Northwood Staff Profile: Mina Rashid

What do you do at Northwood?

I am a Senior Analyst at Northwood, where I work behind the scenes to produce quarterly investment reporting packages for my clients. I work closely with a group of talented individuals to assist in client bookkeeping and provide support with client financial statements and tax reporting/filing. I assist in many ad-hoc tax and accounting tasks to ensure that we provide our clients with the highest level of service.

What did you do before joining Northwood?

Prior to Northwood, I was a Senior Accountant at Ernst & Young LLP in the Audit and Assurance practice. I worked on quarterly reviews and annual audits for clients in the Wealth and Asset Management Industry. I gained a lot of knowledge about the industry and fine-tuned the skills that I use in my current role.

What attracted you to join Northwood?

I was looking for a position that would give me more fulfillment, and ideally at a company that provides value to people in a meaningful way. Northwood is exactly that. We assist individuals with complex family structures and diverse investments to give them peace of mind. We build strong and close relations with our clients every day. Although I work more behind the scenes at Northwood, I cannot help but know that I am making a positive impact on our clients each day.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Believe it or not, I wanted to be an optometrist! I have always been fascinated by the function of the eyes, and how a person’s eyes can tell an entire story (-- I know it sounds cheesy!) However, it turned out in high school, that I did not enjoy the Sciences as much as I enjoyed the Maths. Of course, I find optometrists to be incredible, however, I do not think I was built for that life, since I am now a proud accountant!

We hear you are into fitness and health. Weightlifting is a very complicated sport. How did you start, and how do you stay motivated?

Although I am not a competitor weightlifter, I am extremely passionate about it. I started taking it seriously a little over two years ago and I haven’t looked back since! I initially started with light and moderate strength training to increase my daily activity levels, however, I started to see how much confidence I had with increased physical strength, and how weightlifting positively changed my body, mind, and soul. Through research and personal experience, I have learned a lot over the years about the science behind weightlifting and nutrition to get the most effective results. During Covid, I have found a new passion for eating more healthfully and more mindfully. At the end of the day, what I put into my body directly affects what my body can do. I see myself as my own competition. I always want to do better than the last time and see how far I can push myself to achieve great things. The biggest thing I have learned with fitness and health, is that I have a lot of control over how my body looks and feels, and I think that is powerful! I believe this is how I keep myself motivated and consistent. However, I will say that while motivation is important, so is discipline. It’s not every day that I really “want” to push over 350lbs, but I do it anyway!

What are your favourite things to do outside of work?

I love to spend my time with family and friends to strengthen my relationships, and to create new memories. I have picked up a love for cooking over the past year, and it has become something I look forward to almost every day. My husband and I recently got a kitten, and we love watching him grow each day as his personality develops. I also love travelling and immersing myself in the different cultures of the world. The world has so much beauty, not only in the landscapes, but also in the people, and I am keen to experience as much of it as I possibly can in my lifetime! My most recent trip was my Covid honeymoon to Greece and Turkey, and I cannot wait to explore more in the near future.

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