Key skills and expertise

With 23 years of experience in finance and accounting, the expert specializes in financial management, grants and contracts management, and compliance. Career highlights include leading financial operations for major international initiatives, such as a USD 165 million USAID education project and a GBP 25 million Oxfam GB portfolio. Responsibilities have included budget control, donor reporting, and team leadership in multicultural environments. The expert is proficient in accounting systems like QuickBooks and PeopleSoft, having successfully managed portfolios exceeding GBP 30 million annually while ensuring compliance with donor and organizational standards.

Project experience and donor exposure

Worked across diverse projects involving collaboration with international donors such as USAID, ECHO, DFID, UNICEF, WFP, and SIDA. These projects have spanned sectors including education, humanitarian aid, and social development. The expert managed large-scale regional and national projects, including the USD 165 million USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project and a GBP 25 million annual portfolio for Oxfam GB in South Sudan. Geographic locations of work have included Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan.

Sectors and geographic focus

With a background in finance and accounting, the expert has primarily worked within the humanitarian and social development fields. Previously held roles such as Finance Coordinator, Finance Manager, and Grants Coordinator, with responsibilities in financial management, compliance, and donor reporting. The expert has managed large-scale projects funded by international donors, focusing on education and humanitarian aid. The geographic scope of work includes regional and country-specific operations in Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. The expert brings cross-cutting expertise in managing multicultural teams and implementing financial systems across diverse environments.

Languages and education

The expert is fluent in English, Urdu, Pashto, and Punjabi, utilizing these language skills in various professional contexts, including in-country work and collaboration within multilingual teams across Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. The expert holds a Master's degree in Business Administration (Executive) with a major in Finance and Accounts from Preston University, Islamabad, Pakistan, completed in January 2007 with a CGPA of 4.0. Additionally, the expert is a qualified Cost and Management Accountant (CMA) from the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan, achieved in August 2012.