Harp Grewal (VC'08)

Harp Grewal (VC'08),  Business Development Manager at Marine Press (Japanese Branch) , was quite a character at VC. His adventurous nature took him to far places, precisely 4692 miles from Vancouver.  On May 1, 2019, he came back to VC after 11 years and shared with us his journey.

Harp was part of the first Rugby Team at VC, which went on to win the final championships. After he graduated from Vancouver College, he went to UBC to pursue his engineering degree.

“I am grateful for the friendships made at VC as many of them lasted through university and are still the guys I am closest with today.”

After graduation, he began working at Toshiba as a Field Service Engineer based out of Houston, Texas. He gradually built his technical foundation, working with industrial electrical equipment in various cities around the world.

“The most valuable thing I learned at Toshiba was the ability to solve complex problems under high pressure environments.”

Tired by the amount of travel, Harp eventually left Toshiba and returned to Vancouver to regain his work/life balance – something that he’s adamant about to this day. Joining BBA, he continued working as a junior engineer until he finally received his professional engineering designation. With technical certification in place, he decided to shift his focus towards gaining business exposure in a foreign country.

Harp ended up moving to Tokyo, Japan without a job or set game-plan. He used his network & a touch of luck to get him to where he is now, managing the Japanese branch of Marine Press as a Business Development Manager. Though his Japanese speaking abilities are only conversational, he’s slowly working towards obtaining fluency so that he can better serve his market.

Harp intends to eventually move back to Vancouver where he’ll settle down. Until then, he will continue to follow his passion for living abroad and creating new experiences.

To graduating seniors:

“ If you don’t know what you want to do with your life, put in a few years of hard work now so you can really enjoy your 20s and 30s. I was by no means passionate about engineering, but completing my degree set me up with the foundation needed to get to where I am now. Also, find a mentor with your best interests in mind. They can steer you towards achieving your goals when you don’t know how to yourself.”

To fellow alumni:

“If you’ve never been to Japan, I highly recommend a visit.  You’ll find amazing food, plenty of culture shock, and I’d be more than happy to show you around.”