Zafar Masud Shares his Life Journey at Latest ‘Leaders at LUMS’ Session

The latest session of 'Leaders at LUMS' featured Zafar Masud, President and CEO, The Bank of Punjab, who shared insights about his personal and professional achievements, and the lessons he has learnt along the way.
Held on April 20, 2021, the session shed light on the values that have brought him success in the industry. Moderated by Adeel Hashmi, the conversation also covered Mr. Masud’s vision towards life.

Mr. Masud is a seasoned banker and entrepreneur with over 27 years of experience in Banking, Entrepreneurship, Development Finance and Corporate Governance. In his current role at The Bank of Punjab (BOP), he is responsible for a network of 636 regular and 104 Islamic branches. He is also spearheading a strategic transformational drive to steer BOP towards becoming a digitally-abled financial institution.

Recently appointed as Chairman, Board of Directors of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Mr. Masud has previously served in senior positions at multinational banks within and outside Pakistan.

Mr. Masud was one of the two survivors of the ill-fated flight that crashed on May 21, 2020. Talking about the traumatic incident, Mr. Masud said, “The plane crash gave me a clear vision about my purpose in life. This second life which I call a ‘borrowed heaven’ will be devoted towards serving humanity.” He also spoke about the generosity of the people of Pakistan during national disasters and calamities. Sharing that the people at the crash site helped him get out of the debris without knowing who he was.

At the age of 37, Mr. Masud was already the CEO of an international bank. He explained how he was able to achieve this milestone at such a young age. “We all live in a competitive world but when there is a conflict between heart and mind, follow your heart. I never ran after money, I always pursued what my heart wanted, and money just followed.”

For Mr. Masud, his true passion and dedication stems from the philanthropic initiatives he supports in elevating economic stability, areas of education, affordable housing and the environment. He is affiliated with several major programmes that serve marginalised and underprivileged members of the population, including The Kamyab Jawan Programme and The Punjab Rozgar Scheme. “We as a society have to work together and be compassionate towards each other. This is the need of the hour,” stressed Mr. Masud.

He also advised the youth to work towards everything with a sense of honesty. “You can get any degree in the world but the only thing that makes you successful in this life is honesty. Honesty with yourself, the people around you and in the service you deliver.”

At the end of the session, Vice Chancellor LUMS, Dr. Arshad Ahmad thanked Mr. Masud for his time and lauded his clarity of purpose and his resolve. “You take time to be with people, share your experience with them and are brutally honest about where you stand in terms of your achievements. These are the leadership qualities we all aspire for and you are a great example to be inspired by.”

To watch the session, click here.