LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT IN FINTECH
Raised amid protest and political uncertainty , becoming the leader of the US financial software firm ( and one of the world ’ s largest ), Intuit , is perhaps the last thing Sasan K Goodarzi would have imagined for himself in his career .
Assuming the role of CEO in 2019 , however , today Goodarzi leads Intuit on its mission to power prosperity around the world .
Here , we track the life and career of Goodarzi from humble and challenging beginnings in Tehran to becoming one of the leading figures in the world of fintech .
The early years “ I was 10 years old in the winter of 1978 when the streets of Tehran were filled with protesters . Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had succeeded in his goal of ousting the Shah ’ s 2,500-year-old Peacock Throne , and the country was in turmoil ,” said Goodarzi to the Stamford Advocate in 2018 .
Forced to live under a sudden regime change , a young Goodarzi lived amid increasingly violent protests , and there seemed no way out with the country under lockdown at the time .
Fortunately for Goodarzi , he was able to make it to the US before the eventual overthrow of the Iranian government and the US embassy hostage crisis , moving to Orlando , Florida , with his mother and two older brothers .
“ Although I was sad to leave my childhood home , something inside me was excited about the new adventure and opportunity that was ahead of us ,” Goodarzi told the Stamford Advocate .
SASAN K GOODARZI
TITLE : CEO COMPANY : INTUIT INDUSTRY : FINTECH / SOFTWARE LOCATION : SAN FRANCISCO
Sasan Goodarzi is Intuit ’ s Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ). He assumed the role on January 1 , 2019 . Born in Tehran , Iran , Goodarzi came to the United States as a child and grew up in Orlando , Florida . He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children . Goodarzi is also a member of the board of directors at Intuit and Atlassian .
And , although he couldn ’ t know at the time , “ this experience was instrumental in defining me as a business leader . It shaped the way I approach my career , my values and who I am today ,” he added .
Bullied in his teenage years at school , this wouldn ’ t deter Goodarzi ’ s drive to succeed in the US . He proved that in later education , earning a bachelor ’ s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Central Florida before going on to attain a master ’ s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University . However , things were not so rosy initially . Goodarzi “ flunked out ” of an Ivy League college before buckling down at a local University to earn his qualifications .
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