Zainab has extensive experience of technology-enabled transformations, innovation and technology management. Having spent 20+ years of developing business and IT strategies, setting up governance structures, nurturing teams and transforming ideas into reality, she has created value for businesses. She has led cross-cultural, virtual and matrix teams across MENA / CIS (Middle East, North Africa and Russia / CIS) and has also worked in UK and USA. Her varied experience and passion to find solutions to real-life problems, has won her international accolades for innovative and transformational work including APICTA and the Computer World Honors program for Economic Development.

Zainab is a Certified IT Governance professional and has worked as CIO in leading organizations in Pakistan. She has led Engro Foods IT team for 5 years from inception where she developed the IT team and their IT strategy and digitization strategy to help the young organization leverage technology to achieve its aggressive business goals. At GSK Pakistan, when she joined in 2013, she developed the IT strategy for the local entity including the multichannel marketing strategy. Later when they worked on a regional strategy she aligned the local strategy with the global initiatives. At GSK she was also the IT lead for regional initiatives like deployment of Veeva and Gross to Net programs which were both very critical for business. At GSK, she was also part of the global business process advisory group who was responsible for developing Global Commercial Operations Roadmaps and Strategies. She also led strategy and execution of key regional initiative for HCP engagement to develop sales force capability of 2500+ medical representatives across MENA markets for use of digital tools and enable them to support webinars for their customers.

After working for a Big 4, top global Pharmaceutical, leading FMCG, teaching university students and failing at entrepreneurship once, she has recently moved on from her role as Head of IT for GSK Pakistan & Iran to pursue another passion, another idea and set up her own Education Technology venture. She is also working as an Independent consultant for IT Governance and Security projects.

She is a graduate of Computer Science, with an MBA, along with certifications of CISA, CGEIT, and PMP. She has also attended courses at the Technology Leadership Institute, UC Berkeley.