Tooran Asif
President & CEO
Mr. Tooran Asif brings over 30 years of extensive banking experience to his new role as President & CEO of U Microfinance Bank. His expertise encompasses financial inclusion, business transformation, and digital innovation across multiple geographic regions, including Asia, the Middle East, and the U.K.
Prior to joining U Bank, Mr. Asif was the designate CEO of KT Bank Pakistan, where he led the establishment and expansion of its digital banking operations. Before that, he held several senior leadership roles at Mashreq Bank UAE, including as CEO of Mashreq Al Islami, where he strengthened the bank’s Islamic Banking operations and spearheaded its digital transformation. Earlier in his career, he also held key positions at Standard Chartered Bank, Citigroup, and ANZ Bank, contributing to their growth and strategic initiatives.
Mr. Asif holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi. In his capacity as President & CEO of U Bank, he is committed to leveraging technology and innovative solutions to expand the bank’s reach and impact.
Mohamed Essa Al Taheri
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Al Taheri holds a Master’s degree in International Business from the University of Wollongong, Dubai. A seasoned C-level executive and board member, he brings over 22 years of leadership experience across Asia and the Middle East.
His expertise spans corporate strategy, financial management, digital transformation, and Islamic banking development. Over the years, he has been associated with leading organizations, including HSBC Bank, Dubai Commercial Bank, and the Development Board of the Dubai Government. He has also held key executive positions at Etisalat (e& Group), including as a Senior Advisor – Finance and as Executive Vice President. He was also a Board Member of the Pakistan Microfinance Network.
Previously, he was a Board Member of U Bank from 2012 to 2024 and served as its Acting President & CEO from October 2023 to February 2025.
Faizan Irshad
Chief Internal Auditor
Mr. Faizan brings with him over 17 Years of rich experience in the fields of Banking and Audit having worked with institutions such as Allied Bank Limited and A.F. Ferguson & Co., Chartered Accountants. His professional journey spans Internal and External Audit, Financial Reporting, Fraud Investigations and the implementation of Digital Transformation Initiatives across diverse sector. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) and holds a Master’s degree in Business Analytics, equipping him with a strong foundation in data-driven decision-making and modern technology driven audit practices.
Muhammad Amir Siddiqi
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Muhammad Amir Siddiqi brings over 25 years of professional experience in telecom, management consulting, and audit, with key focus on finance, accounts, risk, governance, internal audit, and treasury. He has previously worked for multiple multinational organizations, including e& Group (formerly Etisalat), E&Y, Deloitte, and PTCL Group.
Mr. Siddiqi is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and an Associate Member of Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP). Earlier, he also served as a Board Member for U Bank.
Muhammad Javed
Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Javed brings nearly 22 years of diversified experience to the table with more than 18 years with microfinance banks in Pakistan. He has served in various capacities in the areas of Finance, Compliance, Internal controls, Risk management and fraud Investigations. Mr. Javed has been part of the founding team of U Microfinance bank and has played a critical role in setting up U Microfinance Bank in 2012. He has worked for the likes of Khushhali Microfinance Bank, Mobilink Microfinance and Sapphire Fibers Ltd.
Mr. Javed holds a post grad certification in management accounting as well as a Master in Business Administration.
Muhammad Umar Ilyas
Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Muhammad Umar Ilyas is a seasoned tech professional and brings with him over 23 years of experience in various domains, including data centers’ build and operations, cloud and ICT services, information security, business intelligence, IT governance, risk management, quality assurance, and operations management.
Mr. Ilyas has previously worked with various notable organizations, including PTCL, Lifelong, and Telematrix Inc. His academic profile includes a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering and a Master’s in Information Security from NUST University. Additionally, he is a Certified CTO by UC Berkeley, a Certified CIO by NUS Singapore, and possesses many other leading certifications in IT Governance, IS Auditing, Information Security, and Project Management.
Palwasha Qazi
Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary
Ms. Palwasha Qazi is a seasoned Legal and Corporate Affairs practitioner with over 16 years of experience spanning across various industries such as Education, Finance and Banking, IT and Telecommunication, Marketing and Public Relation. Her core areas of strength interalia include Banking, Corporate & Regulatory Affairs, Contractual Negotiations, Governance, Corporate law, Research, Strategic Communication, Policies and Procedures and Public Relation and Outreach. Prior to joining U Microfinance bank Limited (Ubank), she served at various organizations including Universal Service Fund – USF (Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication), Midas Communication Pakistan, Online International News Network (Magnates Communication) and Heavy Industries Taxila Education City.
Ms. Qazi has a post graduate certification in Corporate & Securities Law from University of London and holds an LLB degree from the University of Peshawar and has completed her Post Graduate Degree/Masters in International Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. She is a certified Company Secretary and has attended various trainings and conferences with leading local and international institutes.
Sarmad Pretu
Chief Commercial Officer
Mr. Pretu carries a experience in banking and finance spanning over 20 years. He started his career with Askari Bank Limited in 2002 and worked with the likes of ABN AMRO Bank Pakistan Limited, Faysal Bank Limited and The Bank of Punjab. He also worked at various levels at Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA) and JCR VIS Credit Rating Company Limited. He has worked on infrastructure project financing, corporate finance, commercial credits, investment banking, trade finance, risk management etc. He has also led various trainings at Institute of Bankers Pakistan Limited.
Mr. Pretu holds a MBA from Bahria University and a Master of Applied Finance from University of Western Sydney – Australia.
Sonia Farooq
Chief Human Resources Officer
Ms. Farooq is a seasoned banker and a certified HR professional who brings over two decades of diverse experience, including 20+ years of service at Askari Bank. She has held key positions in various areas of banking, specializing in talent management, organization development, restructuring & change management, and other aspects of human capital optimization.
Prior to joining U Bank, Ms. Farooq served as the Divisional Head of Culture and Change Management at The Bank of Punjab where she played a pivotal role in establishing the framework and strategy for Culture & Change Management. She has previously led Talent Acquisition at Askari Bank, held the position of Director HR at NCRi Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited (a subsidiary of NCRi Inc. Canada) and also currently serves as an independent Certified Director at one of the manufacturing concerns.
Ms. Farooq holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.
Syed Mohammad Nadeem Kazmi
Chief Risk Officer
Mr. Nadeem brings more than three decades of distinguished experience primarily in banking Sector locally & internationally including National Bank of Pakistan, Eureka, Bank Danamon (Indonesia), Maritime Bank (Vietnam), Mashreq Bank (Qatar & Egypt), ABNAMRO (Pakistan & Romania), Saudi American Bank (Saudi Arabia), and Citi Bank. He possesses extensive experience of working across diverse economic, regulatory, and cultural environments. His areas of expertise encompass governance, policy formulation, risk modelling alongside risk management, with a particular focus on operational, enterprise, and market risk. He has worked across various segments, including retail, SME, commercial, corporate, and program based micro-lending.
Mr. Nadeem has done Bachelor of Commerce from University of Karachi, articles from KPMG along with certifications like BSMR 4 for leadership, Collections & Fraud Management and Operational Risk.
