IBA Alumni Lahore Chapter organized its annual Iftar dinner at the PAF Skyview Golf & Country Club in Lahore on April 1, 2023. The event was organized by the Chapter under the leadership of Mr. Murtaza Raza (Batch of 1991) and Mr. Naveed Mushtaq (Batch of 2004). The event brought together over 130 alumni from Lahore and it’s surrounding areas with alumni traveling from Islamabad, Multan and even Karachi to be part of the proceedings. IBA was represented by the Dean of the School of Business Studies Dr. Abdullah Z. Shaikh, Ms. Yasmeen Zafar (Patron of the Alumni & Placement Society), Ms. Malahat Awan (Director Alumni Affairs, Resources Mobilization and Corporate Affairs) and Mr. Burhan Allah Saiyed (Sr. Manager Alumni Affairs & Resource Mobilization) along with the governing body of the Alumni and Placement Student Society.
Mr. Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, Finance Secretary Ministry of Finance in the Government of Pakistan (Batch of 1989) who was invited as the Chief Guest at the event. Mr. Zafar Masud, President & CEO Bank of Punjab (Batch of 1993) was also in attendance as the guest of honor. There were alumni from as recent as 2022 to the senior most alumnus, Mr. Mohammad Naeem who graduated in 1964!
The event began with a welcome address by Mr. Naveed Mushtaq and Mr. Murtaza Raza welcoming the attendees and recognizing the diversity and brilliance in the room. They were appreciative of hosting the largest gathering of alumni by the Lahore Chapter along with recognizing the participation of over 20 female alumni who were in attendance. Dr. Abdullah thanked the alumni for their presence and informed them of the recent developments at IBA Karachi. He talked about the role of alumni in bridging the academia-industry gap and how alumni can engage with IBA to support students and the schools at IBA Karachi. Ms. Malahat followed with a short thank you note and shared that the Alumni Affairs department is always there to support the alumni in any capacity and how the alumni’s success was the success of IBA. She also urged the alumni to come forward and take part in mentoring younger alumni who need this mentorship and networking in their careers.
Ms. Yasmeen Zafar also spoke about why the alumni must stay connected with their alma mater.
Mr. Zafar Masud spoke about the importance of character building that takes place at IBA Karachi and how the values instilled in him by his professors and teachers at IBA have helped him grow in the corporate world. He said that skills can help one do their work well but values dictate where they go in life.
Mr. Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh shared a few stories about his time at IBA Karachi and how during the height of civil unrest in Karachi, he and other students would have to brave the streets to get to their classes on time. He spoke about the impact that IBA’s curriculum and tight deadlines had on him working in the public sector where civil servants have to manage complicated and complex tasks with limited guidance and even tighter deadlines. His experience at IBA tested him on a personal and professional level and enabled him to rise through the ranks based on his merit and ability to deliver under pressure.
The event was a memorable night with fresh graduates rubbing shoulders with Directors and Heads of national and multinational corporations. The event participants pledged to be a part of future events as well and encouraged each other and their friends to commit to supporting IBA Karachi and each other in the future as well.
