Sanzar Kakar

Sanzar Kakar
سنزر كاكر
Born Seattle, Washington, US
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
Warwick Business School
Occupation Chairman of Afghanistan Holding Group
Years active 2009–present
Religion Islam
Parent(s) Faizullah Kakar
Suzette Kakar

Sanzar Kakar (Pashto: سنزر كاكر‎, Persian: سنزر كاكر‎‎) is an Afghan entrepreneur and business leader. Kakar founded and serves as the Chairman of Afghanistan Holding Group, a professional business services firm in Afghanistan.[1][2]

Early life

Kakar was born in Seattle, Washington, the son of Dr. Faizullah Kakar[3] and Dr. Suzette Kakar.

In 1989, Kakar moved to Peshawar, Pakistan where his family assisted with Afghan war relief efforts. His father was the Chancellor of the Islamic University of Afghanistan and founded the Research and Advisory Council of Afghanistan.[4] In 1994, Kakar moved to Moundridge, Kansas and then in 1997 to Islamabad, Pakistan. In 2001, Kakar moved to Philadelphia for college.

After the fall of the Taliban, Kakar's father served as the Deputy Minister of Public Health for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan[5] and was then appointed as the Minister Adviser to the President for Health and Education.[6][7] Kakar's mother served as a Senior Medical Officer for the World Health Organization in Afghanistan and Pakistan until her retirement in 2013.

Education

Kakar attended elementary school at Beaconhouse Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan; middle school at Moundridge Middle School in Moundridge, Kansas; and high school at International School of Islamabad in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Kakar served as an organizer, chairman or delegate in over a dozen Model United Nations conferences around the world, including Beijing, The Hague, Montreal, Washington, Berkeley and Sharm-e-Sheikh. He was an editor for a number of publications,[8] including Punch Bowl Magazine (founded 1899).

Kakar graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, majoring in Computer Science Engineering and minoring in Economics. Kakar worked in New Jersey and New York before moving to Kabul, Afghanistan. Kakar also completed a master's program at Warwick Business School, University of Warwick in Coventry, United Kingdom, graduating with a Master of Business Administration, focusing on entrepreneurship and finance.

Career

Kakar formal career began with Merrill Lynch working as a Technology Analyst to develop software to automatically link reporting to the New York Stock Exchange. In 2006, Kakar moved to Afghanistan to serve as the Investment Associate and then Country Director for Acap Partners, a $20 million venture capital fund. In 2007, Kakar was appointed as the Executive Advisor to the Attorney General on the United States Department of State funded Afghanistan Justice Sector Support Program. Kakar worked to reorganize the Attorney General's Office and created an integrated nationwide criminal case management system spanning seven justice institutions in Afghanistan.[9] In late 2008, Kakar served as the Economic Adviser and then Deputy Team Leader for the United Kingdom Department for International Development funded Afghanistan Investment Climate Facility, where he developed operational and fiduciary requirements for the £60 million grant fund.

In 2009, Kakar founded Afghanistan Financial Services, which primarily provided Afghan taxation services to U.S. Government contractors in Afghanistan.[10][11][12][13][14] The firm was featured on BBC News with John Simpson.[15] In 2013, his firm re-branded as Afghanistan Holding Group as it expanded into auditing, research, training and legal services.[16][17]

Kakar has spoken about the need for formal Sharia compliant financial markets in Afghanistan,[1][18][19] including at the American University of Afghanistan and at TEDx Kabul 2014.[20] A comprehensive feasibility study for capital markets was supported by the United States Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations (TFBSO), selecting pomegranates, saffron and sesame as the first three commodities that could be traded.

Kakar also speaks regularly about the business environment in Afghanistan, including on National Public Radio with Tom Ashbrook.[21] Kakar is a strong advocate for increasing foreign direct investment to Afghanistan, calling for more stability and predictability in the regulatory environment.[22][23][24]

References

  1. 1 2 Correspondent, Wadsam. "Stock Exchange in Kabul". Wadsam Afghan Business News. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  2. ↑ Sharifi, Arian (8 August 2013). "How to improve US aid delivery in Afghanistan". The Hill. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Erek,, Bruns V. "Dr. Faizullah Kakar". http://www.afghan-bios.info. Afghan Bios. Retrieved 4 July 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  4. ↑ List of Publications Authored by Dr. Faizullah Kakar. PubFacts. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Afghan Deputy Public Health Minister". http://www.gettyimages.co.uk. Getty Images. Retrieved 9 July 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  6. ↑ DuBose, Ramona (12 October 2011). "Afghan Minister Visits UNC to Discuss Global Health Issues". UNC Global. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  7. ↑ Stancati, Margherita (7 July 2014). "Afghan Taliban Bans Polio Vaccination in Southern Province". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Zheng, Cici. "Screening depicts lives of young Afghan refugees". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Rule of Law Conference in Nangarhar". 4th Brigade 4th Infantry Division. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "Afghanistan 2014 and Beyond" (PDF). Rebuild Afghanistan Summit. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "Contingency Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan" (PDF). American Conference Institute. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "Contracting in Afghanistan-Overcoming Challenges and Seizing Opportunities". Afghan American Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "American Chamber of Commerce in Afghanistan". AmCham. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Afghan Taxes, Business Registration and Cost Recovery - A Step by Step Guide". Federal Publications Seminars. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  15. ↑ Simpson, John. "Afghanistan: Will the Taliban take over again?". BBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  16. ↑ Zeland, Sayar. "Financial Audits Lend Credibility to Companies" (July 2014 Issue). Afghan Zariza. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  17. ↑ Correspondent, Zariza. "AHG establishes communication hubs at ACCI to give fillip to business activity in Afghanistan". Afghan Zariza. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  18. ↑ Mashal, Mujib. "Has the Time Come for a Kabul Stock Exchange?". TIME Magazine. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  19. ↑ Al Sayegh, Hadeel. "Kabul plans a stock market 'free zone'". The National. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  20. ↑ Kakar, Sanzar. "Why Afghanistan Needs an Exchange Now". TEDx Kabul. TEDx. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  21. ↑ Ashbrook, Tom. "Afghanistan After Karzai". NPR. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  22. ↑ Alexander, Cornwell. "UAE government to support companies expanding into new markets". Gulf News. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  23. ↑ Doing Business 2012: Doing Business in a More Transparent World. World Bank. October 18, 2011. ISBN 9780821388341. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  24. ↑ Cusack, Jake. "Bactrian Gold: Challenges and Hope for Private-Sector Development in Afghanistan" (PDF). Kauffman Foundation Research Series (February 2011). Retrieved 15 July 2014.
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