This is the ninth part of a series titled ‘Up Close and Personal’ covering the career path of several steering committee members of LebNet communities, spread across the US and Canada.
In this part, we give you a closer look at Omar Kahil, Senior Product Manager at Amazon and steering committee leader for the Pacific Northwest community.
Omar graduated from the American University of Beirut with a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering before he pursued his MBA at MIT Sloan School of Management and his Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT School of Engineering. He worked as a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton then moved to Amazon. Omar’s fresh perspective on business and dynamism are a welcoming addition to LebNet’s team and we look forward to all his bright ideas.
- How would you describe your career path and what do you enjoy most about your current job?
My path has been exploratory with a goal of maximizing optionality regardless of the troubles that come with it. Jumping from engineering to management consulting then operations research and now product, I am fascinated with building intuitive solutions to any type of problem. The world is filled with opportunities, and I am funneling what I can sustainably tackle. Next on the list, delving deep into Machine Learning and woodworking.
- What are you looking to achieve or excited about as a Pacific Northwest steering committee member?
There is a big Lebanese community in the Pacific Northwest. Having some of the top tech companies in the world headquartered here means the majority of Lebanese residents are in the tech space. The challenge with the area being so big or the weather being so gloomy, is that the community is a bit dispersed. My goal is to bring it closer and make it a tight knit community.
- What is a unique experience or specific event that led to where you are today?
My parents’ focus on the importance of education and humility. My parents struggled to get access to education because of the need to prioritize providing for their respective families. This made them instill the values of learning and development as my siblings and I grew up. No ceiling is high enough and no opportunity is out of reach. That’s the intention that I start my day with. I count my blessings, lead my life with curiosity, and keep pushing to improve myself and the people and communities around me.
- Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
1- Keep maximizing optionality in my personal interests but zone in on building consumer facing tech products.
2- Double down on leading a principled driven professional and personal life.
3- Fail fast and learn
4- Find more ways to support the Lebanese in Lebanon.
5- Get in touch more often with the people I love,
6- Complete my first triathlon.
