Param Kanabar
Year of Graduation: 2012
Job title: CEO and Founder of NOQ
Tell us about what you do
I am currently the CEO and Founder of a growing tech start-up called , in addition to holding a CFO position for Kantar Media’s North America division. After spending 5 years at Kantar, I have decided to fully focus on the start-up which is growing rapidly.
NOQ is a for events and venues which allows customers to beat the queues and place their orders digitally. We have obtained 3 rounds of funding to date, including tech funding, and are going to raise further capital this year, which only shows the company’s potential and proof of concept.
What made you choose ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Statistics?
I chose ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ for its established and renowned reputation as a university. My brother was finishing his Actuarial Qualifications and I followed in his footsteps, as I viewed it as a challenging yet rigorous course. Mathematics and Statistics require discipline and develop transferable skills, which is exactly what I was hoping to get out of my university experience.
What are some of your key memories from your time spent here, and why do you think it is important to remain connected to ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳?
Some of my most memorable moments at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ were the late-night library sessions intertwined with the amazing student night out. I also have some very fond memories of my peers, who were motivated and ambitious, which drove me to be the same.
My work ethic improved tremendously because of my education at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳, which I have been able to apply to my professional career.
I believe it is important to remain connected with ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ as additionally to having access to the extensive alumni, it is great to be a part of this tight network and learn from the generations of students who went through the same experience and have taken such different career paths.
Do you have any hobbies or projects outside of work?
I enjoy playing tennis, football and have recently dedicated a lot of my time to golf. I believe sports truly allow me to enjoy time outside of work whilst enjoying the outdoors. Additionally, I really enjoy playing poker and travelling as much as possible. As for projects outside of work, I have been lucky enough to turn that into my full-time job.
How did you get into the field you currently work in?After completing my degree at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳, I tried out the banking route, in sales & trading at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. I soon realised it wasn’t something I wished to pursue, and I decided to pick up Actuary and joined PwC.
Actuaries are experts and require in-depth knowledge about the topic, whereas I wanted to work with a wider scope of knowledge, therefore, I completed the ACA at PwC to ger a professional qualification that is desired if pursuing a CFO role. I then joined as a Finance Business Partner with the aim of being a CFO and learning their day-to-day roles and expectations.
Having worked in the role at a Media/Data company, I realised the industry knowledge is key, but the base level understanding can be applied across the board. I have taken part in various M&A transactions, pricing deals, client negotiations, legal arrangements, managing a team, supporting key stakeholders and had an overall great experience.
This experience has been truly essential in taking up the role of a CEO for a start-up and has provided me with the essential skills to run a company and manage a team from the ground up.
What has been the best experience in your career to date?
Moving to New York for my role as CFO was by far one of the best experiences to date. It taught me to be truly independent when away from my family and friends, gave me the opportunity to make new friends, to progress and excel in my career, and to be surrounded by a culture of entrepreneurs. The latter point was what enticed me to pursue the entrepreneurial route, which led to the development of my tech start-up .