Welcome back to our weekly Senior Spotlights! This week, we meet Lina Elansary, GMS’s Head of Operations!
Lina, a senior concentrating in Finance with a minor in Psychology, is taking on a completely new role within GMS. As GMS has continued to expand in size year after year, Lina realized the need for an intermediary contact role in the leadership team that Strategic Planners, Account Managers, and general members could approach to discuss any problems and challenges their teams may be having. More specifically, she serves to eliminate any points of friction within teams as best as she can. “Teams are small and it can be difficult to lead while having multiple leaders, especially because the roles of AMs and SPs can overlap.”
When asked why she joined a marketing club as a finance major, Lina said she fell in love with the idea of working with real world clients. The ability to work with startups was appealing to her as it ties in with her future goal of starting her own business in her home country of Egypt. She also felt that it was important to get Marketing experience as an aspiring entrepreneur. Before venturing out on her own to start a business, Lina wants to gain more experience through combining her passions for Finance and Marketing by working in an area that pertains to budgeting.
When asked what she likes the most about GMS, Lina said the culture. “It’s what sets GMS apart from other clubs.” She further elaborates that there is a sense of community among the e-board and the club as a whole, and that members are encouraged to express their creativity by contributing ideas. “GMS opened my mind to a different aspect of business that I was not involved with before. I didn’t see the impact of marketing until I joined GMS.”
Outside of GMS, Lina is also the president of the Egyptian club, and enjoys staying active by playing tennis and attending workout classes in her free time. When asked about whether she had any advice for general members, she had this to say: “take advantage of being able to work with real world clients as a student. You don’t get that exposure a lot in college. Learn from them, and just have fun.”
The Egyptian native will miss BU’s diverse community and cherish her experiences in her clubs deeply. Though moderately anxious about entering the workforce during the current economic downturn, she is self-assured in the fact that everything will work out as long as she and her peers put their best foot forward.
- Sam Thayer
