LEADERSHIP

Rafiq M. Habib

Chairman

Mr. Rafiq M. Habib is one of the founding members and Chairman of Thal Limited. He also serves as the Group Chairman of the renowned ‘House of Habib’. He has served on the Board of Governors of ‘Pakistan Institute of Management’. Having a wide business experience in a variety of Industries, he also leads the team towards success as the Chairman of Habib Insurance Company Limited.

He provided his visionary leadership to many public Limited Companies including the iconic Indus Motor Company Limited and served as a consultant to Habib Bank AG Zurich.

He is the founding Chancellor or Habib University.

Muhammad Tayyab Tareen

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Muhammad Tayyab Ahmad Tareen joined as CEO of Thal Limited on 1st July 2019. He has more than 25 years of experience mainly with multinationals and private equity, covering areas of business turnarounds, transformations and entrepreneurial experience in general management, financial management and business acquisitions.

Before joining House of Habib, he was associated with K-Electric, the largest vertically integrated power utility in Pakistan, serving as its CEO and Chairman of the Board, CFO and Chief Strategy Officer. He led the operational turnaround of this ailing utility company, turning it into profitable enterprise after 17 years of losses.

Prior to K-Electric, he served in private equity having global operations & investments in different sectors. He has also served as the CFO of the The Coca-Cola Company managed bottler in UAE and OMAN, a business that saw successful turnaround from losses to sustained profitability within two years.

He is a Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Mohamedali R. Habib

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Mohamedali R. Habib was appointed as the Director of Thal Limited in December 1990. He has been a Director of Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited since 2004, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank. In Addition, he serves as a Chairman on the Board of Indus Motor Company Limited, and also serves as a Director of Habib University Foundation. He was appointed Group CEO of HBZ Group in 2016.

Mohamedali R. Habib graduated in Business Management – Finance from Clark University, Massachusetts, USA in 1987, and also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in General Management from Stanford-National University of Singapore.

Imran Ali Habib

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Imran Ali Habib was appointed as a Director of Thal Limited in June 2020. He is the Executive Vice President & Chief Strategic Officer at Habib American Bank in New York, USA, where he is responsible for looking after the bank’s management and business development. Prior to his transfer to the United States in 2016, he served as Senior Vice President with Habib Bank AG Zurich in the United Arab Emirates from 2008. He also serves as a Director on the Board of Directors of Indus Motor Company Limited, Shabbir Tiles and Ceramics Limited and Habib American Bank, USA. In addition Imran also devotes his time and attention to social welfare, education and benevolent activities and is a Member on the Board of Directors of Habib University Foundation, US.

Imran is a graduate of the Bryant University (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) and has attended the Program for Leadership Development and is an Alumni of Harvard Business School. He is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization Pakistan Chapter.

Salman Burney

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Salman Burney joined the Board in February 2016 as a Non-Executive Director. He also served previously as the VP/Area GM for GSK Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

He began his professional career with ICI Pakistan in Sales & Marketing in various roles in Pakistan & at ICI plc, London and as General Manager of ICI’s Agrochemicals & Seeds Business. He later joined SmithKline Beecham in 1992 and was appointed MD in 1997 with additional responsibility for Iran and the Caspian Region and was later responsible for GSK’s pharmaceutical business in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Mr. Salman Burney has a degree in Economics from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, UK. He has been the President of Pakistan’s foreign investors Chamber (OICCI) and as Chairperson of the MNC Pharma Association has led the industry interface with the government on various issues.

He has also been a member of the Privatisation Commission and a member of the boards of P.I.D.C, and N.T.D.C.

Aliya Saeeda Khan

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ms. Aliya Saeeda Khan is a Partner at the law firm of Orr, Dignam & Co. and is based at the Firm’s Karachi office. She is an Advocate and a Barrister from Gray’s Inn. As with other Partners of the Firm, she deals with a wide range of corporate, financial and commercial matters. Her focus areas are mergers and acquisitions (M&A), project work, joint ventures and energy sector. She joined Thal Limited’s Board in September 2018.

Ms. Aliya is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and also serves on the Board of Directors of Colgate-Palmolive (Pakistan) Limited and National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited.

Khayam Husain

Independent Non-Executive Director

Mr. Khayam Husain joined the Board of directors in June 2022. He is presently the Chairman of Automobile Corporation of Pakistan which is the largest builder of semi-trailers and road transport equipment in Pakistan.

He got his schooling from Karachi Grammar School undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Houston. He later obtained an MBA from Pepperdine University. He started his career with PepsiCo. in the US before returning to Pakistan.

Mr. khayam helped find the Fleet Operators Association of Pakistan to promote a consolidated Trucking/Transport Policy and promote safety and compliance in road transport. Khayam is also an active member of the ICC and Karachi Relief Trust.

Muhammad Tayyab Tareen

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Muhammad Tayyab Tareen is a qualified Chartered Accountant from England and Wales and a member in good standing of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales since 1994.

He has over 27 years of experience, mainly with large multinationals, local corporates and private equity, covering areas of business turnarounds, transformations and entrepreneurial experience in general
management, financial management and business acquisitions.

He started his career in 1995 with Packages Limited in Pakistan as Manager Project Financing, responsible for investment and project financing.

From 1997 to 2001, he was with Coca-Cola Pakistan as their Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary where they acquired bottling plants in Pakistan. He moved to UAE in 2001 with Coca-Cola and was
instrumental for the performance of the UAE & Oman region, successfully turning the business around from losses to sustained profitability within two years.

In 2006, he joined the Abraaj Group, a private equity group having global operations and investments in different sectors. He moved to K-Electric as a board of director in 2009 and remained on the board till 2019. He also served in operational management roles at K-Electric as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer.

In 2013, he had set up the Pakistan Equity Investment Fund and was also appointed as its Chief Executive Officer. In 2014, Mr. Tareen was appointed as K-Electric’s Chief Executive Officer. In 2018, he moved from his role to become the Chairman of the Board of K-Electric before joining House of Habib in 2019.

Mr. Tareen is currently the Vice Chairman of House of Habib and the Chief Executive Officer of Thal Limited. House of Habib is one of the largest conglomerate company of Pakistan with a turnover of around $2 billion

He is also a director on the board of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), Pakistan’s first open pit coal mine, and ThalNova coal power project

Shahid Saleem

Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Shahid Saleem brings over a decade of diverse and extensive expertise to Thal Limited, where he has been an integral part of the team since 2003. Currently holding the position of Director Finance & Chief Financial Officer at Thal Limited, Mr. Saleem’s professional journey is marked by his distinguished contributions across various sectors.

Before assuming his role at Thal, Mr. Saleem had vast experience across a spectrum of industries including textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, oil marketing and a financial institution.

Mr. Saleem is a Certified Director from the Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance. He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan, a Fellow Member of The Pakistan Institute of Public Finance Accountants and holds the designation of a Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA), reflecting his commitment to professional excellence and continuous learning.

In addition to his role at Thal Limited, Mr. Saleem serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Thal Power (Private) Limited and contributes his expertise as a Director at Makro Habib Pakistan Limited.

A highlight of Mr. Saleem’s career includes spearheading the successful implementation of ERP systems – Oracle Financials and SAP. His proficiency in deploying these intricate systems showcases his adeptness in driving operational efficiency and technological advancements within organizations.

Syed Akkas-ul-Husaini

Business Head – Thal Engineering

Syed Akkas-ul-Husaini has 34 years of diversified experience in the field of Finance, Secretarial matters, Human resource, Admin, I.T, Legal, Marketing. In 1993, he joined AuVitronics Limited, a House Of Habib (HOH) company producing auto related parts and pioneer of License Music in Pakistan. In 2008, he joined Makro Habib Pakistan Ltd in 2008 as Head of Finance & I.T along with additional responsibilities of Real Estate management.

In 2014, he got an additional responsibility to head four cash and carry stores in Pakistan. He is currently serving as CEO of Thal Engineering, a division of Thal Limited. and Thal Boshoku Pakistan Limited, a Joint venture between Thal Limited and Toyota Boshoku.

He is a fellow member of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan, Corporate Secretaries of Pakistan, Institute of Public Accountants of Pakistan, Financial Consultants of Canada. His hobbies include travelling, gardening and swimming.

Syed Umair Ahmed

Business Head – Thal Packaging

A true leader who is a connector of ideas & people, turnaround specialist, competent to provide leadership to all business functions, has led multi-country teams and can infuse innovation & growth in the business, not only to improve upon its current performance but deliver sustainable results as per expectations of the board and stakeholders.

He started his professional journey as an Application engineer at Zelin Pvt Ltd. He joined Midas Safety in 1997 as a coordination manager and eventually moved up to the position of Chief Innovation officer in 2015.
He joined House of Habib as Chief Operating Officer in 2019 and is currently working on the capacity of CEO Thal Packaging.

22 years of local and international experience in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China and Bangladesh has made him a leader with demonstrable achievements, which can drive business forward and help organizations gain an edge against competitors in an increasingly competitive world.

This exciting corporate journey has groomed him to run; revamp existing operations, establish new greenfield companies, leading them on a quick growth path in diverse cultural environments.

Saqlain Akthar

Business Head – Thal Jute

Muhammad Saqlain Akhter is a seasoned professional who joined the Jute Industry back in 1985 at Thal Jute Mills Limited now known as Jute Division of Thal Limited, one of the largest jute mills in Pakistan. Saqlain’s dynamic leadership, jute industry insight and operational expertise have helped the Company in expanding its business into new markets globally.

Having a wealth of experience spanning over 38 years, his in-depth and diversified exposure in all areas of jute operations has made him an asset not only to our business but also the jute industry as a whole in Pakistan.

He holds an EMBA in MIS and has attended various courses and seminars on the topics of Production, Maintenance, Quality, Finance, HR and Leadership arranged by different reputed National and International Organizations/Institutes.

Farrukh Zameer

Business Head – Thal Laminates

Farrukh is heading laminates business, part of Thal Limited. He has transformed the company from being a legacy business to being the market leader in quality and customer services. Under his leadership the business has expanded its operations, introduced new products and have inducted new customers especially in export markets.

He brings with him more than 19 years of professional experience in general management, sales, marketing and engineering management. He holds an MBA from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. Prior to joining Thal Limited he has held various management roles with Engro Fertilizers, Descon Engineering, Ittehad Chemicals, Chevron global and ICI Pakistan Limited. Farrukh is passionate about making positive contributions to the society, social work and traveling.

Noor-us-Samad

Chief Information Officer

Noor-us-Samad is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of expertise in IT Operations Management, SAP Software sales, SAP Consulting, and SAP Project Management. Currently holding the position of Chief Information Officer at Thal Limited, a prominent entity within the House of Habib, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s IT strategy, digital transformation and overseeing operational excellence.

With a robust foundation in Marketing and Management Information Systems, Noor-us-Samad embarked on his career journey with Siemens Pakistan in 1998. He rapidly progressed through Senior Consultant and Project Management roles, spearheading significant SAP implementation projects in the Automotive and Oil and Gas industries. Notably, he served as the Head of Sales for SAP solutions, contributing to expanding SAP’s market share in both local and international markets.

In 2010, Noor-us-Samad joined Thal Limited, House of Habib. Since then, he played a pivotal role in providing the Thal Limited and other HOH Group Companies with a digital transformation vision, introducing the latest technologies and standards. He facilitated improvements in business processes, ordering, inventory analysis, and governance, leading to more informed decision-making.

Mr. Noor-us-Samad boasts a diverse skill set with certifications in SAP R/3, SAP S/4HANA, ITIL, ISO 27001 LI, Digital Transformation, Project Management, Datacenter Professional, and Microsoft Azure Cloud Fundamentals. Additionally, he enjoys playing table tennis, showcasing a well-rounded approach to both personal and professional development.