Among her accomplishments, Liana Di Iorio recently placed first at the Inter-Collegiate Business Case competition at Queen’s University.
“I studied liberal arts in CEGEP thinking I would pursue a law degree,” says Di Iorio. “Once I figured out I didn’t want that, I studied English literature at Concordia because I always loved to read.”
Like many fellow Concordia students, Di Iorio held a job on the side as a source of income. She worked in retail for the world’s second-largest clothing company, H&M. “While I was there, I developed this interest in how much we order, how much we put on display and where to place it,” says Di Iorio.
In January 2015, the recent Bachelor of Arts graduate started her second degree, this time at the John Molson School of Business (JMSB).
Among her successes at JMSB, Di Iorio placed first at the Inter-Collegiate Business Case Competition in the ethics category. The competition took place at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. in January 2017.
South African journey
Di Iorio takes advantage of the opportunities JMSB has to offer. With the help of the Sandhya and Swati Sharma Memorial Scholarship, the Montreal native tapped into JMSB’s emerging markets project.
“My scholarship went toward a trip to South Africa. That was a beautiful experience,” says Di Iorio. “It was an organized tour where we visited businesses ranging from small ones all the way to a BMW plant.” The educational voyage, which took place over two weeks in May 2016, included Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The Sandhya and Swati Sharma Memorial Scholarship is funded by Mahesh Sharma, a professor in the Department of Supply Chain and Business Technology Management. He established the award in memory of family members who were killed in the Air India bombing of 1985.
“I looked him up when I received the award,” says Di Iorio. “I was heartbroken to hear the family’s story and so honoured to receive it.”
