Alina Shams
Alina Shams
Manager, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability at IAMGOLD Corporation
BA in Political Science, Major in Public Affairs And Policy Analysis, 2013
I initially graduated from the Bachelor of International Business program with a major in marketing and international trade, minor in French from the Sprott School of Business in 2010 and subsequently completed a BA in Political Science with a major in public affairs and policy analysis in 2013 with distinction. After completing my studies at Carleton, I undertook a Masters in International Public Policy at the Balsillie School of International Affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University with a focus on international economic relations and human security. Drawing from my varied academic interests as a undergraduate student at Carleton, I focused my graduate studies research on the nexus between migration and international trade.
Post-graduation, my education background in business and political science allowed me to carve out a niche career in a variety of industries, from aiding in the development of local economic development policy at a municipal level to supporting government and stakeholder relation efforts for Fortune 500 companies.
At my current role, I support Canadian government and community relations efforts at IAMGOLD, a multinational gold mining company. Another essential part of my role is to provide strategic corporate advice on key ESG issues to C-Suite executives and support execution on meaningful ESG projects that support the Corporate vision of Zero Harm.
The Department of Political Science offers one of the most extensive ranges of political science courses. The quantitative and qualitative research skills that I gained through my coursework while completing my BA as well as the diverse faculty that taught these courses, helped define my career path post-graduation. I was also privileged enough to study in two different departments at Carleton, which allowed me to develop the necessary skills to excel in emerging and challenging fields such as ESG.