Great Concordian: Sabaa Quao, Chief Creative and Innovation Officer at Cossette

When Sabaa Quao, BComm 89, was growing up in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG), Montreal, he noticed the wave of businesses leaving the city.

“It was during the lead up to Quebec’s first independence referendum,” Quao says. “I couldn’t understand why some of our neighbours were uprooting their lives because of corporate decisions. The resistance to that kind of control sparked my entrepreneurial instinct.”

Born to parents from Ghana and Nigeria, Quao’s family settled in NDG after his father, a doctor, opened a clinic in the neighbourhood. The family had previously lived in Accra, Ghana’s capital, before returning to Canada. Quao completed Grade 1 on the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, south of Montreal, before the family moved to NDG.

“There was a very strong emphasis on education in our household,” says Quao.

Today, the Great Concordian serves as Chief Creative and Innovation Officer at Cossette, Canada’s leading marketing and communications agency. Quao is also the co-founder of a fintech startup, Wealthie Works Daily, which helps young families build financial literacy and the tools to start investing early in life.

“Concordia taught me the importance of creativity in business,” says Quao, who also holds a communication and design degree from Ontario College of Art & Design University, and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

“I truly believe that if you can be a creative and businessperson simultaneously, you can write your own ticket.”

This complementary duality has marked Quao’s career. At XCORPORATION, a startup he founded in Toronto in the 1990s, he won the marketing and advertising assignment to launch the Toronto Raptors NBA franchise.

While in London, England, Quao co-founded Filminute, an international one-minute film festival launched in 2006. Quao returned to Canada and took on a strategy role at creative agency The Hive. In 2012 he co-founded Newsrooms, a content marketing company.

Through the Afrodescendant Leadership Alliance, he serves as a mentor to aspiring young professionals looking to accelerate and strengthen their position in the business world.

The Cossette executive enjoys the fact that no two days look the same.

“We work with such a wide range of clients and industry sectors; every week brings new challenges and opportunities,” says Quao. “I am increasingly focused on building an innovation pipeline — we are launching a venture studio to serve both the agency and the emerging needs of our clients.

“Meanwhile, I’m also deeply engaged in the realities of startup life. So it’s a balance between creative agency work and the strategic demands of fintech. There’s never a dull moment.”

When you reflect on your time as a Concordia student, what stands out?

Sabaa Quao: My BComm was complemented with a minor in entrepreneurship, which I loved. Back then it was a bit unconventional and ahead of the curve. Everyone seemed to be aiming for traditional paths like investment banking. Concordia’s forward-thinking approach allowed me to explore my startup instincts early on. It was a defining moment that set the course for my career.

What are some of the factors that have enabled your success?

SQ: A key factor has been my ability to blend creativity with business acumen. My educational path, from business degrees to communication and design and then the MBA, has allowed me to navigate different worlds and perspectives. This ambidexterity has been crucial in sustaining a growth mindset for myself and for my client work.

What advice do you have for students who may want to follow in your footsteps?

SQ: Embrace creativity. Creative thinking is your most powerful operating system, regardless of your career path. It opens doors and drives value. So regardless of what you’re studying, start developing your creative discipline. Creativity makes everything else easier.

How does it feel to be a Great Concordian?

SQ: It’s a proud moment for me as a single parent. I will celebrate this recognition most with my two sons and family. Education has always been paramount for us.

This acknowledgment underscores the diverse paths Concordians take to make a meaningful impact. It’s inspiring to see how 50 individuals have leveraged their education in 50 unique ways, contributing to their communities and beyond.