The Rise of Women Does Not Mean the End of Men - Android

ProPakistani proudly commemorates International Women’s Day to honor countless achievements of women leadership and success throughout the world, especially Pakistan.… Read More

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ProPakistani proudly commemorates International Women’s Day to honor countless achievements of women leadership and success throughout the world, especially Pakistan. Women’s Day was first celebrated in the year 2009 and has been celebrated ever since.

It gives many young girls and women a platform to address the problem of gender inequality. It is a perfect day to glorify the achievements of the past and to take appropriate steps to remove gender-related discrimination in the future.

According to UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics, more than 130 million young girls globally are not able to attend school and drop out before the age of 12. Furthermore, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization states that 60% of the population of malnourished or undernourished are women.

The World Bank states that for every extra year a girl does not drop out of school, an 11% increase in her income can be achieved per year. Thus, Pakistan must move towards a gender-balanced society to reach the heights of the economic ladder.

Many Pakistani women have been successful in overcoming the hurdles that came in their way of achieving success. Today, we will talk about 5 successful female CEOs of Pakistan through their achievements in their respective fields.

1. Sima Kamil

In May of 2017, Sima Kamil was appointed as the first female CEO and president of UBL. Ms. Kamil got her business degree from Kingston University in the UK and later completed her MBA from City University in London. Before this role, she was leading Branch Banking at HBL and successfully expanded branch banking.

She was also heading the Asset Management Company Limited at HBL. Talking about her success in an interview, she mentions, “It’s a privilege and a burden at the same time”.  Sima Kamil also talked about the #MeToo movement mentioning that it’s difficult for the movement to improve the conditions of rural women keeping in mind that rural areas are dominated by men mostly and it is difficult for women to speak up.

2. Tahira Raza

In the year 2014, Tahira Raza became the president and CEO of First Women Bank in Pakistan. Ms. Raza got her MBA in Finance and banking from IBA, one of the top business institutions in Pakistan. She later got her banking diploma, DAIBP, from the Institute of Bankers in Pakistan. She started her career as a banker in 1975 with MCB and in 1989, she became one of the founding executives of FWBL.

After working with FWBL for 14 years, she was given the opportunity to work with NBP and was the first female to reach a very senior position, i.e. executive vice president and group chief risk management in 2012. Ms. Raza conveyed a message to the women of Pakistan, stating, “Believe in yourself. Only you know what is best for you”.

3. Musharaf Hai

Musharaf Hai was the ex-chairman of Unilever, the biggest multi-national company in Pakistan, and was the first woman to become CEO of Unilever, Pakistan. Later, she was appointed as the managing director of L’Oreal, and was the first woman to bring L’Oreal to Pakistan. In 2019, Musharaf Hai joined Khaadi as the advisor of branding and marketing.

She got her bachelor’s degree from Boston University and later got her master’s degree from the London School of Economics. Currently, she is responsible for handling marketing strategies and for ensuring that Khaadi’s message reaches its audience whether online or offline.

Hai believes that a nation with a shaky economy can only rise when women and men work together. She is also certain that women of Pakistan are pioneers and role models not only for their young ones but for every single person, including men.

4. Shazia Syed

Shazia Syed joined Unilever in 1989 as a management trainee. From 2000 to 2003, she worked at Unilever Vietnam as Business Unit Leader for Personal Care. In January 2004, she returned to Pakistan and worked as Vice President of Marketing for Home and Personal Care at Unilever Pakistan Limited before becoming Vice President of Marketing for Refreshments in 2009.

After spending 26 years with Unilever, she became the CEO and chairperson for the company in 2015. Currently, she is Global EVP Beverages at Unilever Head Offices Rotterdam. Ms. Syed was born in a small rural village of KPK.

She got her MBA from Clayton State University, Georgia. Shazia mentioned in an interview, “My mission is that whatever we do within Uniliver should influence government policies. The government needs to be aware of the (women health) issues and how can they be resolved”.

5. Maheen Rahman

The finance sector of Pakistan is largely dominated by men but interestingly, Pakistan’s most successful investment banker is a woman, Maheen Rahman. Ms. Rahman got her bachelor’s degree from LUMS and later got a master’s in Finance and Economics from Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom.

Pakistan’s pride, Maheen, ranks fifth in Forbes ‘Top 40 under 40’. Previously, she was the CEO of Alfalah GHP Investment Management Ltd. She was the youngest head of any Pakistani asset management company as well as the only female among 21 rival CEOs.

In December of 2020, she was appointed as CEO of first-of-its-kind, PKR 12.4bn credit enhancement facility, InfraZamin, Pakistan. She once mentioned in an interview, “My biggest challenge has been building a reputation and trust in a market that values grey hair and being male”.

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