Overview
Safdar (Saf) Mahmood is the Managing Vice President for the Toronto office. His passion is developing high-performing teams to help Canadian clients transform and grow their businesses. He brings a global perspective, having worked extensively across Canada, the United States, and Australia. His areas of expertise include digital and IT transformation, new product introduction, complex program delivery, strategic sales, and partnership development across several industries including Energy, Telecommunications, Media, Healthcare, and High Tech.
Experience
Saf has over 20 years of cross-industry management and technology consulting experience and has helped Fortune 500 companies drive operational efficiencies, break into new growth areas, and engage with their customers more effectively. He has been well regarded as a strategic advisor and an execution-minded leader ready to “roll up his sleeves” and drive the right business outcomes.
Prior to joining Pariveda, Saf was the Managing Director responsible for Accenture’s joint go-to-market business with Microsoft in Canada. Previously, he served as a Managing Director in Accenture’s Telecommunications, Media, and Technology practice, where he worked closely with clients to transform their B2C and B2B businesses in the face of growing digital disruption. He also led the technology consulting business for Accenture Canada’s Telecommunications practice, advising clients on technology strategy, cloud advisory, and agile transformation.
Outside of the office
When he is not chasing after his 3 children with his wife Sarah, Saf is a voracious reader, and enjoys weightlifting, and spending time outdoors. Being a ‘Third Culture Kid’, Saf takes every opportunity to travel and expose his family to different countries, cuisines, and cultures.
Education and service
Saf graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science and Engineering (Electrical) from the University of Toronto. He stays engaged with his alma mater by actively serving as the President of the University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Network, which focuses on maintaining strong connections between alumni, students, and faculty. He is also a board member of the Women in Communications and Technology (WCT), a not-for-profit focused on empowering women leaders and advocating for gender equality in Canada’s digital economy. Saf also volunteers with The Entrepreneurship Hatchery, a Toronto-based startup incubator, and has advised several ventures.
