2 minute read
Meet Suriel Ruiz
With a background in geology and engineering, Suriel Ruiz spent seven years working as a consultant in the oil and gas industry in Mexico. However, when the oil crisis hit in 2014, which saw prices plunge by 70% in one of the three biggest declines since World War II, Suriel was forced to reconsider the direction of his career.
“Initially, I was laid off,” he said. “But then there were no projects, so I wasn’t able to return to the company because the oil and gas crisis continued.”
Suriel moved from northern Mexico to the south of the country and took his career in a decidedly different direction.
“I had the opportunity to start my first business, a restaurant and bar. So a pretty big departure from working in oil and gas,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted to try it because I had this feeling inside that I wanted to be an entrepreneur.”
The next year, in 2017, Suriel started a second business venture selling advertising spaces.
But business was tough and with his businesses struggling, Suriel decided it was time to make a change. He said that while he had the heart and spirit of an entrepreneur, he knew he needed more knowledge to be successful. So, Suriel decided to pursue his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at University Canada West.
He arrived in the city in the fall of 2019 and started his studies on-campus in the Winter (January) 2020 Term. He graduated in July 2021, but as he entered his last term at UCW, he started looking for work.
And Suriel set his sights high – only applying for jobs at medium to large-sized companies, like KPMG, PWC, Ernst & Young, Deloitte and Teck Resources.
He landed several interviews, and turned down a job offer with another company, before accepting a position as a Digital Analytics Deployment Specialist at Teck Resources, one of Canada’s leading mining companies.
“Earning an MBA empowered me. It gave me the knowledge to be where I am in the position I have now,” Suriel said. “If I didn’t go through the MBA, I would be struggling with terminologies, concepts, structures and frameworks… And it’s not just knowledge. It’s a degree that gives you credibility.”
