Experience

Aug 2019 – Present
Principal Consultant and CEO
Frontline Development Solutions (FDS)
Vienna, Virginia, United States
Currently consulting the World Bank, IFC, GIZ, ACET and Asian Development Bank on various subjects like private sector development strategies, Connective Cities and Local Economic Development, Program Evaluation, Industrial Innovation, Renewable Energy, Investment Climate, Tourism, Green Recovery with speical focus on how private capital can be leveraged for development.
July 2016 – July 2019
Chief Learning Specialist
The World Bank Group Washington D.C., United States
Worked as an internal resource with the World Bank Group operations team to optimize team outcomes through delivery effectiveness by developing customized solutions for technical/thematic challenges/opportunities focused on business-specific issues related to investment climate, agribusiness, SMEs and linking them with program outcomes.
Oct 2014 – June 2016
Program Manager/Lead Learning Specialist
The World Bank Group Washington D.C., United States
As a member of the LLI Senior Management Team, worked with the Regional Management and HQ Senior Management Team to construct and offer an Outcome Focused Team Collaboration Engagement Process – branded as Synergize and built a delivery-oriented Learning Architect and Framework for the Global Practices focusing on critical priorities and shared vision.
Aug 2008 – Sep 2014
Principal Operations Officer and Member/Secretary of Advisory Learning Council
The World Bank Group Washington, United States
Designed and implemented various Learning and Onboarding Programs to support Quality at Entry through a systematic onboarding, program design process, and providing support to the Project Teams in program implementation- especially on SME, Value Chain development.
Sep 2002 – Aug 2008
Head and Deputy General Manager
International Finance Corporation (IFC) Bangladesh
Managed a five-year, $45 million regional multi-donor funded IFC Advisory program (raised 40 million funding from the donors) covering Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Northeast India and provided overall supervision (including staff management, human resources, learning, and onboarding) to a team of sixty international, regional, and local professionals offering market-led sector development services through access to finance, investment climate and working with firms in improving their competitiveness (sectors covered– textile and garments, agribusiness – seed, fertilizer, poultry, and light manufacturing).
2000 – 2002
Program Director
Swisscontact
Bangladesh
Worked as a Program Director for Business Development Services Program in Bangladesh. I facilitated local business service providers to access to the small/medium enterprise entrepreneurs to commercially sell their services instead of providing the classic subsidy. I also facilitated the expansion of the program through a multi-donor initiated funding of roughly $55 million that is now considered one of the largest market development initiatives in the world.
1987 – 1988
Technical Advisor
Office of the Govt and Cabinet Lilongwe, Milawi
Set up a Monitoring and Evaluation System of how market-led approaches can create jobs at rural growth centers in disaster-prone areas; trained more than 400 extension officers and government staff on providing SME consulting and entrepreneurship training, with particular focus on women entrepreneurs and unemployed youths.

Worked with the ILO in offering entrepreneurship training for young adults coming out of basic vocational and skills training.

2000 – 2002
Consultant
Small Enterprise Development and Cooperative Organization (SEDCO)
Harare, Zimbabwe
Engaged with 500 SMEs and identified feasible projects for small enterprises to invest, working with the demobilized freedom fighters in setting up income generation activities.
1984
Consultant
International Labor Organization (ILO) Banjul, The Gambia
Established an outcome-based entrepreneurship development program for SMEs with a particular focus on women entrepreneurs.
1984 – 1987
Project Manager
Small Business Promotion Program Kathmandu, Nepal
As a Nepalese counterpart to GIZ, trained and managed more than 20 professionals, designed a training-monitoring and evaluation system for entrepreneurship development program and SME consulting in 7 municipalities replicated in 65 countries with an average start-up rate of 60%.
1982 – 1984
Advisor
Ministry of Industry, Government of Nepal Nepal
Worked as a coordinator/team member to design a new foreign investment policy in Nepal and organized a 1st ever Investment Forum with more than 50 potential international investors.
1978 – 1982
Chief of Productivity Branch
Industrial Services Center Kathmandu, Nepal
Carried out productivity measurements for various sub-sectors in Nepal for South and East Asia comparisons with the Asian Productivity Organization as a Team Member.