Ashfaq Zaman, a young entrepreneur, is the founder of Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD), an organisation that specialises in leadership training, research, digital influencers, and leadership incubation. From a young age, he dreamed of becoming an academic and influencing institutional changes in Bangladesh.
British citizen Ashfaq, who lives in Bangladesh, is a management consultant and modern-day entrepreneur with skills in empowerment, leadership, project management, and financial counselling. In numerous international organisations, the United Nations, educational boards, and international conferences, Mr. Zaman has participated in project implementation and expert consulting. He received the honorary title of Lord of Ebaunipay, France.
After completing his O and A Levels in Dhaka, Ashfaq went on to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to a Bachelor in Accountancy. He also earned his CPA from the University of Oxford and is a regional partner of a top global business, management, and professional consulting network with 310 offices globally.
He once admitted that he was never particularly interested in accounting, but he needed a solid foundation in finance to accomplish his goals, which his CPA course helped him acquire. He discovered a successful strawberry collection company after returning to Dhaka, which enabled him to further generate the funds he required for his future projects.
He also applied to Cambridge University for a program in leadership and entrepreneurship. Top business people, including the CEO of Jaguar, the country director of Microsoft, and the regional director of Google, were classmates of his in that course, according to Ashfaq. He enrolled in that course so that he could apply what he learned positively and practically to situations in Bangladesh.
Ashfaq’s experiences at Cambridge University served as inspiration for LEAD, which emphasises skill development. It started out concentrating on training academic staff and corporate leaders. LEAD has successfully taught numerous instructors since its beginning.
University teachers, according to Ashfaq, are typically closed off to fresh perspectives and unable to learn new things after establishing a successful career. “They have reached a stage in life where we cannot compel them to begin learning new skills. However, we were able to adjust a few things. For instance, a lot of colleges are starting to implement more inclusive curricula,” says Ashfaq.
About LEAD
The next-generation, all-encompassing educational platform LEAD ACADEMY puts the best learning technologies, cutting-edge educational resources, and an unmatched immersive experience within everyone’s grasp. From K1 through K12, as well as professional-certified nano degrees and in-demand skills-based MOOC courses, they offer academic and skills-expanding courses and nano degrees online. They are the first and only online learning platform in Bangladesh to receive local and international accreditation from prestigious institutions like Pearson UK.
LEAD has introduced Leadership Counseling for Policy and Research (LCPR), a program targeted at establishing youth-based think tanks, in addition to training. The program, which is still in its early phases, will feature solution-driven presentations, roundtable discussions, and research and critical thinking activities. Currently, LEAD provides 56 online courses via its website. They have already certified more than 6,000 people.
Presently, Ashfaq Zaman is serving as the Strategic Communications Advisor at a2i, the government’s agency for digital innovation founded by the Prime Minister’s office with technical aid from UNDP.
In addition, Mr. Zaman serves as Vice Chairman of CNI News, the largest digital news media in the country, and Director of the university-affiliated Dhaka Institute of Fashion & Technology. He is an ambassador of the illustrious Nation of High School Scholars established by the Noble Sub Committee, as well as the curator of TEDx Gulshan and a TEDx licensee. Ashfaq Zaman works as a communication adviser for Aspire 2 Innovate, the government of Bangladesh’s national innovation agency. He’s also the director of the Dhaka Forum. He serves as the country director for an international charity called Charity Right, where he is in charge of the monthly delivery of thousands of meals to the underprivileged. He most recently served as the mentor and advisor for the British Queen Young Leaders Program. He has also represented papers at numerous high-level international conferences and forums and is frequently quoted for his expert opinion on the BBC, MNBC, EuroNews, and other international platforms.
To read more blogs, Click here.
Writer,
Dipta Biswas
Intern, Content Writing Department,
YSSE