Mr Zakir Mahmood, the former President of Habib Bank Ltd, Pakistan’s largest bank, has been appointed Chairman of the Aga Khan University’s Board of Trustees by the University’s Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan. An AKU Trustee for the past nine years, Mr Mahmood is well-versed in AKU’s operations on three continents. In his message to the Trustees of the University, His Highness stated that “Mr Mahmood will bring to the Chair his profound experience in senior leadership roles, his extensive acumen in international institutional development and his thorough understanding of governance structures.”
Mr Mahmood takes over from internationally renowned health care leader Dr Haile T. Debas, whose seven-year tenure as Chairman was marked by growth in every aspect of AKU’s operations. “We are deeply grateful to Dr Debas for his leadership and service to the University,” AKU President Sulaiman Shahabuddin said. “An eminent surgeon, researcher, teacher and academic leader, and a passionate supporter of AKU’s mission, he made major contributions to its development throughout his 12 years on the Board of Trustees.” His Highness acknowledged that, “AKU owes Dr Debas a debt of gratitude that will be recognized for decades to come.”
A native of Eritrea, Dr Debas has held numerous leadership positions with the University of California, San Francisco and its School of Medicine, one of the world’s top medical schools. He was Founding Executive Director of UCSF Global Health Sciences, Dean of the School of Medicine, Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and Chancellor of UCSF. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honours in the field of health care.
Dr Debas was instrumental in developing AKU’s research capacity and overall teaching excellence by building partnerships with leading international institutions. The launch of AKU’s Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research had much to do with his successful efforts to forge a unique partnership between AKU and experts at UCSF.
Mr Mahmood received his BE Engineering from NED University in Karachi and MBA and MS Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was President of Habib Bank Limited for almost 13 years, and has held senior positions with international banks in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, France and Pakistan.
He is currently the Chairman of Kyrgyz Investment Credit Bank, Kyrgyzstan; First Microfinance Bank, Tajikistan; and Jubilee General Insurance, Pakistan. In 2001, the Government of France decorated him with the Chevalier de L’Ordre National du Mérite. In 2005, the Government of Pakistan honoured him with the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz award.
“I look forward to working closely with Mr Zakir Mahmood to continue to advance the University’s efforts to improve people’s quality of life in Asia and Africa," President Shahabuddin said. “Chairman Mahmood brings to his new role a lifetime of international leadership experience, having held senior executive positions with multinational banks in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We are fortunate to have him as Chairman.”