Mr Haroon Sharif is Chairman of the Pakistan Regional Economic Forum, a regional advisory organisation working on policy advice and private sector joint ventures to harness the potential of regional markets. He served as Minister of State and Chairman of Pakistan’s Board of Investment in 2018–2019 and, earlier, as Senior Regional Adviser to the World Bank Group on promoting economic cooperation in South and Central Asia. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK, the National Defence University and the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. An expert on regional economic dynamics, international developments, economic diplomacy and financial markets, Mr Sharif regularly delivers keynote lectures at global forums, publishes research and articles, and comments in local and international media. He has received several fellowships and awards. He holds postgraduate qualifications from the London School of Economics and the University of Hawaii.