Discovering a dynamic career route in the Asper MSCM Program

Growing through case competitions

Shivam experienced some of his greatest growth when he threw himself in the academic deep end known as case competitions. 

One of the first times his team was presented with a real-world case study and asked to present their solution in front of a panel of high-ranking executives, he quite literally froze. 

“English not being my first language, it was hard for me to explain those ideas in front of all the CEOs,” he said. “So that was a reality check.”

But it was exactly what he needed. With help from professors, he overcame his fears to become a strong presenter and speaker. At their suggestion, he even started recording himself on a laptop, then playing the footage back to see where he stumbled. 
 

Dancing through the MBA Games

These skills came in handy when Shivam found himself at the 2025 MBA games in Vancouver—but for this competition, he also needed to have sharp skills in dancing, dodgeball, and basketball. 

Shivam enthusiastically recommends this experiential learning opportunity to anyone, which sends teams of 15-20 Masters-level business students to compete in traditional academic case studies, sport challenges and real-world fundraising efforts—including a group dance. 

After many challenges (and laughs), Team Asper won 3rd place, earning the school’s first-ever MBA games podium placement—and what the kids might call a “core memory” for Shivam and the rest of his team. 
 

Connections across Canada 

In Masters programs, “Everyone has different thinking,” Shivam said. 

At first, adapting his business background to work with others from an engineering background didn’t come easily. 

Eventually, though, the differences became strengths. Connections became easy and rewarding, and prepare you for future workplaces, where everyone has different expertise.

“You look out for each other,” he said. 

From the MBA games alone, Shivam became tight friends with his team (“We meet like once every quarter to go out for dinner.”) and connections with countless members of the other teams from across Canada. 

“Now I feel if I go to any province in Canada, I have someone to call and go out for coffee with,” he said. “So that's a unique thing. It’s rare to get the chance to know a lot of people from all across the world.”
 

Personalized mentorship

The supply chain, you may have noticed, is vast, and it continues to grow. 

Especially in the manufacturing hub of Winnipeg, Shivam had seemingly infinite choices about what role he should play in the industry. Transportation? Manufacturing? Purchasing?

It’s a good thing part of his MSCM experience included a one-on-one mentorship with Brad Fulham, Vice President of Merchandising at Princess Auto, which helped Shivam choose his path. 

“He helped me understand what the day-to-day work is [of any job],” Shivam said. Between life lessons and introductions to alumni contacts, Fulham even took Shivam in-person to Princess Auto to meet experts in different jobs and see their work firsthand—providing a level of insight you could never get from Google. 
 

From co-op to career

As Shivam approached the end of the MSCM program and now had the opportunity to earn work experience during a paid co-op term, he realized something—he was now a people person. 

He never would’ve said that when he first came to Winnipeg to join the MSCM program. “I was quiet. I would just sit at the back, listen, then do my work, go home, and sleep.”
 

With Fulham’s help, Shivam decided that purchasing and procurement was where he wanted to be for co-op. Why? Because it meant speaking to the most people.

Shivam landed a co-op placement at NFI Parts (New Flyer) and impressed his employers instantly—working on a tariff-reduction project with his team that saved the company $4 million. Luckily, someone with a buyer position moved to another city, and Shivam earned a full-time job post-co-op. 

Many of the supply chain problems he now solves resemble the original mysteries of his family’s business in India. It’s clear he loves his job, and the learning journey is continuing. 

“This is one of the best positions to learn the overall business rather than taking a niche,” he said. “I have the transparency to see from the start to the end [of the supply chain].”

And as we look at Shivam’s Asper MSCM route from start to end, it’s easy to see that he didn’t just move from one place to another. He unlocked a whole new side of himself from both a personal and professional perspective.