Mr. Awais Khan named as president of American Pakistan Foundation

The American Pakistan Foundation (APF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the social and economic condition of the people of Pakistan, announced the appointment of Mr. Awais Khan as the foundation’s first President and CEO.

"Our organization needed a leader with a strong entrepreneurial spirit tied with a passion for public service to take the foundation from its infancy stage to a sustainable organization that can make a significant impact on the socio-economic development in Pakistan, and Mr. Khan stood above the rest of the highly-qualified candidates," said Dr. Nafis Sadik, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of APF. "The amount of interest in filling this leadership position was a true testament to the urgency of the APF’s cause. In Mr. Khan, we have confidence that the Board has found the most qualified person with a strong desire to take his successful professional experience in the private sector and devote it to public service for the Diaspora and people of Pakistan."

Mr. Khan will transition into his new role as President and CEO over the next few weeks.

"I am deeply honored and humbled to be selected for this position at such a critical juncture in Pakistan’s history and in its relationship with the United States. The relationships between Pakistan and the international community need to be cultivated to build trust, understanding and peace. The problems facing Pakistan are multifaceted and complex. Socio-economic development must be approached on multiple levels to address these issues," said Mr. Khan.

"It’s commendable that the American Pakistan Foundation was founded to help lead this cause for the benefit of the people of Pakistan," added Mr. Khan. "I look forward to working tirelessly with our board, the staff, the Pakistani-American Diaspora and Friends of Pakistan in leading this organization on a path to achieving its potential for the benefits of the peoples of the U.S. and Pakistan."

Mr. Khan’s first course of action will be to hire APF staff, including the Director of Development and the Pakistan-based Executive Director, and finalize the organization’s strategic plan.

Mr. Awais Khan has a wide range of experience in the private and public sector. Most recently, he was a Partner at Ackrell Capital, an investment bank specializing in early stage investments, placements, and cross border joint ventures. Prior to that, he held senior positions with the Venture Capital Practice at KPMG, Dimension Data and Hewlett-Packard. Additionally, Mr. Khan has professional experience in Pakistan in the areas of financial services and Government. Mr. Khan has most recently been focused on innovation and commercialization of clean energy technologies. He has also been featured in the international media discussing the need and urgency to utilize the abundant natural resources of Pakistan to solve the energy crisis, create jobs and drive towards a clean energy driven economy.

Mr. Khan is the Chair of several leadership committees of Venture Forums and is currently on the advisory board of Cleantech Jobs Fund, an economic development fund in Silicon Valley. Mr. Khan obtained a B.S. in Computer Engineering from California State University in 1997 and is pursuing his M.B.A. from London School of Economics, HEC Paris and Stern School of Business at New York University.