KARACHI: Amir Paracha, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Unilever Pakistan Limited, has taken over as the President of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) for the 2023 term.
This was announced at the 163rd Annual General Meeting of the OICCI held at the Chamber on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Rehan Muhammad Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Limited, was elected as the Vice President.
The other elected members of the OICCI Managing Committee for 2023 are Syed Anis Ahmed (Abbott Laboratories Pakistan Limited); Ahmed Zahid Zaheer (Chevron Pakistan Lubricants Private Limited); Umar Ahsan Khan (Dawlance Private Limited); Kamran Ataullah Khan (Dupont Pakistan Operations Private Limited); Erum Shakir Rahim (Glaxosumithkline Pakistan Limited); Najeeb Ahmed (Hitachi Energy Pakistan Private Limited); Ali Asghar Jamali (Indus Motor Company Limited) and Waqar Irshad Siddiqui (Shell Pakistan Limited).
In his message to the members, incoming President OICCI, Amir Paracha, said: “Pakistan’s multi-fold challenges are evident to all of us and now is the time for leaders across all sectors to unite as a force for good and lead Pakistan back on a path of growth.
Foreign investment is the primary gateway with which developing economies like Pakistan can access innovative technology and increased market access resulting in improvement of human capital. These factors are critical in enabling Pakistan to achieve a higher growth trajectory, supported by predictable, consistent, and transparent policy frameworks. There are many examples in the region of economies with similar challenges managing to achieve notable economic growth primarily through promotion of FDI. For strong sustainable socio-economic growth, bringing in technology advancements is imperative.”
Amir Paracha began his career at the Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company in July 1996. He joined Unilever Pakistan in 2000, leading multiple categories in Pakistan and in the GCC cluster. He has also led the Home and Personal Care Division, as well as, Customer Development before becoming Chairman and CEO in 2020.
Amir earned his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi and is serving on the Boards of Endeavor Pakistan, Karachi Vocational Training Centre, and Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023