Rana Waqas

Rana Waqas has a diverse work experience spanning multiple industries and sectors. Rana currently serves as the Commercial Head of Pakistan at Tradewind, where they develop and implements effective sales strategies. Prior to this role, Rana worked as a Business Advisor at Tradewind, utilizing their expertise to navigate the Pakistani market and achieve revenue goals. Additionally, they held the position of Referral Specialist, generating high-volume leads across industries.

Rana is also the Co-founder and COO of Hoopoe, where they played an integral role in building the business from the ground up. In this position, they took on various responsibilities due to the fast-paced and dynamic nature of startups.

Before joining Hoopoe, Rana worked at the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, where they served as the Additional Director and Head of Investment Advisory. In this role, they supported and attracted foreign direct investments to enhance the overall performance of local businesses in Punjab. Rana also held the position of Head of Entrepreneurship and Startup Wing, where they fostered entrepreneurship in the country by facilitating startups and partnering with renowned organizations.

Earlier in their career, Rana worked as a Senior Manager of Business Consulting at Victory Business Consultancy FZE, where they led multiple teams and provided solutions related to debt funding, working capital, and project finance. Rana also held positions at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and United Bank Limited, managing sales teams and portfolios of high-value SME customers.

Rana's experience also includes roles at Standard Chartered Bank and Citi, where they managed portfolios, conducted negotiations, and led collection teams.

Overall, Rana Waqas has a proven track record of contributing to business growth, formulating data-driven strategies, and achieving results across various sectors and industries.

Rana Waqas has a diverse education history. From 2015 to 2017, they attended Hult International Business School and obtained an Executive M.B.A with a focus on Business Administration and Management. Rana then pursued a Master of Arts (MA) from 2017 to 2019 at the University of the Punjab, specializing in Political Science & Government, International Relations, Political Sociology, and Comparative Politics. Prior to this, from 2015 to 2016, Rana Waqas studied Sociology and Education at the University of the Punjab and earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

In 2012, Rana Waqas completed a short course on Risk Management in Banks at the Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies. Before that, from 2009 to 2012, they earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management from Periyar University (Dubai Campus). In 2004, Rana Waqas obtained a Bachelor of Commerce from Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, specializing in Business and Commerce.

In terms of secondary education, Rana Waqas completed their Intermediate education from the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore, in the Humanities Group from 2002 to 2004. Prior to that, they obtained their Matriculation degree in Science from the same board in 2000-2001.

Additionally, Rana Waqas holds an additional certification titled "Improving the Regulatory Environment of Tech Startups and Investments" obtained in August 2022 from the U.S. Department of State.