
Why do American credit cards come with more perks than Canadian cards? Do you think there is reason to pursue a closer economic union with the United States? What do you look for when you hire student interns and recent grads? Those were among the broad range of questions Professor Ajaz Hussain’s ECO204 students asked Capital One Canada CFO Hashir Rasul who gave a guest lecture at the University of Toronto last week.
“I invited Hashir to have a simple discussion with students that they couldn’t have with anyone else,” Professor Hussain explained.
ECO204’s enrollment is limited to Commerce program students and examines how microeconomic theory is used to analyze issues firms face in day-to-day operations. As Chief Financial Officer of Capital One Canada, Rasul is responsible for the company’s financial strategy, reporting, controls, and is on the leadership team of the financial services and credit card company. An MBA alumnus, Rasul has been with the company for almost 14 years, coming up through the ranks from his first position as a Senior Associate focussed on customer acquisition.
“Credit cards are an interesting product because they are symbolic of the entire economic situation,” he told students.

The company, which operates on six floors in Toronto’s financial district, employs more than 300 software engineers and full stack developers.
“Our employees often say they feel they work more for a tech company than for a bank,” Rasul explained.
Capital One Canada plays a unique role in the Canadian credit landscape, focussing on offering subprime products to customers who are either establishing their credit scores for the first time, or recovering them after a financial setback. Throughout his lecture, Rasul pointed to economic indicators that highlight just how common those kinds of setbacks are.
“The average Canadian is getting poorer over the past few years,” he said of the research he presented. “Canadian GDP is falling compared to the US even though we have been adding people to the population at an accelerated rate.”
The event addressed aspects about work in the financial sector that students were curious about.
“I wanted to see how professionals express their opinions about current events, and how they value us as students,” said second year Woodsworth student Melody Chen.
“I came because I wanted to practice my networking skills,” said Robin Johnston, a third year Trinity student. “It’s an opportunity to meet with a high-ranking executive from a prestigious firm who can point us in the direction of job openings.”
Those opportunities, along with tips for getting hired, were also addressed. Attending the event with Rasul was Edward Bieth, Capital One Canada’s Senior Associate of Early Careers.
“There are three things we look for in a promising candidate,” Bieth told students. “Work experience, grades and transcripts, and extra curriculars. We want to hire people who aren’t just high performers, but well-rounded individuals. And, when you list your extracurriculars, don’t just list what you have participated in, but emphasize those activities where you have had the opportunity to take leadership.”
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