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Published : 30 Jul 2019, 08:03 PM
He brings with him diverse multi-sectoral experience in senior leadership roles in private, public and non-government sectors with proven track record of effectively managing interfaces of development programming, operational and financial sustainability and building effective partnerships, both within and outside BRAC, it said.
“BRAC Governing Body is confident that Asif Saleh is the right choice to steer BRAC Bangladesh ahead, driving innovation and positive transformation and ensuring that BRAC stays rooted in our mission, meeting the needs of the people of Bangladesh,” Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson of BRAC said in a media statement.
Asif has been deeply anchored in driving the strategic direction of BRAC. He joined BRAC in 2011 and took up an increasingly important role in leading advocacy for social change, information technology, communications and social innovation. He has been instrumental in ensuring that BRAC addresses emerging development challenges in the areas of urban poverty, youth skills development, inclusive growth and migration. As the Senior Director of the Empowerment Programme cluster, he led BRAC’s new programmatic areas namely, the Urban Development Programme, Human Rights and Legal Services, Skills Development Programme and Migration Programme.
"Unique, priceless and transformational would be the words that best describe my experience at BRAC over the past eight years. I am inspired everyday by the perseverance and pragmatism of the people we work with and how they turnaround their lives against all odds. I feel honored and humbled to be asked to lead BRAC Bangladesh and taking ahead our vision of building an equal world. As a team, we are committed as ever to continue our legacy of being grounded, working closely with the local communities, our partners and supporters and complementing the development efforts of the Government of Bangladesh,” Asif Saleh commented.
Prior to joining BRAC, he worked as a policy specialist for the Access to Information (A2i) Programme at the Prime Minister’s Office. As part of the Government’s Digital Bangladesh initiative, he led the policy effort to expand affordable broadband connectivity across Bangladesh and devised the Government's m-governance strategy. He was also a key part of the Union Digital Centre team that created digital service centres in every union in Bangladesh. Since then, he has actively promoted the role of technology and frugal innovation in the development sector. He spent 12 years in Goldman Sachs in different fin-tech roles and institutional client sales in New York and London, ending his term there as an Executive Director. He has also worked in Glaxo Wellcome, IBM and Nortel.
Asif Saleh is an active member in a range of international networks and alliances, advocating inclusive achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. He was selected to be a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2013. Asif was also recognised for his work by Asia Society’s Asia 21 programme in 2008, the Bangladeshi American Foundation in 2007, and was selected as an Asia 21 Fellow in 2012.
He chairs BRAC IT Services Limited and is on the Board of BRAC Bank and BRAC Net. He is also a Board member of multiple non-profits, such as 1 Degree Initiative, Spreeha, Institute of Informatics and Development and Maya.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and an MBA in management and marketing from the Stern School of Business, New York University.
