Board of Directors 2024-2027
Muhammad Asim, CFA
President and Professional Learning Committee Chair, CFA Society Pakistan
SEVP / Chief Investment Officer, MCB Investment Management Limited
Email Muhammad Asim
Currently the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at MCB Funds Management Ltd, Muhammad Asim oversees assets exceeding Rs 375 billion. With nearly two decades of industry experience, including a prior term as CFA Society Pakistan’s President (2018-2021), Asim brings a wealth of expertise in investment management.
Known for his strategic, macro-driven approach, Asim has achieved notable results, including an annual 3% alpha on MCB’s flagship equity fund over 16 years and top cumulative returns in the Government Bond Fund among peers over the past decade. Recognized as APAC Volunteer of the Year by CFA Institute in 2020, Asim’s leadership aims to uphold the Society’s commitment to professional excellence and ethical standards in finance.
He holds an MBA in Finance, a CFA Charter, and completed Harvard University's Investment Management Workshop in 2018.
Sheikh Umar Saeed, CFA
Vice President, CFA Society Pakistan
Director, WAPDA
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Sheikh Umer Saeed is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from the USA and a Fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) from the UK. He is currently working as the Deputy Director General for Fund Management at the Punjab Public Private Partnership Authority, Government of Punjab. Prior to this role, he served as the Corporate Governance Specialist at the Finance Department of the Government of Punjab, which was an advisory role. Before that, he worked as the Head of the Risk Management Unit at the Finance Department, Government of Punjab.
With more than 20 years of diversified work experience in both the public and private sectors, Sheikh Umer Saeed has a strong professional background. He has also completed the Certified Director – Director Training Course from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
Sheikh Umer Saeed regularly attends Board of Directors and other strategic meetings for the Government of Punjab's companies and authorities. This includes involvement in mega, multi-billion projects such as Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power (Pvt) Ltd, Punjab Thermal Power (Pvt) Ltd, Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (Pvt) Ltd, and Punjab Mineral Company.
In addition to his primary professional responsibilities, Sheikh Umer Saeed has held several other important engagements. He served as a member of the CFA Society of Pakistan – Northern Chapter, where he contributed to strengthening the society’s role in the North, addressing challenges faced by members and candidates. He was also elected to the Members Network Panel (Advisory Body) of ACCA, where he headed the SME sub-committee and contributed to publications, meetings, and events.
Sheikh Umer Saeed is also the Chairman of Haqooq Ul Ebad Welfare Trust, a philanthropy project that focuses on food and education causes. He is included in the Data Bank of Independent Directors of the Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance.
Additionally, Sheikh Umer Saeed has been actively involved in teaching and training, coaching students in ACCA, CA, CAT, M. Phil, Ms. Finance, and other Accounts & Finance subjects both locally and abroad since 2005.
Junaid Saeed, CFA
General Secretary, CFA Society Pakistan
Head of FX Trading, Bank Alfalah Ltd
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Junaid Saeed, CFA, brings over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, specializing in treasury management, foreign exchange, and liquidity operations. Currently serving as Head FX Trading at Bank Alfalah, he has led initiatives that optimized the bank's FX trading and liquidity management.
A dynamic, results-oriented professional, Junaid has not only excelled in his technical roles but also demonstrated leadership by spearheading initiatives that strengthened institutional relationships and expanded the bank's product suite in Pakistan's financial market. His deep understanding of financial markets, combined with strategic foresight, positions him as a valuable asset to the CFA Society. As a CFA Charterholder, he embodies the values of integrity, ethics, and professionalism that the society stands for.
What truly sets him apart is his passion for empowering the financial community. He has mentored teams, provided market insights to clients, and developed innovative solutions that have enhanced financial literacy and informed decision-making.
Junaid's unwavering commitment to the CFA Society's mission of promoting the highest standards in ethics, education, and professional excellence drives his vision as a director. He aims to foster greater member engagement, support continued education initiatives, and create opportunities for members to thrive in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. His leadership, market analysis, and networking abilities-combined with his passion for the CFA designation-make him an ideal candidate to contribute to the society's ongoing growth and success.
Kanza Afzal, CFA
Treasurer, CFA Society Pakistan
GM, Finance and Planning , Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited
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Kanza Afzal is currently serving as General Manager Finance & Planning of Engro
Polymers & Chemicals Limited, working towards driving shareholder value, optimising
capital structure, leading corporate planning, and evaluating new projects. Previously,
she worked as General Manager Strategy & Governance, working directly with the
Chairman (Mr. Hussain Dawood) of Engro Corporation, a leading conglomerate in
Pakistan with diversified businesses in energy, food, infrastructure, and petrochemicals.
In her prior role, she served as the Chief of Staff to the Vice Chairman (Mr. Shahzada
Dawood), leading critical strategic initiatives of the Group along with providing support
on board related activities. She has a decade long experience in corporate strategy,
organization restructuring, portfolio management, and M&A across various sectors and
regions.
In her experience, she has led strategic initiatives and M&A deals for the group, as well as
guided portfolio management, governance practices, internal consulting, and capacity
building. She has also served as a board member of Inbox Business Technologies Ltd. and an advisory board member of AIESEC Karachi. She is passionate about impact-focused investing principles that aim to uplift under-privileged sects of society. She is also a strong supporter of promoting gender diversity and has volunteered with several platforms that empower women and youth.
She graduated in finance from Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi, holds a
CFA charter and is also a certified director.
Abdul Rehman Tahir, CFA
Director, CFA Society Pakistan
Head of Investments - Al Habib Asset Management Company Limited
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Abdul Rehman Tahir serves as the Head of Investment at AL Habib Asset Management and holds the position of Director at CFA Society Pakistan. With over fifteen years of diverse experience across multiple industries, Abdul Rehman has worked in roles ranging from university lecturer to analyst at a global macro hedge fund, project feasibility specialist, corporate treasury manager, and ultimately Head of Investment overseeing retail and corporate client portfolios.
He holds an MBA with a specialization in Finance and a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the Lahore School of Economics. In addition, Abdul Rehman has successfully completed all three levels of the CFA exams and has earned the prestigious CFA Charter.
Muhammad Tahir Saeed, CFA
Director, CFA Society Pakistan
Chief Investment Officer, Systems Ventures
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Mr. Muhammad Tahir Saeed possesses over 8 years of experience in sell-side and buy-side equity research. Currently, he is working as Chief Investment Officer at Systems Ventures Private Limited where his primary role is to fund new start-ups, participating in seed and/or series A/B rounds of funding, originating and leading M&A transactions, managing group investments, and employees’ provident fund. Prior to joining Systems, he was working at ABL Asset Management as a Head of Research since 2017. For a brief period, he also held the portfolio of Risk Management where he was overseeing investment as well as operational risk as Head of Risk Management.
Before ABL AMC, he served as a Deputy Head of Research at Topline Securities Limited. He was overseeing Research services and client relationships, both domestic and international which include client servicing and query response. He also represented his company at international conferences and equity roadshows across global financial centers. Mr. Tahir carries an in-depth understanding of major sectors at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) and was ranked by Asia Money in 2015 as the best ‘Small Caps and Telecommunication Sector Analyst’ in Pakistan.
Mr. Tahir graduated with a Master’s degree in Business Economics from the University of the Punjab and is a CFA Charter holder.
Asif Ali Qureshi, CFA
Director, CFA Society Pakistan
CEO, UBL Funds
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Asif Ali Qureshi, CFA is currently the CEO UBL Funds Limited. He has nearly 28 years of experience in the financial sector spanning banking, economic and financial research, investment banking, consulting, teaching, training and entrepreneurship.
He is a former member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council and has been part of several committees and working groups setup by the SECP and MOF. He also worked as consultant for the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on multiple financial sector assignments. He co-founded two stock brokerage companies and an online databased portal. Asif started his financial sector career in banking at Askari Bank in 1996 before moving into capital markets in 1999 as a research analyst with Indosuez W.I. Carr Securities. He subsequently worked at Global Securities before co-founding Invisor Securities in 2004 and Optimus Capital Management in 2011 when he also co-founded Zakheera.com. Asif taught as a visiting faculty member at IBA, SZABIST, Quaid-i-Azam University and International Islamic University.
Asif received CFA charter in 1999. He secured MA in International Financial Analysis with Distinction from UK’s Newcastle University, which he attended on Commonwealth merit scholarship. He also holds an MBA from Quaid-i-Azam University and BSc (Math & Physics) from Punjab University.
Executive Director
Sarwat Ahson
Executive Director, CFA Society Pakistan
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Sarwat Ahson brings with her 25 years of blended experience in Corporate Banking, Consulting, Teaching, Training and Project Management. In her last assignment she was engaged in establishing the Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance at IBA funded by the Central Bank. Ms. Ahson has authored chapters in various books and writes for DAWN and BR. Ms. Sarwat holds a BBA (Hons.) and an MBA degree from Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi. She is also a CFA level III candidate.