Alumni Office Hours with Yaa-Hemaa Obiri-Yeboah – Founder of The Y Variable | Knowing Your Why: Purpose, Pivot Points, and the Path Forward

The UBC Career Centre is excited to bring you a mentorship and networking opportunity to connect with UBC alum, Yaa-Hemaa Obiri-Yeboah. This event is open to all students and alumni.

Please prepare one question for Yaa-Hemaa’s Office Hour. You will also be given an opportunity to ask your questions during the event.

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Yaa-Hemaa Obiri-Yeboah is the founder of The Y Variable, a career and organizational development consultancy that helps Gen Z professionals thrive in the workplace – and equips employers to lead and retain them more effectively. Drawing on over 20 years of professional experience, including at the executive level in the federal public service, she brings a nuanced understanding of leadership, cross-generational dynamics, and the strategic shifts required to build inclusive, future-ready teams.

Prior to launching her business, Yaa-Hemaa served as a Regional Director and Senior Trade Commissioner at Global Affairs Canada, where she led the Vancouver-based office, which supported businesses in BC and the Yukon to export their goods and services internationally. She is a 2003 Rhodes Scholar and holds two Master’s degrees from the University of Oxford – in English Literature and Women’s Studies. She completed her Honours B.A. in English Literature, with a minor in Political Science, at UBC as a Wesbrook Scholar.

Yaa-Hemaa’s career journey has been shaped by moments of purpose, pivot, and unexpected transformation. In this Alumni Office Hours session, she will reflect on the value of knowing your why – how anchoring in purpose can clarify choices, sustain resilience, and empower you to build a career that’s both strategic and meaningful.

Beyond her work, Yaa-Hemaa is also a creative artist and a mother of two. She released a jazz/soul EP titled Come Hear My Voice in 2016 and continues to advocate for racialized youth and education-focused organizations.

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Attending an Office Hour is an excellent opportunity for you to expand your network and participate in an open, round-table discussion with alumni.

Please email us at recruit.talent@ubc.ca if you require accommodations to access this event due to an ongoing medical condition and/or disability.