CEO Buksh Foundation

Dialogue With

FIZA FARHAN CEO BUKSH FOUNDATION

“First understand the nature of the job called "CEO" before taking up the responsibility and the ownership. Any senior executive can shine with pride during good times and hold the company on his/her shoulders”

Profile:

Fiza leads Buksh Foundation as its Chief Executive Officer. Along with a strong knowledge of business development and microfinance business models, her innate abilities of planning, delegating, managing and multi tasking have helped prove her capabilities as an effective leader of Buksh Foundation, within a minimum time span.

Fiza’s dedicated efforts have helped Buksh Foundation to collaborate with PPAF, KIVA, Deutsche Bank, IFC, Grameen Capital India, local commercial banks and financial institutions of Pakistan, in order to strengthen the institution’s operations.

She is regularly called to speak in international conferences, to shed light on Micro Finance practices and Development Sector of Pakistan. The most recent conferences with her as a key note speaker include Global CSR Summit & Awards, Indonesia, 2014. Myanmar International Investor Forum 2014, she participated as an Inspirational Speaker & Mentor at Women to Women Mentoring Event organized by LUMS & Embassy of Netherland.

Fiza Farhan holds a MSc. in Management degree from Warwick Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).

Evolve: A graduate from LUMS with masters degree holder from the Warwick Business School and being on 2015 Forbes ’30 under 30’ social entrepreneurs list; please share a brief overview of your dream journey which is still going on.

Fiza Farhan: I have been blessed to have achieved great success and honors in a young age, however I do feel that the journey has just begun. I believe my journey started off from school and college, whereby I was always trained (by the parents) to come “first” in school- even second was not acceptable. This practice made me extremely competitive and inculcated a desire in me to always achieve the best in life. The same principle led me to opting for LUMS for my Under-graduation and then Warwick Business School for my masters. The professional space, however, is much more challenging and demanding and there is a constant struggle to keep doing or getting the best. Forbes 30 Under 30, Future Energy Leader, Woman of the Year etc. are some high cherry points in my journey that keep me going strong and focused to achieve much more ahead!!

Evolve: Energy crisis is a hot topic now days and on the other hand ‘Buksh Foundation’ aims to enlighten the lives of the families suffering from the darkness? How are you making this miracle happen?

Fiza Farhan: Energy crisis is certainly the hot topic these days and everyone seems to have a rather disappointed view of the future of Pakistan as far as the energy situation is concerned. However, where there are challenges there are opportunities, where there are failure there are also successes and while the media and many other stakeholders wants to focus on the problems that the Energy situation has for Pakistan’s future, our entire team are bent on creating opportunities from this same challenge and enabling a platform for us to impact a million lives by providing them with access to clean and reliable solar energy while creating a model based on women entrepreneurship. The more far flung the villages, the more the darkness, the lesser the hope for them to get connected to the national grid- the more opportunity for us to brighten their lives with “Lighting a Million Lives” project. I personally believe- that opportunities lie all around us, it is just a matter of perspective to be able to identify them and create sustainable business models out of them. 

Evolve: Being co-chairperson of the Italian Development Committee (IDC), a body working to promote bilateral trade and investment between Italy and Pakistan, what initiatives you have taken to make this platform more dynamic and persistent? 

Fiza Farhan: Considering Buksh Group’s decades old heritage of working with the most renowned Italian fashion brands from Armani to Dolce & Gabana- there is an extremely strong affiliation and business volume of the Group with Italian businesses. There is a great potential for bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. My role as Co-Chairperson IDC is to support the IDC activities and members within the private sector, enabling more private sector businesses to look at Italy as a source of partnership and investments. Similarly, facilitate interested Italian businesses in Pakistan by directing them to the most potential local business partners. We have extremely strong business relationships with many EU Countries including Denmark, Netherlands and Germany; not just in the Fashion retail sector but also in the Renewable Energy Sector. The recent partnership of Buksh Energy Pvt. Ltd with Global Wind Power; a leading Danish Wind company is the first collaboration of the sort in the Wind sector of Pakistan. We remain extremely active and proud of our business associations with the EU Countries. 

Evolve: Green Financing Partnership with Bank Alfalah, signing agreement with Netherlands embassy and joining hands with IK Foundation; will you please share the story behind the success?

Fiza Farhan: In simple words- the story behind the success is create innovative business models that have multiple benefits for all stakeholders involved. Our projects and partnerships are developed to create win-win business scenarios for all partners involved including the end user and the communities. We work with diversified partners nationwide from large corporations / MNC’s to Development Institutions to Commercial Banks to International Investors / Donors- in both the renewable energy and the development sectors with the basic philosophy of “connecting the dots” and providing access to reliable and sustainable sources of energy that are not only socially and environmentally beneficial but also led to immense economic / financial gains for our customers and partners. Local and global linkages, networking and partnerships are the core of our organizational philosophy.  

Evolve: At World Energy Council you represented Pakistan as ‘Future Energy Leader’ what is your vision to solve the energy crisis in Pakistan?

Fiza Farhan: Not only mine but my organization’s vision is to meet 5% of Pakistan’s total energy demand by renewable sources by 2020. In addition to Solar energy that we have pioneered and scaled up with in the country, this goal includes wind energy, bio-energy and waste to energy projects in the large scale commercial, industrial and dairy sectors. As a Future Energy Leader at the World Energy Council, I am pleased to represent Pakistan and the opportunities (not challenges) that lie in the Energy sector of Pakistan for international companies and investors and bring the case of Pakistan on an international high-level dialogue to include our country in the global framework and policy making for the energy sector in the decades to come. I am positive. 

Evolve: What are some challenges, as well as proud achievements, you have faced as CEO so far?

Fiza Farhan: Whenever you are at the realm of an organization, there are a lot of challenges that come your way. When you own your position as CEO, then all the challenges the entire organization faces become your own and hence there have been a lot of challenges that I have faced as CEO Buksh Foundation; all the projects that we do at BF are unique, innovative and pioneering in Pakistan for instance the Clean Energy Loans, the Transportation Loans, the Lighting a Million Lives Project, the Psychological testing of clients to gauge their willingness to pay before issuing them a loan etc. All these practices were very difficult to embed in a myopic charity based NGO culture in Pakistan. In addition, myself as a young woman CEO to be accepted by the sector professionals with decades of experience was also a challenge- however, I feel that me and Buksh Foundation converted our challenges into our greatest achievements and became leading innovators in the field of development proving our mark with the success and the impact of our projects. The innovative and impact driven nature of our projects is now in fact the key success factor of BF and for myself- the industry has not only accepted but gladly acknowledges my passion and commitment as a young woman CEO in the Energy and Development sectors. Challenges are always there and keep coming- what is important is not the challenge, but the journey of converting that challenge into your greatest success. 

Evolve: What advice would you give a senior executive looking to step into the role of CEO?

Fiza Farhan: To understand the nature of the job called “CEO” first before taking up the responsibility and the ownership. Any senior executive can shine with pride during good times and hold the company on their shoulders, but it is the CEO who has to shine with pride under stress and bad times that come to any organization, it is that strength that divides a senior executive from a CEO- to be able to lead, guide and stay focused under duress. Then of course, always believe in yourself and your leadership qualities- if you do not believe in yourself, no one else can. Take risks, follow your instincts and give your best shot every single day at your job!! 

Evolve: How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?

Fiza Farhan: I have had a blessed life Alhamdulillah!! Nothing to complain. However, I have always had a certain strong belief in myself and in my instincts, in what I wanted to achieve from my life. I never wanted to settle for an average life and find my identity in the different roles a woman plays in our society. Instead I wanted to create an identity for myself that others can look up to and one that can lead and guide others. With this self-commitment, the experiences that I have had at my work platform that both Buksh Foundation & Buksh Energy provided me over the years have I believe made me who I am today. 

Evolve: How do you maintain a work/life balance?

Fiza Farhan: Work / Life balance is critical for not only enabling positive professional growth but also survival. In today’s time and age, everyone is so occupied with their professional lives that they absolutely forget to live life with their family, friends, loved ones and most importantly themselves. Before they know it- life has moved on. It is critical to be able to maintain a healthy balance between the two and make both support our goals for the other. For myself- I make sure I spend quality time with my family and friends regularly and try to disconnect from work when I leave office (although that is a little difficult to maintain however I keep trying). In addition I try to take out time for travelling as that is my personal passion and makes me connect with my real self and is a great source of happiness for me. We all must never forget the unique person within us as we set on the journey of professional success- life is all about those little things that give you genuine happiness.  

Evolve: What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace?

Fiza Farhan: Well, it is a fact that work place harassment and biased treatment of women at work place is a global issue and being faced by many women not just in Pakistan but internationally. It is very rare that I meet women at senior executive level positions and that is extremely unfortunate because women have immense potential and are an untapped reservoir of talent that can change the world. While these facts are true, I also believe that largely it is the women themselves who undermine their position and their strength. I do know that when a woman commits to excel in life as a professional and lead her life with her goals and ambitions- nothing can stop her. I feel that it is essential for any individual to establish their strength and position as a professional – be it a man or a woman. Once this professional competence, position and respect is established; being a woman actually becomes strength rather than a weakness is escalating the path of success. Hiring women from developing countries is a major goal for large development corporations in the coming years- there are a lot of opportunities out there for women to excel in their careers, they just need to make up their mind and focus their passion and energy towards achieving their goals- nothing can stop them then. 

Evolve: Which other female leaders do you admire and why?

Fiza Farhan: Any woman who commits to achieving her dreams and living the life that her true potential deserves is a woman worth admiration. There are lots of names that come to mind, Oprah Winfrey, Samina Baig, Mosharraf Hai, Benazir Bhutto….when we look around, we are astonished by the wonderful examples of woman who have believed in themselves, who have dreamed large in life, who have achieved their goals with commitment, passion and resilience. In addition to being a leader, they are also a daughter, a mother, a sister, a daughter-in-law; and all that combined is a source of admiration and respect for womanhood. 

Evolve: What do you want Buksh Foundation to accomplish in coming years?

Fiza Farhan: Buksh Foundation in the coming years will evolve into a holistic one stop shop for the unbanked and the underprivileged communities of Pakistan where they will not only get access to credible financing but to a host of basic necessities of life including clean and efficient energy solutions, vocational and skill development trainings, education for children and women, health facilities and market linkages- such that we empower these individuals and communities to become effective economic agents achieving a better life for not only themselves and their families but contributing to the national GDP of Pakistan and creating global equity and value. The tagline for Buksh Foundation is “Gateway to LIFE” that means the access to a better quality of life and living that we aim to accomplish for the millions we will serve in the coming years.