Our Experts

Dr. Aamna Khalid

Course: Pitching and Pitch Deck Preparation

Module: Business Communication & Pitching
Profile:
Dr. Aamna Khalid has designed & delivered workshops and courses in professional and leadership communication, assisting numerous professionals to stand apart from the crowd through refining essential skills & pitching themselves as a professional brand. She has vast training experience as an independent consultant being associated with The World Bank (regional projects); The British Council; The Civil Services Academy of Pakistan; The Federal Bureau of Revenue Pakistan; Devcon Consultants; Beaconhouse National University; Kinnaird College Lahore. She holds educational qualifications in English Language Teaching and Management with a specialization in English for Specific Purposes & Pedagogy in Higher Education.

Atif Rahim

Course: Communication and HR management

Module: Business Communication and Pitching
Profile:
Mr. Atif Rahim Khan, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is an Adjunct Faculty Member at LUMS, which is a Harvard Business Publishing partner institution. He has a rich teaching, coaching, consulting, mentoring, capacity development, executive education, training design, development, and facilitation experience of over a decade. Mr. Khan has an MBA in International Management from the USA, where he twice served as the Institutional Advancement Chair.

Dr. Shezeen Salim Hemani

Course: Business Plan preparation/ Business Communication

Module: Business communication & pitching
Profile:
Dr. Shezeen Salim Hemani is a Teaching Fellow at LUMS. Her areas of focus are Business Communication, Management and Entrepreneurship. She also conducts capacity building training sessions for working professionals at Rausing Executive Development Centre at LUMS. She has completed her PhD from the University of Glasgow at the Adam Smith Business School, with a focus on Entrepreneurship and leadership and has an MBA degree from LUMS.

Sarah Pervez

Course: Entrepreneurial Marketing

Module: Marketing, Branding & Sales
Profile:
Ms. Sarah Pervez is a Teaching Fellow at the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) at LUMS and also the Program Director for the School’s MS Technology Management & Entrepreneurship degree. She has extensive industry and academic experience teaching and delivering training for Marketing, Branding and Sales programs. She has also worked as a consultant with several local startups and platform businesses. Her areas of research and interest are performance marketing, platform business models and strategic marketing management. She holds an MBA in Marketing from SDSB LUMS.

Dr. Zain Khawaja

Course: Social media and Digital Marketing

Module: Marketing, Branding & Sales
Profile:
Dr. Zain Khawaja is an Assistant Professor for Social Media, Digital, and Integrated Marketing Communications at LUMS. Dr. Khawaja is also the director of the Rausing Executive Development Center (REDC), LUMS and a senior consultant at Decision Science Digital Consulting. He is an expert in delivering participant-centered programmes. Dr. Khawaja holds a PhD in Media and Communication Studies from Florida State University.

Mansoor Nawaz

Course: Entrepreneurial Marketing

Module: Marketing, Branding & Sales
Profile:
Mr. Mansoor Nawaz is a seasoned marketing and business professional with two decades of experience. He holds an MBA from LUMS and a Certificate in Strategic Marketing Management from Stanford University. His expertise includes marketing strategy, team management, and communications planning. Mr. Nawaz has held key positions in notable organizations, such as Director at Meridian Ventures and General Manager of Corporate Communications at Beaconhouse Group. He's known for his work in brand development and corporate communications. Additionally, he has been an Adjunct Faculty Member at LUMS Business School and a guest speaker at marketing events, making him a well-rounded industry expert.

Sahar Atif

Course: Marketing, Branding and Sales Training

Module: Marketing, Branding & Sales
Profile:
Ms. Sahar Atif is a multi-facetted designer and brand ambassador, who combines an unerring eye for fashion trends with a zeal for transferring knowledge and supporting people less privileged. Over the years, she has proven herself to be highly skilled at creating and establishing brands, taking a product from its inception stage to the final consumer. She has worked in close relations with the media, press and PR personnel to achieve the objective while ensuring growth in revenues and clients. This complete 360 perspective and experience of the Fashion industry is valuable in her pursuit for teaching. She has taught Textile and Fashion Design, Entrepreneurship and the Business of Fashion at many reputable organizations. Over the years, she has set up linkages between the fashion industry and academia. She is actively involved in shaping future talent within Pakistan’s fashion industry and champions platforms that promote rural crafts and public sector organizations that empower women.

Osman Khan

Course: Social Media and Digital Marketing

Module: Marketing, Branding & Sales
Profile:
Mr. Osman Khan is a passionate and results-oriented digital marketing expert with over 11 years of experience driving growth for startups, established businesses, and BPO ventures. His academic qualification is a master’s in business administration (Marketing & Finance) from Lahore School of Economics.
Throughout his career, Osman has demonstrably helped organizations achieve significant results through strategic digital marketing initiatives. Osman possesses a strong understanding of the digital media landscape, having previously guided 25+ brands at Bramerz Group on tailored marketing solutions and developed integrated marketing campaigns for them. His ability to translate complex digital marketing concepts into actionable strategies specifically tailored for founders and entrepreneurs makes him an invaluable asset to any learning environment.

Dr. Omair Haroon

Course: Basic Entrepreneurial Finance

Module: Entrepreneurial Finance
Profile:
Dr. Omair Haroon is an Associate Professor (May 2023 – present) at LUMS. He has a PhD in Accounting, from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. His doctorate Dissertation title is Diversification and Earnings Management (2015). His professional qualifications include, Chartered Accountant, (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP)), July 2005; admitted as a Fellow Member of the Institute in March 2016; Chartered Certified Accountant, (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK) August 2002; and admitted as a Fellow Member of the Association in October 2007. Dr. Haroon has a wide number of publications and is actively involved in research for and writing professional articles, case studies and research papers and development of structure and curriculum for LUMS’ BSc (Hons) program in Accounting and Finance.

Hashim Ali

Course: Advanced Entrepreneurial Finance

Module: Entrepreneurial Finance
Profile:
Mr. Hashim Ali currently teaches his signature Fintech course at LUMS and is also the co-founder of Muawin – a startup that aims for financial empowerment by giving credit access to micro entrepreneurs and creating income opportunities for them. Mr. Ali has has 6 plus years of experience in the Fintech ecosystem and has pioneered several credit products, with a Master's degree in Finance and Financial Management Services from George Washington University under his belt.

Dr. Syed Kumail Abbas Rizvi

Course: Advanced Entrepreneurial Finance

Module: Entrepreneurial Finance
Profile:
Dr. Syed Kumail Abbas Rizvi is currently an Associate Professor at the Suleman Dawood School of Business at LUMS, and is also serving as the Director of the MS Financial Management program, as well as the Accreditation and Quality Enhancement office. Previously, he has taught Finance at the Lahore School of Economics and has served as the Head of Risk Management and and as ALM and Risk Management Specialist as different consulting firms. Dr. Rizvi’s areas of specialization include Monetary Management, Risk Management and Equity Valuation. He is a CFA Charterholder and has completed his Master’s and PhD from the University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Shershah Hassan

Course: Investor Readiness

Module: Entrepreneurial Finance
Profile:
Mr. Shershah Hassan is currently leading the team at KalPay, Pakistan's leading Shariah Aligned consumer financing platform. KalPay aims to financially include the underbanked and the unbanked segment in the country by innovating and changing traditional financial products. In the span of 2 years, Shershah was able to build a team of more than 20 individuals and grow his startup from ideation to seed stage. He has previously founded e-commerce and digital solutions startups with added experience in commercial banking and digital marketing. Shershah is a LUMS graduate with a degree in Accounting and Finance.

Dr. Syed Aun Raza Rizvi

Course: Entrepreneurial Finance

Module: Entrepreneurial Finance
Profile:
Dr. Syed Aun R. Rizvi is an Associate Professor of Finance at LUMS. He is also a faculty member at the Rausing Executive Development Center at LUMS where he trains companies with analytical techniques, helping them understand financial markets and their role in raising capital. Dr. Rizvi holds a PhD in Islamic Finance from INCEIF, Malaysia.

Mahira Ilyas

Course: Data Analytics

Module: Strategy & Business Modelling
Profile:
Ms. Mahira Ilyas is a Teaching Fellow and the Program Director of Undergraduate studies at the Suleman Dawood School of Business at LUMS. Prior to LUMS, she has seven years of teaching experience as lecturer at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. She has taught in the areas of e-business strategy, management, computer and problem solving, brand management and professional responsibility. Prior to teaching, she also worked briefly as Product Manager for an internet marketing company in Lahore. Ms. Ilyas completed her BSc in Computer Science and her MBA with a concentration in Marketing and Strategy from LUMS. Her interests lie in the areas of marketing, strategy, digital business, and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Ussama Yaqub

Course: Data Analytics

Module: Strategy & Business Modelling
Profile:
Dr. Ussama Yaqub is an Assistant Professor at LUMS and an experienced professional in the areas of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing. He consults with businesses on micro-segmentation and leveraging technology to achieve commercial revenue and growth targets. Dr. Yaqub holds a PhD in Management Information Systems from Rutgers Business School, New Jersey.

Badar Khushnood

Course: Strategy & Business Modelling

Module: Strategy & Business Modelling
Profile:
Mr. Badar Khushnood is a co-founder of Fishry.com e-commerce platform and Bramerz digital media & marketing company. Bramerz, including its product ventures, was recently acquired by a Portuguese tech company, S4 Digital, where Mr. Khushnood also serves as the global CMO. He currently also serves as an Executive-in-Residence for the MS-TME program at SDSB, LUMS and is a founding board member and mentor at several startup incubators & accelerators including NIC Lahore, Plan9, etc. Mr. Khushnood recently served as the elected Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA). Regionally, he was the convenor of the 2022 Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA). Mr. Khushnood brings along more than 20 years of rich and diverse experience having built strong foundations with organizations like SMEDA, ASUSTeK and Nishat Textiles. Mr. Khushnood has a Master's in Economics & Management from the Lahore School of Economics.

Dr. Adnan Zahid

Course: Strategy

Module: Strategy & Business Modelling
Profile:
Dr. Adnan Zahid is an Assistant Professor at Suleman Dawood School of Business, and also an instructor at Rausing Executive Development Center, LUMS. He has proven expertise in sharpening the marketing skills of executives and helping them identify customer-centric marketing strategies for growth. An entrepreneur himself, Dr. Zahid is a founding partner of Johnny & Jugnu, a popular burger joint with three locations across Lahore. He holds a PhD in Marketing from the CASS Business School, City University, UK.

Dr. Salma Zaman

Course: Strategy and Business Modelling

Module: Strategy & Business Modelling
Profile:
Dr. Salma Zaman is an Assistant Professor at the Suleman Dawood School of Business at LUMS, who specializes in the field of International Business and Strategy. She has previously taught International Business at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and has also served as a consultant with the British Council. Dr. Zaman completed her Bachelor's in Computer Science as well as her MBA from LUMS and holds a PhD in International Business from the Rutgers Business School.

Ahmad Uzair

Course: Law

Module: Law
Profile:
Barrister Ahmed Uzair is a partner at AUC | LAW. His areas of interest include investment law, technology related challenges and cross-border transactions. Over the years he has worked with incubators, startups, venture capitalists and angel investors. He has also worked with Securities Regulator of Pakistan (SECP) on startup-focused changes to company law and regulations and assisted the SECP in Equity Crowdfunding Regulations.
He routinely writes and has published papers and articles in The Nation, Pakistan, the Counsel Magazine, Karachi, and Pakistan Law Digest. At Cardiff Law School he chaired the first Welsh Model United Nations Conference on eradication of the AIDS epidemic from third world countries. He is also the co-author of a book, ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution Review,’ published by Law Business Research, London. He is a fellow at the Continuing Legal Education Initiative of Pakistan which aims to raise the overall standard of the legal profession. He regularly lectures on technology law with an LLB from Cardiff Law School and was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn.

Rai Saleh Azam

Course: Intellecual Property Session

Module: Law
Profile:
Mr. Rai Saleh Azam is the Founding Partner of Azam and Rai Advocates and Legal Consultants, a leading Pakistani law firm recommended by Chambers Global, Chambers Asia-Pacific and the Asia Pacific Legal 500. He is also an adjunct faculty member of University of Management and Technology and Punjab Law College where he teaches undergraduate and graduate students.
Mr. Azam specializes in many different areas of law including banking law, corporate and commercial law, contract law, labour laws, arbitration and dispute resolution, energy, telecommunication, real estate, international trade, investment (foreign and domestic), media, and intellectual property law.
Mr. Azam advises on the investment climate and regulatory framework in all major investment sectors of Pakistan and domestic and cross-border company formations, corporate restructuring, M&A, joint ventures, commercial transactions, registration and licensing, negotiation and drafting of contracts and legal aspects of corporate and commercial strategies.

Sahib Zadi

Course: Entire Law module

Module: Law
Profile:
Barrister Sahib Zadi has an extensive experience in handling corporate, transactional and advisory matters for clients including technology start-ups and SMEs, across various sectors including software, health, education, agriculture, insurance, finance and real estate. She has expertise in intellectual property and software technology laws, as well as identifying and resolving legal issues around shareholders and investment agreements. She provides practical legal advice on investment transactions for start-ups as well as for investors throughout different rounds of investment. Ms. Zaidi specializes in providing commercial advice tailored to suit the clients’ specific business needs. She regularly advises both local and foreign entities on their business transactions including their legal regulatory compliances, company formations, corporate governance, structuring M&As, joint ventures, licensing agreements, service contracts as well as other legal commercial documents and compliances. Ms. Zaidi has completed her undergraduate studies from University of Calgary, Canada, with an exchange semester abroad at University of Leeds, United Kingdom. She did her Graduate Legal Studies from London, United Kingdom and was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn. Sahib is a senior corporate associate at AUC Law in Lahore.

Dr. Suleman Shahid

Course: Design Thinking

Module: Design Thinking
Profile:
Dr. Suleman Shahid is working as an Assistant Professor in Computer Science where he directs the ‘Computer Human Interaction and Social Experience Lab’ (CHISEL). His research interests include assistive technologies (mobile apps and VR/AR systems) to enhance the quality of life of persons with disabilities (e.g. autism, dyslexia, visual impairment) and older adults, educational technologies for children (child-computer interaction), and affective computing. More recently he has become interested in ‘information and communication technologies for development’ (ICT4D) where he takes a multidisciplinary approach for designing interventions in the areas of education and health. Since 2009, he has been offering consultancy and training services in the areas of design thinking and user experience (UX) design and strategy. Dr. Shahid received his PhD in human-computer interaction in 2011 from Tilburg University, the Netherlands and PDEng (Professional Doctorate in Engineering) in 2007 in User System Interaction program from Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands.

Rizwan Zaidi

Course: Design Thinking

Module: Design Thinking
Profile:
Mr. Rizwan Zaidi is an enabler who enjoys working with people and technology. He is the Founder of Design Think Co. He champions solving problems using Human Centered Design. His experience includes working as a learning and development consultant for the Telenor Group and its GSM companies. He has also worked on training, NPS and other projects for the Customer Care Division for Telenor Pakistan.
Mr. Zaidi has also worked at Warid Telecom where he was heading the training department for the contact centre, franchise, business centre and support function. The trainings ranged from leadership to service and systems. Mr. Zaidi has also worked with USAID on a training project in Balochistan. He enjoys developing people, organizations and helping them communicate effectively. His areas of expertise include Design Thinking, Customer Centricity, Organizational Efficiency, People Development, Project Management, Net Promoter Score, and Internal Communication.

Saima Rana

Course: Market Research

Module: Market Research
Profile:
Ms. Saima Rana has been a post-secondary Business Management instructor for over 14 years with specialization in the design industry with a focus on entrepreneurship, marketing and merchandising of textiles, jewellery and fashion. She has been engaged with Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) and Beaconhouse National University (BNU) for over a decade and more recently her alma mater LUMS. Some of her roles being that of an instructor, juror, thesis supervisor and product developer. Her expertise lies in developing her own course outlines and then executing them with case based teaching. Ms. Rana is an ISW (Instructional Skills Workshop) certified instructor and has also worked on a UNESCO/Kfit project on imparting management skills to Creative and Cultural Industries in Pakistan. She has co-authored case studies in her research role at LUMS prior to her active teaching career and has done an MBA from LUMS.

Saadia Bukhari

Course: Market Research

Module: Market Research
Profile:
Ms. Saadia Bukhari is the Managing Director of MarketBridge, providing full spectrum, outsourced marketing services for brands and businesses. She has 27 years of public and private sector business consulting and marketing management experience in the United States and Pakistan, with large government agencies, multinationals, and local corporates. Ms. Bukhari has delivered successful projects and initiatives for employers and clients in business planning, marketing strategy, product development, advertising & communication, customer relationship management, business intelligence, (retail analytics, data mining), and business performance improvement. Her company has a consortium of trusted partners including Lotus PR & Client Management, OneByte, EastRiver, Origami, O-Events, and Taar Consulting to name a few. Current clients include Faysal Bank, Osteopathic Health Centre Dubai, Mocca, Intercity Touring Company, Burgundy Designs, and Islamabad United. Ms. Bukhari is an IBM Certified Business Process Engineer, SAS Certified Data Analyst, MicroStrategy Certified Report & Project Developer.

Dr. Shehryar Shahid

Course: Entrepreneurial Case Studies

Module: Entrepreneurial Case Studies
Profile:
Dr. Shehryar Shahid is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Suleman Dawood School of Business at LUMS and is also a leading member of the Entrepreneurship Working Group at the university. Prior to his appointment at LUMS, he served as the Head of Management and Organisation Division and the Director of Centre for Entrepreneurship and SMEs (CESME) at the University of Central Punjab. He has taught courses like Entrepreneurship, Principles of Management, Business Model Development, Lean Launchpad and SME Management at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. He is also an Editorial Board Member of Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship (JSBE) and an Editorial Advisory Board Member of The Lahore Journal of Business (LJB). His research interests lie in the areas of informal entrepreneurship, small business growth and entrepreneurial intentions. Dr. Shahid received his PhD from University of Sheffield and did his MBA from LUMS.

Professor Nauman Ahmad Zaffar

Course: Maker’s Lab and Prototype Design Training

Module: Maker’s Lab and Prototype Design Training
Profile:
Mr. Nauman Zaffar is an accomplished academic, researcher, and entrepreneur with a passion for advancing technology-driven solutions in the field of Electrical Engineering. Holding a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, he has over a decade of experience at LUMS, where he has spearheaded groundbreaking research projects in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and smart grid technologies. His leadership roles include serving as the Director of the Energy and Power Systems Cluster and steering the National Incubation Center Lahore at LUMS, towards fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. As a co-founder of multiple startups and a patent holder in power electronics, Mr. Zaffar bridges academia and industry, driving tangible impact through his expertise in technology commercialization and standards development. His dedication to nurturing talent and pioneering transformative solutions underscores his commitment to shaping the future of engineering education and innovation.

Abdul Ghafoor

Course: Maker’s Lab and Prototype Design Training

Module: Maker’s Lab and Prototype Design Training
Profile:
Mr. Abdul Ghafoor has over 20 years of experience in diverse management roles, including project and product management, design, development, production, and implementation of technological solutions and products in electronics, electrical, mechanical, and information technology. He currently serves as the Manager of Technology and Product Development at the Makers Lab at LCE.

Minahil Zia

Course: Entrepreneurial Coaching

Module: Entrepreneurship
Profile:
As the Lead of Community Engagement & Investor Relations at LCE, formerly with the National Incubation Center Lahore (NICL), Ms. Minahil Zia brings a wealth of experience in orchestrating outreach and incubation processes for start-ups. Her role at the center involves coaching these ventures to navigate their learning journey effectively while also spearheading the planning and management of multiple Investor Summits, providing invaluable assistance to start-ups in pitch preparations. Ms. Zia is involved in forging robust investor connections for the incubation center, strategically working to enhance the connectivity of startups within the investor circle. In addition to co-designing incubation training curriculum, strategically planning program deployment, and managing multiple incubation cycles, she contributes significantly to the Projects and Partnerships team. This involves her support for new business development initiatives, including program designing for donor-funded projects, and providing community engagement support.
Minahil’s academic background comprises an MPhil in Economics and a bachelor’s in economics with minors in Statistics and Sociology. She has played a pivotal role in diverse projects, such as the Capacity Building of Business Incubation Centres in Punjab and the Seed Spark Accelerator Programme by Stanford Seed. Certified in areas like Master Entrepreneurial Coach and Problem Solving, she leverages her skills to contribute to sustainable development and foster innovation in Pakistan's entrepreneurial landscape. Currently, she is manager learning & development for the Tabeer Project in collaboration between LUMS & US Embassy.

Ghazi Taimoor Mirza

Course: Entrepreneurship 101

Module: Entrepreneurship
Profile:
Mr. Ghazi Taimoor is the founder of two startups namely Lahore Ka Ravi and The Learning Group. As the founder of The Learning Group, he provides training and development solutions across corporate, education, and social sectors, working with clients in Pakistan, Dubai, Riyadh, London, and Boston. He is a certified Chartered Accountant (ACA) and holds a master’s in international education policy from Harvard University. With a vast experience in the London financial industry, Mr. Taimoor designs and delivers customized and effective learning programs on topics such as leadership, management, design thinking, communication, team, and culture.
Lahore Ka Ravi, is a culture promotion and storytelling organization that aims to educate and inspire people about the heritage and identity of Lahore, Pakistan. Additionally, Mr. Taimoor is an instructor at LUMS, teaching entrepreneurship in education. He is passionate about creating positive social impact through education and innovation, and regularly shares insights and ideas at TEDx events, policy consultations, and mentorship programs such as Entrepreneurship101 in collaboration with University of Saarland, Germany.