Alina Zafar

[email protected] | 0322.2223564




CORE STRENGTHS
• Strategic Planning Skills
• Effective PR Strategist
• Business Development
• Strategic Partnerships • Excellent Research & Presentation Skills
• Superior Writing Craft
• Event Management Experience
• Media and Publications Management

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Abacus Consulting, Lahore
Assistant Vice President (November 2011 to Present)

Reporting to the Director of the Business Vertical, the overall responsibility includes:

• Launching the Brand of Oracle Trainings among Corporates and General Public
• Devising a strategy of communication with stakeholders, including Oracle and Corporates
• Maintaining sustainability and profitability of the division
• Managing a team of 5 manager level resources
Competitiveness Support Fund (USAID), Islamabad
Director Communication (Consultancy) (August 2011 to November 2011)

Deputed to the Board of Investment, under the direction of the Minister of State/ Chairman Board of Investment. The responsibilities at this Federal level Investment Promotion Agency include:

• Promoting Pakistan as a key destination for Foreign Direct Investment
• Devising a strategy of flawless communication between BOI and its external stakeholders
• Internal communication with stakeholders including foreign investors and the Prime Minister’s secretariat
• Drafting messaging and theme of speeches and statements from the Chairman
• Developing state-of-the-art video documentary to promote Pakistan as a key investment destination
• Compiling success stories of business community in Pakistan
• Consolidating facts and policy on all investment related regulation
• Establishing best practices of organizational communication though standardization of processes
• Managing content and updating the website of the Board of Investment
• Creating publications and promotional material
• Managing the media and event coordination team
Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT), Lahore
Director General, Marketing and International Business Development (November 2010 to July 2011)
Director, Public Relations and Marketing (I year)


Under the direction of the Chief Minister Punjab, PBIT was formed to brand the province of Punjab to International and local investors through world class marketing material and a public relations strategy that works to create a turnaround in perceptions. Responsibility included promoting Punjab as an investment destination through the following:

• Leading, managing a team of 7 professionals to achieve a single unified strategy in sync with other departments
• Instrumental in putting PBIT as one of the 5 Steering Committee Members out of 164 members of WAIPA
• Effectively Representing Punjab in the Steering Committee meetings for WAIPA in Geneva, Switzerland
• Developing and expanding a database of potential clients/investors internationally and locally
• Projecting PBIT positively on the media map from a virtually unrecognizable company to a known name among the business community through various TV interviews with political/thought leadership
• Designing content for various international newspaper supplements in leading papers in local language such as in Turkey, Dubai, Malaysia etc
• Completing the launch of an international standard website with complete sector information (www.pbit.gop.pk)
• Customizing numerous presentations internally to Board of Directors and externally to international delegates
• Writing speeches for Chief Minister Punjab on important conferences regionally and internationally
• Scripting the PBIT investor 12 minute documentary, shown at international events to project Punjab's soft image
• Planning the itinerary of the Chief Minister Punjab on international trips
o Malaysia, South Korea, China, Turkey, UAE etc
• Publishing and distributing an elaborate Investor Guide for PBIT
o 40 page booklet to help investors on how to navigate their investments in the province
o Punjab Atlas defining various GIS maps
o A success stories booklet outlining high net worth companies and MNCs in Punjab
o One page summaries on products
o Project profiles outlining investment technicalities


Naseeb Networks Inc., Islamabad
Program Director, ROZEE.PK (2 years)

Headed the Campus Portal Program that linked 85 HEC accredited Universities to jobs through a ROZEE.PK portal and helped secure a large government grant to do the same.

• Interacted with the Academia leadership to help shape policy to introduce industry linkage programs online
• Worked a team to convince universities all across the 4 provinces of Pakistan to sign up for the portal
• Assisted in training Career Development Departments on how to operate the job portal and maintaining a database of all university graduates
• Launched a post-portal marketing campaign with universities to popularize the use of portals on campus and with alumni
• Effectively used electronic and print media to make alumni groups use the campus portals for respective universities




Naseeb Networks Inc., Lahore
Manager Marketing, (2 years)

Part of the team that led Jobz.PK from zero market share to the #1 Job website in Pakistan and the highest trafficked domestic site in the country. Responsible for driving marketing communications activity for the site’s online recruitment tools and job fairs

• Developed and implemented comprehensive marketing plan and research documents for the Online job market segment
• Worked closely with sales force on development and execution of marketing and follow-up programs
• Developed financial models including forecasting, pricing and margin analysis
• Led and managed the web team to develop product website
• Worked closely with job fair event managers to develop regional and national job fair strategy and execution plan.

Communication Manager & Editor, www.jobz.pk (2 years)

• Naseeb Vibes is the largest Muslim EZine with over 350,000 members
• Over 57 celebrity/scholar interviews on Inter-religious dialogue
• Launched various political awareness programs
• Interviews of USA presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry, Linguist Noam Chomsky, Judea Pearl, and others.


Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC, USA
Communication and Press Liaison (1 year)

• Press briefs for Mainstream newspapers, TV & Radio networks
• Coordinated important media interviews of President’s visits
• Prepared reports on US news media for the Government of Pakistan
• Liaison with think tanks & policy institutions & prepare for joint seminars
• Assisted the Deputy Chief of Mission & Ambassador with congressional drafting

KRON 4, CNN Affiliate Station, San Francisco, California, USA
Community Relations Reporter (1 year)

• On Air Programming on community events & interviews with local leaders
• Selected & edited Public Service Announcements
• Prepared FCC reports & helped evaluate non-profits for funding
• Got NCM Award for Documentary/Report on “Patriotism and 9/11”

National Public Radio (NPR), San Francisco, California, USA
News Intern (6 Months)

• Spots and Cuts & Scripts for evening and morning newscasts (2-3 daily)
• Edited using digital and real-to-reel
• Received Instruction on Technical equipment; Using sound creatively; Digital editing; Voice Control; Interviewing skills and Writing for Radio
• Shadowed senior reporters on nationally syndicated feature stories, logged tape, selected sound bites and edited lengthy interviews



CONFERENCES AND STRATIGIC FOCUS GROUPS

• (2008 TIE) Making Entrepreneurship Work in a Slow Economy – California, San Jose
• (2009 WAIPA) Attracting Sustainable FDI into Developing Regions – Argentina, Buenos Aires
• (2010) Global Best Practices for FDI – Switzerland, Geneva
• (2010) Punjab – UAE’s Food Basket for the Future – UAE, Dubai
• (2011) 2nd International Investment Conference – Bosnia, Sarajevo
• (2011) ECO Bank’s Investment Into Pakistan – Istanbul, Turkey



AFFILIATIONS

• Director, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (www.waipa.org)
• Contributing writer, The Daily Times (www.dailytime.com.pk)
• Freelancer, Dawn Books, The Friday Times, Lahore. Pakistan (www.dawn.com)
• Member, Faiz Foundation Trust (www.faizghar.net)
• Managing Committee, TIECON Lahore (www.tiecon2010.pk)
• Founding President, Pakistan Students Association (San Jose State University)
• Featured Writer for Chowk (www.chowk.com)
• Member, Association of Pakistani Professionals (www.aopp.org)


EDUCATION

BA (Honors) in Television, Radio & Film & Business Administration
San Jose State University (SJSU), CA USA
Dean's Scholar (GPA 3.75)


REFERENCES
Available upon request