Mehenaz Soonawalla, Admissions Supervisor

Mehenaz Soonawalla

Admissions Supervisor

Repton School

Location
United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
Education
Bachelor's degree, International Business
Experience
18 years, 1 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :18 years, 1 Months

Admissions Supervisor at Repton School
  • United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
  • My current job since May 2016

• Operate as the primary point of contact for administrative liaison and coordinate interaction between departments.
• Provide excellent customer service to ensure that parents’ inquiries and queries are solved.
• Ensure initial admissions enquiries are captured, recorded, handled and followed up on by managing the Engage (MIS) system.
• Assist prospective parents with guidance on entry requirements.

Assistant Business Development Executive at British Deputy High Commission: Scottish Development International
  • India - Mumbai
  • August 2012 to October 2014

• Consulted and worked with Scottish companies to support their export agenda in India by providing information on the economic, trade and business environment, as well as building relationships with partners and distributors.
• Organized several major conferences and delegations that included VIPs and government ministers, with a view to raising local interest in Scotland.
• Networked with Chambers of Commerce & Trade Bodies for partnerships and to gain access to diverse businesses.
• Maintained and developed relationships with the Big Four firms such as EY and KPMG to acquire technical knowledge and briefings for clients.
• Leveraged effective working relationships with key stakeholders such as UKTI (UK Trade and Investment), UKIBC (UK-India Business Council), and internal offices across India and Asia-Pacific for sharing of best practices.
• Planned and prepared for meetings, managed the CRM system, maintained relationships with external and internal vendors and organized travel arrangements.

Manager - Counselling at Navitas Group: Study Overseas
  • India - Mumbai
  • September 2006 to August 2012

• Managed a team of 10 staff across 3 branches with the goal of recruiting students to study at over 200 universities across UAE, UK, Australia, Singapore, US, Canada and Switzerland.
• Implemented a registration system to track applications, marketing sources, maintain accuracy and collect market information to provide to Universities. Liaised with universities to determine the status of students’ applications.
• Worked with students and parents to coordinate a seamless process from the original application to the receipt of an offer. This included determining program-specific information, providing students with admissions support services for university and visa applications, scholarships, yearly fees, and accommodation.
• Maintained quality control of the information provided by attending consulting meetings, creating tests and providing feedback.
• Planned and executed promotional campaigns to meet student recruitment targets for all the Universities. This included devising marketing budgets and strategies, organizing and participating in education conferences and fairs, and managing media campaigns and print advertising.
• Provided feedback to universities on initiating new programs of interest to Indian students, by analysing the student market’s demands and passing on their collated feedback.
• Strategically managed relationships with the clients (universities) and maximized student recruitment opportunities during University visits.
• Reported the performance of the branches to the Director of Operations which included: business development activities, financial performance and projections, HR matters and local market updates.
• Recruited, coached and trained employees along with organizing training sessions with the Universities.
• Planned and executed the relocation and expansion for a new office location.

Research Associate at KPMG
  • India - Mumbai
  • March 2005 to August 2006

• Profiled leading Indian industrial houses as a part of business development initiatives with the goal of providing these companies with audit and financial consulting services. Responsibilities included researching companies’ products and activities, market share percentages, turnover and revenues.
• Presented independent research, created comprehensive case studies and sent out weekly newsletters on company specific accounts so as to identify key opportunities and facilitate business development.
• Participated in a cross-border team to promote KPMG India as a leading provider of services in Germany.
• Liaised with managers, directors and partners to integrate specialist feedback into new projects and to update existing client accounts.

Ensemble Coordinator at Le Royal Meridien
  • India - Mumbai
  • September 2004 to March 2005

• Developed and rolled out the Loyalty Program’s User Terms and Conditions both on-line and in print.
• Marketed various promotional activities occurring at the hotel and increased client membership base by 20 members monthly through phone calls, e-mailers and newsletters.
• Organized quarterly events for clients in order to network with them and maintain an ongoing relationship.

Education

Bachelor's degree, International Business
  • at University of Alberta
  • January 2004

Golden Key International Honours Society

Bayt Tests

Time Management Test
Score 68%

Specialties & Skills

Project Management
Business Development
Customer Service
Operations Management
IT and Microsoft Office
Articulate with strong communication skills (both written and spoken)
Excellent Customer Service
Superior Project Management and Event Management skills
Social skills, Networking

Languages

Hindi
Expert
Arabic
Intermediate
Spanish
Beginner
English
Expert
Gujarati
Beginner

Hobbies

  • Learning new languages
    Currently fluent in English, Hindi, Arabic with basic proficiency in Farsi and Spanish.