MBA · Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern

Umer Ijaz

Co-Founder & Admissions Strategist

Umer Ijaz earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern — one of the world's most selective business schools — after building a career across operations and product management.

His experience spans Amazon, the fintech company Amount, and an early-stage venture where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Earlier, he worked on digital-transformation initiatives for the Government of Pakistan — work that connected him directly to the ambition, and the obstacles, facing talented students back home.

That combination — a top-tier MBA, a builder's résumé, and roots in Pakistan — is why he co-founded Candor. He has walked the exact path his students are about to take: the applications, the trade-offs, the funding maths, and the leap from one country to another. He brings an operator's rigour to admissions — an honest read of where a candidate stands, then a deliberate plan to close the gap.

At Candor, Umer focuses on MBA strategy, scholarship and funding campaigns, and the narrative work that turns a strong profile into an admitted one.

Pakistan to a top global MBA — the journey his students want to make is one he has already made himself.