2018 Best & Brightest: Amir Bouhafs, Georgia Tech (Scheller)

Amir Bouhafs

Georgia Tech, Scheller College of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Big believer that time spent relaxing is never a waste of time.

Fun fact about yourself: Prior to attending Georgia Tech, I spent most summers helping out in my Uncle’s restaurant in Constantine, Algeria. The regulars would call me “America” due to my ‘foreign’ accent when speaking Arabic.

Hometown: Marietta, Georgia

High School: Pope High School

Major: Business Administration, concentration in Finance

Minor: Minor in Engineering & Business through the Denning Technology & Management Program

Favorite Business Course: Financial Modeling

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurricular Activities:

• Scheller College of Business – Ambassador (November 2015 – Present)
  • Collaborate with the Undergraduate Office to achieve priorities set forth by Georgia Tech and Scheller such as recruitment initiatives and community development events.
  • Represented the Junior Class as part of the re-accreditation process with AACSB.
  • Participated in a faculty interview for a new non-tenure track Finance faculty position.
• GT 1000 – Team Leader (August 2016 – December 2017)
  • Led and mentored new freshman students to assist with their successful transition to Georgia Tech.
  • Recipient of the 2016 Team Leader of the Year Award.
• Interfraternity Council – Recruitment Committee (March 2015 – January 2017)
  • Involved in promoting the Greek Community throughout the year as well as monitoring for Rush violations during the official Rush periods.
• Tau Kappa Epsilon – Treasurer (January 2016 – December 2016)
  • Managed operational budgets with annual cash flows exceeding $850,000 for a fraternity with 95 members.
  • Implemented incentive and disciplinary procedures leading to increase of on-time payments by 16%.
• Consult Your Community – Business Analyst (January 2016 – May 2016)
  • Led work stream consisting of the creation of a discounted cash flow model with detailed scenario analysis enabling client to assess growth opportunities.
  • Collected market data and evaluated information providing client with site recommendation for expansion.
• Students of Southern Company – Treasurer (January 2016 – May 2016)
  • Maximized a budget of $1000 to accommodate and plan a bowling social event, a Braves game outing, a lunch and learn with the CEO of Georgia Power, a tour of one of the nation’s largest power plants, and a community service event.
• Investments Committee – Senior Analyst (September 2014 – December 2015)
  • Led a team of four responsible for managing 15% of the Foundation’s $1,200,000 portfolio.
  • Guided committee leadership to purchase PNC equity which resulted in over 43% growth during holding.
• AIESEC – Vice President of Finance & Director of External Relations (August 2014 – August 2015)
  • Optimized finance processes by introducing Intacct and Wave Accounting technologies to manage accounts over $40,000.
  • Managed and established mutually beneficial partnerships through outreach programs, including one with Zipcar.
  • Created and delivered a fund proposal to the Student Government Association which reduced costs by 26% for each member.
  • Received “Award of Accomplishment” for contributions on the finance team.

Community Work:

• Baldrick’s Foundation – Volunteer (January 2015 – Present)
  • Volunteer through my fraternity each year as a philanthropic effort to raise money in support of the St. Baldrick’s foundation. We have raised tens of thousands of dollars towards children’s cancer research.
• Tech Beautification Day – Senior Project Coordinator (February 2017 – April 2017)
  • Oversaw a group of 7 Project Coordinators with each project consisting of 10 – 25 volunteers.

Honors and Awards: 2016 Team Leader of the Year, High Performance Award, Deloitte’s NextGen Leaders National Conference, Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Southern Excellence Award, Facility Merit Scholar, Faculty Honors, Dean’s List, Global Leadership Certification (Shenzhen University, China)

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Deloitte Consulting LLP – Boston, MA – Business Technology Summer Analyst, Tech M&A and Strategy (Summer 2017)
• Deloitte Consulting LLP – Atlanta, GA – Business Technology Summer Analyst, Finance Transformation (Summer 2016)
• Southern Company – Atlanta, GA – Strategy and Business Development Intern (Spring 2016)
• Southern Company – Atlanta, GA – Corporate Analysis Intern (Summer 2015)

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be joining Deloitte Consulting LLP in Boston as a Business Technology Analyst within Technology Strategy & Transformation, a highly-coveted practice specialized in technology strategy.

Who is your favorite professor? It isn’t coincidence that my favorite business course, Financial Modeling, was taught by my favorite professor, Jacqueline Garner. The amount of energy, passion, and kindness exhibited by Dr. Garner transformed a sometimes-monotonous subject matter into one that provided students with tangible skills to directly apply to future careers. Crazy thing is, I had first met Dr. Garner two years prior while participating in her interview for a new finance faculty position at Scheller.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? Scheller College’s trajectory to becoming a top-tier business school was supported by the development of a tightly-knit network of ambitious and smart students and faculty. I could tell each student attending Scheller wasn’t just another cog in the system, but instead someone who would receive individualized attention through the outstanding education, connections, and resources aimed at helping them succeed in the business world. As a student at Scheller, I felt like I was at the forefront of the business world, empowered to make an impact in this world. Therefore, there is nothing I’ve enjoyed more than being able to call the community at Scheller my family for these past four years.

Furthermore, Scheller is a unique business program that recognizes the importance of technology. Today’s jobs continue to exhibit rapidly-evolving technological environments that require individuals to solve problems through innovative and cross-disciplinary thinking. Therefore, I’ve enjoyed being a part of the Steven A. Denning Technology and Management (T&M) Program, which is a highly competitive two-year minor program open to all undergraduate students at Georgia Tech. Having the opportunity to obtain a minor in engineering from a high-ranking engineering school has been an incredible learning experience. The T&M program has given me the knowledge to bridge the gap between business and technology as both complement each other in today’s world. By way of attending workshops, networking with corporate executives, and working on projects with corporate affiliates, the opportunities as a member of the T&M program have been extraordinary. On top of this, the engineering courses have provided me with valuable skills and the ability to learn how to think, work, and communicate as an engineer.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Often times, there are no right answers in business. It’s important to develop an appetite for risk and ambiguity that allows you to proceed through the problem-solving process with less fear of making mistakes. It is through this iterative process that is populated with mistakes and obstacles that leads one to learn, experience, and discover the next best thing to the “right” answer.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Be open-minded to the possibilities. The versatility of a business degree provides you with many career paths. Leverage that opportunity to explore various fields of business until you discover the one that fills you with the most passion. .

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…psychology because I find the complexity and workings of the human mind fascinating.”

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My sister was my biggest influence – not only pursing a degree in business, but, more specifically, pursuing it at Scheller College of Business. She graduated in 2014 and has nothing but glowing recommendations for the college. Seeing her successes and the opportunities she had while studying business at Scheller, made it an easy choice for me to follow in her footsteps.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of receiving the 2016 Team Leader (TL) of the Year Award while serving as a Team Leader for Craig Womack, Assistant Dean and Director of Undergraduate Programs. It was incredibly rewarding to hear one of my students describe me as an inspiration saying, “Amir’s kindness and approachableness are unmatched by other TLs which is especially comforting in a new environment. Amir is always a very happy person which is contagious to all of the people that surround him which makes him a huge asset to any organization. In essence, Amir’s personality, abilities, dedication, and helpfulness inspire me and all of the other students in my GT 1000 class.”

Which classmate do you most admire? Chuck Mulling, at 30 years old, is arguably the oldest undergrad student of the Class of 2018. After spending his earlier years working as a Financial Advisor, Chuck decided to return to school to finish his degree. Through the T&M program, I had the opportunity to visit China last year with Chuck and other students from the program. It was there that I learned that he was expecting a child. Now with a wife, a kid, and a job, it’s impressive and admirable how easy Chuck makes managing all those responsibilities look. He’s made an inspirational impact on everyone in the T&M program and it wouldn’t be the same without him.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? Without a doubt, it is my parents. As a first-generation American, I can only imagine the sacrifices my parents made to provide me the opportunity to grow up in this country. They’ve instilled in me the value of an education, the importance of family, and the necessity of giving back. My life would be drastically different if they hadn’t decided to leave behind everything familiar to them in Algeria and start a life together here in the U.S.

What would your theme song be? “Daylight” by Matt and Kim. The lyrics speak to being spontaneous, taking chances, and essentially, just creating your own happiness.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

• Visit all new seven wonders of the world (currently have only visited one)
• Develop a non-profit in Algeria that helps high school graduates attend college abroad (My father attended university in the U.S. through a similar program; however, it no longer exists)

Favorite book: Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant

Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting

Favorite vacation spot: Cancun, Mexico

What are your hobbies? Investing, reading, intramurals, traveling, hiking

What made Amir such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?

“Amir has shown remarkable leadership skills and been a great asset to the Scheller College of Business. He’s served as a Scheller Business Ambassador; treasurer for his fraternity; and senior analyst for the investments committee. He also found time to participate in the Technology and Management program and earn a leadership certificate while studying in Shenzhen China. He has turned his on campus experiences into great internships with Southern Company and Deloitte.  We are incredibly proud of Amir’s accomplishments!”
Dr. Jonathan Clarke
Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs
Scheller College of Business

“Scheller’s Denning Technology & Management (T&M) Program is quite competitive. We only accept 25% of applicants each year, so Amir gaining acceptance is representative of his talent,” says Bob Burgess, Administrative Director, Denning Technology & Management Program at Scheller College. “The T&M Program provides interdisciplinary coursework including three courses in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Taking the time to get a minor in “Engineering & Business” in addition to his BSBA bodes strongly to Amir’s commitment and capabilities. He has strong consultant skills, is a team player and has analytics skills that will serve him well in his career endeavors. Top talent, like Amir, find themselves in the driver’s seat as they graduate – but it takes passion and dedication, along with the talent to make this happen.”
Dr. Bob Burgess
Administrative Director Denning Technology & Management Program
Scheller College of Business 

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