BIO
Ms. Akhtar is a Pakistani macroeconomic and development economist and diplomat who served as the caretaker Finance Minister of Pakistan holding multiple economic portfolios. Prior to that, she served as the 14th Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, the first woman to assume this position. As UN Undersecretary, she served as the Executive Director of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Prior to that she served as a senior adviser to the then Secretary-General of the United Nations and Assistant Secretary General of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Dr. Akhtar served 13 years at the World Bank and was also the Vice-President of the World Bank for the Middle-East and North Africa. Moreover, she worked for fifteen years in the Asian Development Bank and held different positions including as the Director General South East Asia, Director Governance Trade and Financial Sector and in other senior positions. She currently serves as the Chair of the Boards of the Sui Southern Gas Company, Karaandaz, Pakistan Stock Exchange and Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance etc. She is also a member of the PMs Economic Advisory Council in Pakistan. At international level, she has cochaired G20 Think Tank on Infrastructure and Sustainable Finance, and is one one of the Global Advisor of the Belt and Road Initiative etc.
