Board of Directors

Dr. Farhan Essa Abdullah -Chairman OPEN Karachi Director Operations and Clinical Microbiologist Dr Essa's Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre

Dr. Farhan Essa is a Clinical Microbiologist and Director of Operations at Dr. Essa’s Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre, where he has been working for the past 19 years. He has also served as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Dow University of Health Sciences, where he was also a member of the Research Advisory Committee

Talib Syed Karim -Vice Chairman OPEN Karachi Chairman of the Board of Directors, OPEN Karachi

Talib Karim being the Rector of IoBM is an advocate for increased investment in STEM education and programs designed to increase our nation’s innovation workforce. Talib writes on innovation issues and also leads a consulting firm that offers government relations and technology solutions for non-profits, businesses, and governments. A lawyer and engineer by training, he previously served as the chief health and technology counsel for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. In addition, as a senior counsel with the U.S. House of Representatives Veterans Affairs Committee, Talib help lead investigations into ending the backlog of veterans disability benefit claims.

Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed -President OPEN KarachiPresident OPEN Karachi

Dr. Zakiuddin Ahmed is a visionary strategist, healthcare entrepreneur & a physician advocate who specializes in developing socially beneficial, sustainable & innovative solutions in Healthcare through information technology with a Patient Centric Focus. Currently, he holds the following positions in different companies: President of Healthcare Paradigm, Director Patient Safety, Riphah International University, Director Digital Health, PharmEvo, CEO, Medical Voice., CEO, Digital Care, Project Director of “Connected Health” of King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA, Project Director of RAHAT. He also holds leadership position in the following professional organizations, President of OPEN (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America) Karachi and on the board of OPEN Global, USA, President and founding trustee of eHAP (eHealth Association of Pakistan), Secretary, HealthRAB (Health Research Advisory Board)

Sohail Aziz - Honorary Secretary OPEN Karachi CEO of NASA International

Sohail Aziz is a prominent figure of Pakistan textile and apparel industry. He is running an apparel export unit in Karachi, exporting knitted and woven garments to different countries of Europe and North America. He is also a renowned educationist and has established a chain of educational institutions in various parts of Karachi. He is the CEO of Nasa International, one of the pioneer event management companies in Pakistan and have successfully taken Pakistan National Pavilions to different exhibitions of Europe, USA, Middle East and the Far East. He initiated and successfully organized the first ever textiles and apparel exhibition of Pakistan, Fashion Apparel fair (FAF) for 11 consecutive years.

Ayub Butt - Board MemberCEO at ZRG International

Mr. Ayub Butt is the CEO and a founding member of ZRG International, a company that is now a well recognized IT success story in the region. Ayub has a passion for exploring subjects of arts and science. His technical skills and specialization include Telecom and IT convergence, Customer relationship and Contact Center technologies, Information system architecture and user interface design.

Nazir Ahmed Tunio- Board Member Director at Akhuwat Foundation and Kiran Foundation

Nazir has a vast experience of 35 years, serving with government, private sector and non-governmental organizations in Pakistan and abroad. Nazir has worked in capacity of Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Managing Director and Director/Manager and other capacities in main stream government departments and public & private sector organizations. From time to time he has been entrusted with the responsibility for leading development and execution of the long term strategy of these organizations with a view to lead the way creating shareholder value and adapt to futuristic ideas. The organizations he serve currently, create peace of mind by helping navigate through everyday life scenario and challenges faced by marginalized community specifically in the areas of education and micro-financing.

Muhammad Azfar Ahsan - Board Member CEO - Nutshell Forum

Muhammad Azfar Ahsan is a Change Activist, non-partisan Political Analyst and Entrepreneur based out of Pakistan.

As Founder & CEO of Nutshell Forum, an international conference management and training resource organization, he has organized more than four hundred national and international conferences, seminars, training workshops and group discussions in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Singapore and Bahrain.

Azfar is the thought leader behind ASIA MANAGEMENT CONCLAVE (formerly SOUTH ASIA CONCLAVE); an annual business leader’s conference in Lahore focusing on regional cooperation through economic synergies.

Azfar is the Member Executive Council of Marketing Association of Pakistan; an apex body of marketing in Pakistan. He served as Chairman of MARCON; Pakistan’s flagship marketing event.

He is Founder of CORPORATE PAKISTAN GROUP – CPG. CPG is a virtual group of 180 individuals from different backgrounds including ministers, federal secretaries, diplomats, defence personnel, academicians, corporate and business leaders, media celebrities and movers and shakers of civil society.

Azfar served as President of Rotary Club of Karachi Green City, the first Breakfast Rotary Club of Rotary International District 3271. He also served as Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee of Rotary International District 3271. In last fifteen years, he managed dozens of community projects all over Pakistan in the field of health and education.

He is affiliated with several professional organizations including Pakistan US Alumni Network; OPEN – Organization for Pakistan Entrepreneurs in North America; International Federation for Training & Development Organizations – IFTDO; and English Speaking Union of Pakistan.

VEQAR UL ISLAM - Board Member DIRECTOR & CEO Jaffer Business Systems (JBS)

Having worked for over 27 years in world-renowned multinationals in Pakistan and the region, Veqar has joined Jaffer Group as a Director and is heading Jaffer Business Systems and is involved in Group affairs on the Board.

Veqar is an astute businessman, a high achiever and a marketer par excellence. He is also an inspirational leader, who has led his teams successfully and grown the businesses he was involved in. He is also known for his out of box approaches. Veqar has a Masters in Commerce from University of Karachi and has attended professional trainings in various parts of the world. He has always been a Top Global Talent in every multinational he was associated with.

Prior to his association with Jaffer Group, Veqar has been with Comptel Corporation, Nokia Corporation, Nokia Siemens Networks and NCR Corporation at senior Executive positions in Pakistan and abroad.