can recommend it every time!”