Category Archives: Our Activities

Our Activities

Alumni Feature – Rajendra Shroff

CFLSE would like to feature Rajendra Shroff, an LSE graduate from 2010, who is now the  Director at Blu Artificial Intelligence. 

Introduction from Raj Shroff: 

Raj is a Director at Blu Limited, a consulting firm specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, projects, and education. He is also a public speaker and teaches university courses covering the business applications of AI and emerging technology.


Raj’s path into AI was unconventional and was influenced by his studies at LSE. After graduating with a BSc in Management with a solid grounding in business strategy, Raj’s worked with AXA, a
multinational insurance firm. At AXA, Raj’s roles in IT projects and finance gave him a first-hand view of how insurers strategically implemented digital transformation. This led to the realization that digital transformation was laying the groundwork for AI transformation. His transition into AI was expedited by the mathematics and statistics instruction his studies at LSE offered.

Please feel free to connect with Raj at rajendra.shroff@blu.ltd. You can also find him online at https://linktr.ee/rajshroff.

Our Activities

CFLSE visit LSE Data Science Institute (DSI)

From left to right: Sophie Cope (PAGE), Profesor Ken Benoit (DSI), and Guillermo Suarez-Sebastian CFLSE president

By: Guillermo Suarez-Sebastian

The Date Science Institute (DSI) is engaging in timely and impressive work in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Data Management. DSI is providing in-depth understanding on these pressing topics, and we highly encourage CFLSE Alumni to check out the opportunities offered by the institute, such as partaking in postgraduate courses and attending informative events.

This past April, CFLSE president, Guillermo Suarez- Sebastian, had the exciting opportunity to visit DSI and meet the director, Professor Ken Benoit, at the LSE campus in London. While receiving a tour, Guillermo learned more about the main objectives of the institute and the pivotal role DSI plays at the London School of Economics and Political Science. DSI plays a significant role in the formation of data science activity at LSE, working alongside the academic departments to integrate this field into study and use these skills in real-world settings. The institute’s mission is to foster study of data science and new forms of data with a focus on their social, economics, and political aspects. Additionally, DSI works closely with all LSE teams engaging in the field of data.

During the visit, Guillermo provided LSE with an array of engagement opportunities for alumni to develop relationships with DSI, such as including Canadian chapters into the institute’s academic and research programming visits to Canadian cities were CFLSE operates.

We would like to thank Professor Ken Benoit, and Sophie Cope, for this insightful and fun visit. More information is available on the Data Science Institute’s website to learn about upcoming local/online events on interesting topics such as Data Science, Artificial intelligence, and any other relevant subjects that are of interest to our CFLSE alumni.

Our Activities

CFLSE Chapter Lead Updates

Top row from left to right: Shaila Nagpal, Ava Mirfendereski, Wilma Suen, and John Richardson

Bottom row from left to right: Arthur Kong, Jimmy Lou, Francesca Taddeo, and Tina Wang

National

Shaila Nagpal joins as VP of Communications for CFLSE at the national level. Shaila is a 2021 LSE graduate, with an MSc in Global Health Policy. Most recently, she has been working with the United Nations World Food Programme in social media and communications. Shaila enjoys building robust relationships with a diverse network of people and hopes to continue developing strong connections in her new role. In her spare time, Shaila loves spending time with family and friends, trying out new restaurants, and travelling.

Vancouver Chapter

Ava Mirfendereski is Co-Chair of CFLSE Vancouver. Ava obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley; and holds a Master’s degree in International Development from the London School of Economics. She has over 20 years of experience in operations management, project management, and client experience. She has held leadership positions in banking, financial services, and Fintech. Ava’s passion for business operations, standardized systems, and continuous improvement led her to manage a number Fintech projects. She was a founder of a charity organization, In Unison, where she helped asylum seekers and new migrants settle in the lower mainland.

Wilma Suen joins Ava as Co-Chair of CFLSE Vancouver. A Vancouver native, Wilma was a Commonwealth Scholar at the LSE, where she completed an MSc (Econ) in International Relations.  She also holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science with International Relations from UBC and a PhD from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she researched multiparty-strategic alliances in the fuel cell vehicle, information technology, and airline industries.  She subsequently published “Non-Cooperation:  the Dark Side of Strategic Alliances” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). In her spare time, Wilma is training a new German shepherd puppy and learning how to curl.

Calgary Chapter

John Richardson is Chair of CFLSE Calgary. John graduated with an MSc. Comparative Politics (Political Economy) in 2020, with a dissertation on the diversification of Alberta’s economy. Since returning to Calgary, John has leveraged his research as Manager, Corporate Development at Invest Alberta, bringing investment and jobs to the province. Though missing the George IV Pub, John looks forward to connecting with LSE Alumni in Calgary and welcoming recent graduates to the city.  

Toronto Chapter

Arthur Kong joins Defne Tuncer as Co-Chair, CFLSE Toronto. Arthur has been very active in the Toronto chapter, most recently as Chair, Events. He holds an MPA, Public & Economic Policy, from LSE. Arthur is currently the Director of Project Development at Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), where he works with companies and governments to develop collaborative R&D funding and projects for advanced manufacturing technologies. Prior to joining NGen, Arthur was the Head of Science, Innovation, and Policy with the British Consulate General, Toronto. Arthur looks forward to engaging Toronto’s vibrant LSE alumni and strengthening CFLSE Toronto’s profile.

Ottawa Chapter

Jimmy Lou (M.Sc. International Political Economy ’17) is Chair of CFLSE Ottawa.  He is currently a Policy Advisor at Privy Council Office (PCO), the Government of Canada. He is passionate about building communities, designing better public policies, and ensuring effective policy implementation. Prior to his current role with the federal government, he served as Policy Advisor in Global Affairs Canada, where he led numerous international economic and development relations files, and a researcher at numerous companies, think tanks and international institutions. He is an avid football fan, a multi-instrumentalist and enjoys poetry, historical fiction, and all things outdoors.

Montreal Chapter

Francesca Taddeo is Co-Chair of CFLSE Montreal.  She graduated from the LSE in 2011 with a MSc in Public Policy and Administration. While in London, she lived at Goodenough College, and has many great memories of her year in London. After completing her master’s, she returned to Montreal to study law at McGill University. She is currently a lawyer in the litigation department of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Montreal office.  Francesca is very excited to be involved in the CFLSE community!

Tina Wang joins Francesca as Co-Chair of CFLSE Montreal.  She graduated in 2022 with a MSc in Media and Communications from LSE. She is based in Montreal and currently works in consulting with a focus on Human Capital transformation. An accomplished cross-cultural and multilingual communications scientist, she wrote her dissertation on Asian Canadian media representation and identity, something she is very passionate about. Holding an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in Communications and Political Science from the University of Ottawa, she also studied at Université Panthéon-Sorbonne on exchange, in Paris,  and previously worked at the Parliament of Canada, Dentons LLP in Beijing and Chengdu.