Two Pakistani businesswomen recognised by Forbes

KARACHI: Two Pakis­tani businesswomen have been recognised by Forbes in its ‘100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2024’ list.

The two women on the list are former Unilever Pakistan CEO Shazia Syed and PureHealth co-founder Shaista Asif.

The criteria cited by Forbes in the compilation of the list included the leaders’ tangible impact on the region and the market that she serves, alongside their respective achievements and performance in the last calendar year.

Ms Syed, currently the general manager for Unilever’s operations in North Africa, Iraq, Lev­a­nt, and Arabia, had previously been recognised as one of the top executives in the Middle East in 2023.

Hailing from Abbottabad, Ms Syed began her professional journey with Unilever Pakistan as a management trainee in 1989 and worked her way up the corporate ladder.

In a LinkedIn post, Ms Syed said she was “delighted to be recognised” by Forbes and share the space with “99 other brilliant thought leaders and change-makers of the region.”

“To me, personally, it’s a wonderful reminder of boldly championing my values in my personal and professional leadership journey,” she said.

“I am humbled and proud to represent Unilever and deeply grateful to every person in the organization who has contributed to my journey of enabling change both internally and externally.”

Ms Asif, meanwhile, co-founded the company ‘PureHealth’ in 2006, which focuses on scientific innovation in the healthcare sector.

It is said to be among the largest integrated healthcare networks in the UAE, covering hospitals, clinics, diagnostics, insurance, pharmacies, health-tech, procurement and more.