Fiza Farhan

Fiza Farhan is one of the young leaders of Pakistan, leading the most crucial development agendas in the country through both advocacy and action. She started her career in 2008, when the energy crises started to realize within the country. Identifying opportunities within challenges, she started to focus on innovative solutions to the multiple development problems with a keen focus on access to energy. With the same spirit, she led a social enterprise Buksh Foundation as one of the youngest CEO’s in the sector developing the most unique models to catalyze financing from diverse donors and create development solutions bringing a nexus between women empowerment & access to energy. Her unique contributions to the 47% of off-grid Pakistan later became recognized as “International Best Practices” certified by the UN Foundation & UN Habitat.

She has also served as a Director to Buksh Energy Limited, where she launched Pakistan’s first ESCO (Energy Servicing Company) and was a pioneer in developing green financing consortiums for private and public sector. At meso level, she led the business teams of various multinational corporations in Pakistan to scale up multiple innovations including Solar ATM’s for commercial banks, Solar Milk Chillers for Dairy Companies and Solar BTS for Telecom companies. At macro level, she has also initiated Pakistan’s first 10MW Solar Independent Power Plant (IPP) and has worked closely with the Government of Pakistan to develop policies pertaining to renewable energy. Her capability, competence and capacity as the youngest female to drive the male dominated energy sector of Pakistan led her to various global recognitions including being the 4th Pakistani to appear on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List of Social Entrepreneurs and the 1st Pakistani to become a Future Energy Leader at the World Energy Council.

In 2016, the UN Secretary General appointed Fiza Farhan as a member of his first ever High Level Panel on Women Economic Empowerment amidst global leadership. The journey started to realize more when she was appointed as the Chairperson’s to Chief Minister Punjab’s Taskforce on Women Empowerment in Punjab (Pakistan’s largest province in terms of population) in March 2016. For the very first time, the charisma and expertise of a young professional in Pakistan was offered a particularly high level position enabling her to become one of the youngest advisors to the UN Secretary General and to the Chief Minister of Punjab. With the same, in July 2016, Fiza decided to evolve her professional career leaving behind Buksh Foundation & Buksh Energy to emerge as an Independent Global Strategic Development Advisor working with multiple Governments, UN Agencies, Development Organizations, Civil Society and Private Sector addressing key development agendas including but not limited to women empowerment, climate change, energy access, sustainable growth, youth & education and most importantly multi-sectorial partnerships.

Farhan wrote a memoir, 52 Pearls of Life, which was published in 2016. The book details her thoughts and her success as an activist.[5]

• Winner of “TIAW World of Difference Awards” at Royal Automobile Club of Australia

• Winner of the “Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) Award for Clean & Affordable Energy” at the Pakistan Women Festival (PWF)

• Featured in UN Women Pakistan’s #Unbeatable Campaign amongst leading voices of Pakistan

• Finalist at UNDESA Annual Clean Energy Grant 2016, for “Sustainable Transportation & Women Empowerment”

• Selected in the Forbes Asia, “30 Under 30 List of Social Entrepreneurs”

• Winner of the Education UK Alumni Awards, 2016 in the “Social Impact” Category

• Selected in the “100 Influential Leaders List” issued by “AACSB Business Schools Network” amongst Alumni from top 50 Business Schools globally, nominated by WBS

• Winner of the “UNDP-IIX N-peace Challenge for Innovation and Peace-building” through sustainable impact, New York

• Received a complimentary membership for the Clinton Global Initiative 2015

• Received “Poverty Alleviation Award” at the Asian Corporate Social Responsibility Forum, 2015 – Bangkok, Thailand

• Featured as “Chand Sitara: Heroes of Pakistan” in the National song made by PEPSI Pakistan with title “Chamke Hum se Pakistan” on August 14th, 2015

• “Women Entrepreneur Achievement Award" at the First Women Entrepreneurs Achievement Awards hosted by Entrepreneur Council of Pakistan

• Received “Best Practice Award, 2014” for “Lighting a Million Lives” initiative from The Dubai International Award for Best Practices (DIABP)

• Received “Pride Pakistani Women Award” at the 4th Edition of the Wonder Women Awards

• Received “Best Social Entrepreneur Award” at the 4th International CSR Summit & Awards Summit hosted by “The Professionals Network”

• Selected in US Magazine “FORBES 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs 2015 List”

• Received 11th Annual Environment Excellence Award on “Best Performance in Renewable Energy”.

• “Certificate of Excellence” from the 5th European Microfinance Award.

• “Best Community Program Merit Award” at the 6th Annual Global CSR Summit & Awards 2014, Indonesia.

• UN HABITAT certification for “Best Community Program for Social Development.”

• Best Social Performance “Global Microfinance Achievement” Award C5, Geneva, Switzerland.

• “Women in Business, Architects of Change” Award by Wibcon, Pakistan

• “CITI- PPAF Micro Entrepreneurship Award” for social impact by women, Citi-PPAF, Pakistan.

• “Commitment to Microfinance Professionalism” Award honored by Hanson Wade, Singapore