Founding Chairman CEIF

Dr. Ishrat Husain has played a major role in various capacities in promotion of Islamic Finance for last several decades. . As the Governor of State Bank of Pakistan he played a pioneering and instrumental role in the introduction of Islamic Banking in Pakistan in 2001. Along with nine other Central Bank Governors of Islamic countries, he was one of the Founders of the IFSB.

He served as a founding member of the Governing Board of INCIEF, Chairman of AAOIFI Board on Governance and Ethics, IMF External Advisory Group on Islamic Finance, member of Mahathir Commission that produced the Vision 2020 for Islamic Development Bank , member of the high powered Presidential Advisory Council of Islamic Development Bank. He assisted President Ahmed Mohammad Ali in the restructuring and selection of the top executives of the Bank.

He is the founder Chairman of the Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance (CEIF) at IBA Karachi and is a regular speaker, resource person and panelist on Islamic Finance industry at conferences all over the world.

Before joining the State Bank of Pakistan he held senior positions in the World Bank for over two decades including that of the Country Director for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan, Chief Economist for Africa, East Asia and Pacific and Director Poverty and Social Policy department.

Dr. Husain obtained his Master's degree in Development Economics from Williams College, and doctorate in Economics from Boston University, USA. He is a graduate of Executive Development Program jointly sponsored by Harvard, Stanford and INSEAD.

He is recipient of the award of Hilal e Imtiaz and the highest civilian award of Nishan e Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan . The Banker Magazine of London declared him the Central Banker of the year for Asia in 2005 and the Asian Banker Magazine of Singapore conferred upon him life time achievement award in 2006. read more

Dr. ISHRAT HUSAIN
Ex Dean and Director
Institute of Business Administration (IBA)
Karachi