who we are - engro foundation

our philosophy

Engro Foundation was born from the passionate belief that only with a purpose beyond profit do all commercial endeavors find meaning. For over fifteen years we have supported and empowered innovation and supported partners in line with our core commitment to create lasting difference in the communities we engage in by perpetuating self sustaining transformational initiatives.

We combine financial contributions from Engro group companies with external contributions to achieve our mission. Owing to demonstrated results and excellence of execution we are the partner of choice in the development sector for local, international and government development agencies.

To maximize social and economic impact of our developmental work Engro Foundation has pivoted to an inclusive business model that targets low-income communities where Engro businesses are based. By innovatively providing low-income communities with opportunities of skills development and livelihood we create an ecosystem of employment, functional markets, products and services that spurs economic growth in targeted underprivileged areas and encourages entrepreneurship.

This model enables underprivileged members of our society to emerge as potential business partners and become vendors, customers and employees in our business value chains.

our leadership

Our Board of Trustees consists of the top executives from Engro group of companies. The board follows strict governance and meets regularly and is responsible for setting up the strategic direction for Engro Foundation.

Hussain Dawood

Chairman
Non-Executive Director

Mr. Hussain Dawood joined the Board in 2003 and serves as the Chairman of Engro Corporation since 2006. Under his stewardship, the Company’s revenue has grown over 20 times and Engro has emerged as a partner of choice for international businesses exploring investments in Pakistan. During his period, Engro has focused on solutions for pressing issues faced by the Country by expanding existing businesses and entering into new fields of business, like mining, power generation, and telecom infrastructure, to name a few. He also serves as Chairman of the Dawood Hercules Corporation. Mr. Dawood is enthusiastic about human development based on Character and Good Manners (CGM). Under his stewardship, the Hussain Dawood Chairman Group is now focused on continuously investing in the growth potential of both its people and businesses. This entails competency in leadership development, upskilling and reskilling, and international partnerships, ultimately contributing to the growth of Pakistan. Mr. Dawood is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Dawood Foundation (TDF), which focuses on Education Inspiring Social Change. The Magnifiscience Centre, Pakistan’s first interactive science museum, was conceptualized and developed by TDF. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Karachi School of Business & Leadership (KSBL), a graduate management school focused on inspiring effective leaders. Within KSBL, the Engro Leadership Academy strives to embody the principles of CGM for all who pass through its doors. Mr. Dawood is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. He has been leading the Group’s engagement with the World Economic Forum since 1992. Mr. Dawood holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA, and is a graduate in Metallurgy from Sheffield University, UK.

Ahsan Zafar Syed

President & Chief Executive Officer
Engro Corporation Ltd.

Ahsan Zafar Syed is the CEO of Engro Fertilizers Limited – Pakistan's premier seed-to-harvest solutions provider and a subsidiary of Engro Corporation Limited. Ahsan started his professional career with Engro (then Exxon Chemical Pakistan Limited) more than 30 years ago. As a proud alumnus of NED, he has vast experience of leading multi-billion-dollar, mega-scale projects and stakeholder management to achieve several notable milestones for Engro. He played a key role in construction of the USD 1.1 Billion EnVen Project, the world's largest single train urea plant, for Engro Fertilizers. After EnVen’s commissioning, in 2011, Ahsan spearheaded the operations of Pakistan’s largest rice processing facility in Muridke for Engro Eximp Agriproducts. Since 2014, Ahsan had been the bedrock of Engro’s Energy vertical, responsible for taking the Thar project to its commercial operations in 2019 and developing a path for the company to operate in a liberal market using renewable fuels as the source. He served as the CEO of Engro Energy, overseeing investments, operations, and business development at Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited (EPQL), Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL), Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), Engro Energy Services Limited (EESL), and Siddiqsons Energy Limited. By establishing the CPEC-endorsed Thar power and mining projects under his leadership, the Engro Energy vertical has been able to successfully unearth Pakistan’s large coal reserves in Thar and contributed significant foreign exchange savings for the Country’s progress. Additionally, Ahsan is Chairman of the Board of Elengy Terminal Pakistan Limited and serves on the Boards of Tenaga Generasi Limited and Engro Elengy Terminal (Pvt) Limited. He has served as Convenor “Light Engineering Sector” at the Engineering Development Board of Pakistan as well. As a visionary who is passionate about advancing the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) agenda, Ahsan has championed various programs to increase women representation at Engro and develop them as future leaders. A true practitioner of socially responsible business practices, he is also passionate about community welfare and enhancing industry-academia linkages to upskill the talented youth of Pakistan. Ahsan earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology and subsequently pursued a post-graduate degree in the USA. He has also completed executive programs from INSEAD.

Sabrina Dawood

Non-Executive Director
Engro Corporation Ltd.

Director Sabrina Dawood is the CEO of The Dawood Foundation (TDF), a philanthropic organisation working to promote education and the creation of informal learning spaces and opportunities. Some of the projects under TDF are the TDF Ghar, TDF Nature Series, The Magnifiscience Children’s Studio, Dawood Public School and Karachi School of Business & Leadership. Another ongoing project in the informal education space is the construction of Pakistan's first interactive science museum, The Magnifiscience Center. Sabrina is Director on the Boards of Engro Corporation Ltd., Engro Foundation, Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited, Dawood Lawrencepur Limited and Karachi Education Initiative (KEI). She is also the member of Board of Governors of the National Management Foundation (NMF) of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Board of WWF – Pakistan. Recently, due to the COVID pandemic, she Chairs the Hussain Dawood Pledge. The HD Pledge is a multiple corporate billion-rupee contribution of services, kind and cash for the mitigation and/or relief of COVID and its ramifications. She holds an MSc in Medical Anthropology from University College London & a BA from London School of Economics in Anthropology and Law.

Hussain Dawood
Chairman
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Hussain Dawood joined the Board in 2003 and serves as the Chairman of Engro Corporation since 2006. Under his stewardship, the Company’s revenue has grown over 20 times and Engro has emerged as a partner of choice for international businesses exploring investments in Pakistan. During his period, Engro has focused on solutions for pressing issues faced by the Country by expanding existing businesses and entering into new fields of business, like mining, power generation, and telecom infrastructure, to name a few. He also serves as Chairman of the Dawood Hercules Corporation. Mr. Dawood is enthusiastic about human development based on Character and Good Manners (CGM). Under his stewardship, the Hussain Dawood Chairman Group is now focused on continuously investing in the growth potential of both its people and businesses. This entails competency in leadership development, upskilling and reskilling, and international partnerships, ultimately contributing to the growth of Pakistan. Mr. Dawood is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Dawood Foundation (TDF), which focuses on Education Inspiring Social Change. The Magnifiscience Centre, Pakistan’s first interactive science museum, was conceptualized and developed by TDF. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Karachi School of Business & Leadership (KSBL), a graduate management school focused on inspiring effective leaders. Within KSBL, the Engro Leadership Academy strives to embody the principles of CGM for all who pass through its doors. Mr. Dawood is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. He has been leading the Group’s engagement with the World Economic Forum since 1992. Mr. Dawood holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA, and is a graduate in Metallurgy from Sheffield University, UK.
Ahsan Zafar Syed
President & Chief Executive Officer
Engro Corporation Ltd.
Ahsan Zafar Syed is the CEO of Engro Fertilizers Limited – Pakistan's premier seed-to-harvest solutions provider and a subsidiary of Engro Corporation Limited. Ahsan started his professional career with Engro (then Exxon Chemical Pakistan Limited) more than 30 years ago. As a proud alumnus of NED, he has vast experience of leading multi-billion-dollar, mega-scale projects and stakeholder management to achieve several notable milestones for Engro. He played a key role in construction of the USD 1.1 Billion EnVen Project, the world's largest single train urea plant, for Engro Fertilizers. After EnVen’s commissioning, in 2011, Ahsan spearheaded the operations of Pakistan’s largest rice processing facility in Muridke for Engro Eximp Agriproducts. Since 2014, Ahsan had been the bedrock of Engro’s Energy vertical, responsible for taking the Thar project to its commercial operations in 2019 and developing a path for the company to operate in a liberal market using renewable fuels as the source. He served as the CEO of Engro Energy, overseeing investments, operations, and business development at Engro Powergen Qadirpur Limited (EPQL), Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL), Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), Engro Energy Services Limited (EESL), and Siddiqsons Energy Limited. By establishing the CPEC-endorsed Thar power and mining projects under his leadership, the Engro Energy vertical has been able to successfully unearth Pakistan’s large coal reserves in Thar and contributed significant foreign exchange savings for the Country’s progress. Additionally, Ahsan is Chairman of the Board of Elengy Terminal Pakistan Limited and serves on the Boards of Tenaga Generasi Limited and Engro Elengy Terminal (Pvt) Limited. He has served as Convenor “Light Engineering Sector” at the Engineering Development Board of Pakistan as well. As a visionary who is passionate about advancing the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) agenda, Ahsan has championed various programs to increase women representation at Engro and develop them as future leaders. A true practitioner of socially responsible business practices, he is also passionate about community welfare and enhancing industry-academia linkages to upskill the talented youth of Pakistan. Ahsan earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology and subsequently pursued a post-graduate degree in the USA. He has also completed executive programs from INSEAD.
Sabrina Dawood
Non-Executive Director
Engro Corporation Ltd.
Director Sabrina Dawood is the CEO of The Dawood Foundation (TDF), a philanthropic organisation working to promote education and the creation of informal learning spaces and opportunities. Some of the projects under TDF are the TDF Ghar, TDF Nature Series, The Magnifiscience Children’s Studio, Dawood Public School and Karachi School of Business & Leadership. Another ongoing project in the informal education space is the construction of Pakistan's first interactive science museum, The Magnifiscience Center. Sabrina is Director on the Boards of Engro Corporation Ltd., Engro Foundation, Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited, Dawood Lawrencepur Limited and Karachi Education Initiative (KEI). She is also the member of Board of Governors of the National Management Foundation (NMF) of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Board of WWF – Pakistan. Recently, due to the COVID pandemic, she Chairs the Hussain Dawood Pledge. The HD Pledge is a multiple corporate billion-rupee contribution of services, kind and cash for the mitigation and/or relief of COVID and its ramifications. She holds an MSc in Medical Anthropology from University College London & a BA from London School of Economics in Anthropology and Law.

our mission

Engro Foundation’s mission is to integrate the underprivileged into Engro’s value chains, improve the lives of people in associated communities, and engage with relevant stakeholders via actively measured positive social impact for a sustainable Pakistan.

our guiding principles

shared value creation

Engro Foundation is deeply committed to creating shared value. To ensure lasting impact, every project must be integrated into a larger value chain. We collaborate with government entities, national and international development agencies, businesses, and communities to actively work across our business value chains. For small farmers trapped in poverty cycles, simply increasing yield is not enough. Through our fertilizer farmer chain, we help establish infrastructure and credit mechanisms for inputs like pesticides and fertilizer. We also assist farmers in developing market linkages to ensure they receive the best prices. We partner with the government to provide necessary infrastructure, such as paved roads, better education, and healthcare facilities. This collaboration among all stakeholders, leveraging their deep knowledge and skills, reshapes their relationship with society and creates shared value.

sustainability and scalability

Sustainable projects are designed to endure. Our initiatives use initial funding for essential launch phases but are structured to thrive long-term. We seek interventions that engage all community stakeholders and drive lasting positive change. Our projects are scalable, aiming to impact the maximum number of people. Through comprehensive planning during the design stage, we ensure our work can be replicated across different regions.

understanding sustainable impact

Engro Foundation’s close engagement with local communities and in-depth knowledge of Engro’s various value chains have equipped us with a comprehensive understanding of sustainable impact. Our proximity to these value chains provides us with a robust, 360-degree perspective on community needs. This insight enables us to align our development efforts with both community requirements and business growth effectively.

project management standards

Engro Foundation’s long history of successfully delivering development projects in multiple communities has helped us develop institutional expertise in monitoring and evaluation. Our focus on continuous learning has enabled us to iteratively improve our project management. Maintaining extremely high project management standards is the reason behind Engro Foundation becoming a partner of choice for all notable development agencies.

concept design

As Engro evolved from being a chemical company to one of the largest conglomerates in the country, the role of Engro Foundation has also matured. With experience our project designs have evolved from being contributions to becoming more inclusive and sustainable.

our team

Favad Soomro

Head of Engro Foundation

Favad has been affiliated with Engro group for more than 20 years and is the Head of Engro Foundation. He joined Engro Fertilizer in 1999 as Distribution Officer in the Marketing department. After various stints at Engro Fertilizer in the Marketing and Public Affairs department Favad moved to Engro Polymer and Chemicals as Market Development Advisor. Currently as the Head of Engro Foundation Favad looks after the CSR activities for all Engro subsidiaries. He obtained his MBA degree from Institute of Business Administration in Karachi.

Sameen Anis

Manager, Sustainability

Awais A. Mahar

Head of Community Programs & Operations

Hamza Farookhi

Assistant Manager, Community Programs & Operations

Zain Mustafa Syed

Assistant Manager, Sustainability Projects
Engro Foundation

Dr Sadoro Naz Keerio

Business Sustainability Associate

Dr Sadoro Naz Keerio looks after all activities of Engro Foundation from the field office located at Daharki, he has been associated with the Engro Companies since 2010 and has a vast experience of working in the field. He has experience in developing strategies to mobilize communities to participate in the design, implementation and maintenance of Programs as well as designing viable strategies which are both respectful with the local culture and sensitive towards the female population. He has also worked on creating livelihood opportunities for members of the community around Engro plant in Daharki. He is Engro Foundation’s go to person for all the development work in Daharki and Katcha area. He has done Masters in Rural Sociology from University of Sindh and has also worked at Lead Pakistan.

Mohammad Fayyaz

Finance and Admin Coordinator

Mohammad Fayyaz is a core member of Engro Foundation and looks after the Administration and Accounts. He joined Engro Chemicals in 2006 as a Shares Officer and moved to Engro Foundation in 2011. A lot of his work revolves around handling the payments and accounts for the various CSR and business inclusive projects that Engro Foundation is running in different geographies of Pakistan. During his time at Engro Foundation Fayyaz has successfully helped the team in accounting and financial management of the Model Village project, Women Empowerment through Livestock Development (WELD) and Strengthening Entrepreneurs and Dairy Stakeholders Network (SEaDS Net). Some of his major achievements include successful financial closure of Engro Reading Program, a USAID funded project with extensive reporting requirements, error free tax deduction and return filing on behalf of Engro Foundation and automation of check issuance, a project that was also initiated by him. He has done Bachelor of Commerce, from Karachi University.

Maha Amin

Advisor Communications & Special Projects
Engro Foundation

Favad Soomro
Head of Engro Foundation
Sameen Anis
Manager, Sustainability
Awais A. Mahar
Head of Community Programs & Operations
Hamza Farookhi
Assistant Manager, Community Programs & Operations
Zain Mustafa Syed
Assistant Manager, Sustainability Projects

Engro Foundation
Dr Sadoro Naz Keerio
Business Sustainability Associate
Mohammad Fayyaz
Finance and Admin Coordinator
Maha Amin
Advisor Communications & Special Projects

Engro Foundation