Asian BusinessAward for British Pakistani entrepreneur

LONDON: British Pakistani businessman and CPIC founding member Zeeshan Shah was “International Entrepreneur of the year 2019” at the annual Asian Business Awards.

In a star-studded event for the Asian Business Awards here, British professionals and business heavyweights of Pakistani, Indian, Chinese and Bangladeshi origin were recognised for their outstanding achievements. The ultimate award and highest accolade of the evening was given to British Pakistani serial-entrepreneur and former Apprentice star Zeeshan Shah.

The citation read that Zeeshan Shah is a self-made entrepreneur who came to the UK nine years ago with almost nothing in his pocket after growing up in Karachi. It said that Zeeshan Shah now owns multi-million pound businesses with offices in Karachi, Gwadar, Islamabad, Dubai, London and New York with over 400 employees and projects under development in excess of $500 million. The organisers said the special award of “The International Entrepreneur of the Year” has been started to recognise “a true giant of the business world”. The host of the evening said: “There are only a small number of men and women who can even qualify for this prestigious award. The individual chosen this year has excelled in an exceptionally challenging global business environment and is well known in the business community here at home and abroad. Zeeshan Shah is an international acclaimed CEO and is someone we are deeply honoured to recognise on this platform.”

Commenting on the win, Zeeshan Shah said it was an absolute honour for him to be recognised with the top award of the evening alongside the heavyweights of British Asian business society.

“I came to London nine years ago with £500 in my pocket and it is unbelievable to be standing here today and winning this accolade. As a British-Pakistani representing Pakistan on the highest level of business in British society is an honour for me,” he said.

“Pakistanis are amongst the most intelligent people in the world if we apply our minds positively. I hope my victory as International Entrepreneur of the Year can inspire more Pakistanis to rise to the pinnacle of their chosen fields and understand what potential we have as a nation both in Pakistan and globally,” he added.

Zeeshan Shah said that his firm is investing heavily in Gwadar and that fact has been acknowledged at the international stage as more and more investors are looking to spend money in the gateway city.