LAHORE: Karandaaz Pakistan has announced the appointment of former State Bank of Pakistan governor Salim Raza on its board of directors.
Salim Raza has over 40 years of experience in the banking and financial sector. He held the position of the 15th Governor of SBP after having worked in international banking for 36 years.
His business experience covers credit and corporate finance, real estate, and global asset management. He has also been the CEO of Pakistan Business Council (PBC). During his tenure at SBP and his association with PBC many innovative initiatives were introduced to assist deepening of debt capital markets, broadening financial inclusion, increasing access to credit for the agricultural and SME sectors, reforming and improving efficiency within the banking sector, and advancing the cause of economic empowerment.
Prior to that, Salim Raza held various positions at Citibank in Pakistan and abroad and served as the country and regional head for Citibank across various geographies in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, the UK, Central and Eastern Europe.
In September 2018, Salim Raza was appointed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Economic Advisory Council as a member representing the private sector. Salim Raza holds a combined BA and MA degree from Oxford University where he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oriel College. He currently serves on the Boards of Habib Bank Limited, International Industries Limited, and Planet N Group. He is an adjunct professor at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi for Political Economy and also lectures on a variety of economic-development related subjects at different forums.
Karandaaz Pakistan is a not-for-profit company established in August 2014 and focuses on fostering economic growth and creating jobs through financial inclusion of unbanked individuals and unserved enterprises, with a special focus on women and youth. Karandaaz Pakistan receives financial support from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
