In this episode of Behind the Growth, host Mudassar Malik interviews Amit Sharma, Vice President of SMB Product and Services at TELUS, about his career transition from IT to product management. Amit provides a detailed look into his strategic process and elaborates on the decision to pursue an MBA to gain new skills and formally transition into a business-focused role.

Amit emphasizes that while his background is in IT, many skills, such as planning, execution, and risk management, are directly transferable to product management. He shares the challenges he faced, including the need to build a new network and be comfortable asking questions.

The conversation then shifts to Amit's work at TELUS, where he leads a team focused on supporting the success of small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Canada. He highlights some of the most pressing challenges facing SMBs, including talent acquisition, cybersecurity threats, and inflation. Finally, Amit shares his passion for giving back, discussing his involvement with Computer for Schools Alberta, student co-op programs, and TELUS Days of Giving. He finished by giving advice to young professionals, circling back to his career lessons, emphasizing the importance of asking questions, building on your network, and taking risks.

Amit also discusses:

- The key to new roles and career progression
- How vulnerability and curiosity can drive growth
- Acting as an owner and embracing accountability
- The major challenges facing SMBs today
- The importance of giving back

Visit mobilelive.ca/podcast to learn more about each guest and read key insights for every episode.