IPN Spotlight: Ilhaam “Illy” Jaffer (Associate Director, Political & Civic Programs at BP)
Ilham “Illy” is an Associate Director who co-leads political and civic programs at BP. Previously she has held leadership positions such as Advance Associate for The White House; External Affairs Consultant in the City of Houston and Deputy Chief of Staff for US House of Representatives. She is an Alumni of John Hopkins University, where she graduated with a Masters of Arts in Government.
She holds a Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Houston. She has extensive experience in government affairs with ten years’ experience in both the public and private sectors. Illy has a proven ability to align business priorities with external stakeholder engagement to meet organizational public and government affairs goals.
What skills have helped you in your career?
Collaboration, strategic thinking, communication, adaptability, and time management are some of the skills that have helped me in my career.
What do you wish you had known or done differently throughout your career?
In retrospect, I wish that I had completed a business degree in either my undergrad or graduate studies.
What do you do for continuing education and improvement?
I’m constantly working towards learning what others in my industry are working on and I’m taking part in development trainings as well.
What is next for you in your career?
I’d like to continue to grow and build on my skills in both government and public affairs.
What advice would you offer to others?
In a constantly globalizing environment of working remotely, be physically present when able — that is when opportunities emerge.
Areas where you can help other Ismailis:
• Networking
• Job placement
• Career planning
Please provide the link to your LinkedIn profile:
Ilhaam “Illy” Jaffer
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