Asif M. Shaikh

Asif M. Shaikh has led path-breaking development approaches in energy, agriculture, food security, governance, and economic policy. He is CEO of PaxTerra, a firm focused on emerging markets, private equity, and professional services. He is also a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Mr. Shaikh co-founded International Resources Group (IRG) and served as its CEO for 22 years, leading IRG to become the first development company to receive the Federal Government Contractor of the Year Award in 2004. Mr. Shaikh previously served on executive committees for the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, and CSIS. He has served on several oversight and policy boards for USAID, the World Bank, the National Academy of Sciences, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and others. In 2013, Mr. Shaikh received the Society for International Development Washington, D.C., (SID-W) Chapter’s Award for Leadership in Development. He is chair emeritus for the National Museum of African Art Advisory Board and SID-W and president of the Robbins Center for Cross-Cultural Communication. Mr. Shaikh holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a master’s degree in economics from Columbia University.