Azam Rathore
A seasoned Banker, served thirteen years in Banking and has prior experience with energy sector of four years. He commenced his professional career in 1997 for FiatAvio S.p.A – Pakistan (a subsidiary of FIAT – Italy). Alongside working for his newly begun job he continued to complete his education. At Fiat, he was handling Accounts and Administration as a Junior Accountant and by the end of the project in 2003, he had attained the position of Manager Finance. After which he decided to join banking industry in 2004, initiated by Standard Chartered Bank and swiftly acquired the position of Floor Manager in 2006, that’s when he left in 2006 for HSBC.
Eight Promising years of rich experience with HSBC was not limited to retail banking and strategic planning but also a unique executive skill set in the development of HUB, front-end system & CRMS; trained in India.
Together with many other outstanding performance awards, he was also holding the position of the youngest G5 (Senior Vice President) at HSBC heading their main branch.
After HSBC exited from Pakistan, he was offered to work in Dubai and joined Noor Bank as a Senior Manager. Whilst being part of International Banking he obtained the certification of ICWM – International Certified Wealth Manager. His role involved the proficiency in retail clients, wealth and investment banking.
He came back in Jan. 2017 with the knowledge, passion and courage to commit himself full time to explore and bring in change for masses through financial inclusion and introduce Pakistan to Digital Banking.
Faizan Quadri
Faizan is the Executive Director at Fortune Agencies and Services. Over a quick span of time, he has developed a strong reputation in business circles for enterprise strategy, specializing in development of business acumen and sustainability. With an innate grasp over numbers, his niche lies in evaluating feasibility and profitability of diverse business ventures.
Faizan has conducted various training and mentoring sessions focused on developing entrepreneurial mindset amongst the youth. Previously, he has set-up an incubation center and accelerator programme for various startups and worked with international commissions to form a strategy for promoting social entrepreneurship and innovation in Pakistan.
Ahmer Arif
Ahmer Arif is the Pakistan Director at COSARAF Charitable Foundation and brings with him years of valuable experience in the sphere of Trade & Investment Development. Having worked previously as Deputy Director, UK Trade & Investment Pakistan, he is considered to be a leading expert in this area.
Ahmer has vast experience of working in private and public sectors both in Pakistan and UK, and has a good understanding on how both these sectors operate and can partner to create sustainable business solutions. He has experience in trade development and policy advocacy with a background in Accounting and Economics. His skills are research and policy development, and creating a working relationship with local businesses and government departments to recommend and lobby policy amendments to improve the business environment of Pakistan.
Shaista Ayesha
Shaista Ayesha is the Chief Executive Officer at SEED Ventures and stands apart from her peers because of her apt knowledge of marketing, entrepreneurship and CSR as well as her ability to deliver crisp and precise written content.
She has also functioned as a Research Advisor for several research projects and thesis for students at SZABIST on a broad range of subjects. Her background in Banking and strong inclination towards research and writing provide her with a strong and diverse portfolio.
She has conducted research and has written reports on social entrepreneurship, innovation, rural empowerment and strategy development. Her vast exposure to the SME sector and research based on different aspects of SMEs in Pakistan has added to her comprehension of improving entrepreneurial scenarios at different levels.
Shaista is the author of the biography ‘Midlife and Naked’ of two Pakistani entrepreneurs. She is currently leading and managing FK Squared – a SEED and Funverks publishing house. She has developed several training programmes where she conducts training as part of Education and Literacy Drive, a programme designed especially for underprivileged areas.
Tariq Hasan
Mr. Tariq Hasan has over 18 years of extensive experience in the field of banking and finance. His professional experience covers credit and corporate finance, as well as financial inclusion of small & medium enterprises in Pakistan. Currently he is serving as Vice President, Corporate & Investment Banking, at Pak Oman Investment Company Limited. He has also served in key roles in collaboration with the central bank and representatives of the banking industry to help roll out initiatives for broadening financial inclusion, improving efficiency within the banking sector, and advancing the cause of economic empowerment. Mr. Tariq has previously worked at Habib Bank Limited and Pakistan State Oil Company Limited.
He holds BBA and MBA degrees from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi.