Ali Moshref has a rich and varied background. He’s been working at BBA for over a decade and has become one of the most prominent specialists in power systems. Today, he continues to share his passion by serving as a mentor to a new generation of engineers.
Who am I?
My name is Ali Moshref. I’m Principal Engineer, Power Systems, at BBA, and I’m based in our Vancouver office.
I believe it’s important to give back and share your knowledge, and BBA is an ideal environment for putting these principles into practice. Here, we learn from the best, and we develop true specialists who themselves become references, mentors.
The beginning of my journey: from Iran to Canada
I grew up in Iran and moved to Canada in 1979 to study at McGill University and earn my doctorate in Electrical Engineering. After completing my doctorate, I was hired by the Hydro-Québec research institute, which helped me put my knowledge into practice and develop my problem-solving skills.
From entrepreneur to consultant – Anything’s possible!
A few years later, I felt confident enough to become an entrepreneur by co-founding CYME International, the first Canadian company specialized in designing power system analysis software. We were an international success. Then, I moved to Vancouver where I joined Powertech Labs as an analyst and consultant. It was a natural fit. As an entrepreneur, I got to know my clients well and learned how important it was to be proactive in our relationships and in developing new ideas. As a consultant, I was able to apply these same principles within the organization. This is called intrapreneurship.
Knowing you have an impact
My time at Powertech Labs helped me realize the impact our work can have on society. I was involved in identifying the causes of blackouts in Western Canada and the United States and even in Malaysia. Preventing these types of events directly benefits the well-being of local communities. By working on the planning and execution of major projects in several continents, I was able to expand and solidify my expertise to become—I say this with all humility—a respected specialist in my field. I’ve been applying this expertise for over ten years now at BBA.
At BBA, there are no closed doors, only open ones.
We never stop learning
I come from a family that values education. My grandfather and father were both teachers, and my son teaches as well. As for me, I’ve continued sharing my passion through teaching, while being fully active in the industry. I believe it’s important to give back and share your knowledge, and BBA is an ideal environment for putting these principles into practice. Here, we learn from the best, and we develop true specialists who themselves become references, mentors. This all happens organically because it’s embedded in the corporate culture.
Always looking ahead
By encouraging knowledge and skills transfer, we’re also ensuring that everyone can see their roles expand within the organization. At BBA, there are no closed doors, only open ones. We adopt the same attitude when it comes to problem solving. We want to push the boundaries, and we have the tools to do so. We can’t stop at the first idea; we need to go further.
We often say: 'Here, we don’t just do things differently, we do them better.' I think this really captures BBA’s spirit of constant dialogue, collaboration, human relationships and resilience.
I could be retired, but it’s not in the cards right now, because I still have things to contribute and, especially, to learn, even from the youngest among us. This is a major asset, and one of the main reasons why I feel good in BBA’s environment.
