Federal government designates Abu Bakar as the new CEO of PSEB

The Federal Government has appointed Abu Bakar as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), finally filling the leadership gap that persisted for more than two years.

The appointment was finalized after a panel of three candidates was submitted to the federal government, which appointed Abu Bakar for the position. The Ministry of IT and Telecom has already issued an official offer letter for the appointment for the term of three years.

Abu Bakar, a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in technology and business operations, is Open Global Pakistan’s president. He has served in different leadership roles on different international organizations, specializing in digital transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and business process optimization.

The process of recruitment for the new CEO started after the position that was formerly known as Managing Director was advertised on April 7^th, 2024. A total of 234 applications were filed, of which just six candidates were offered for final approval at the 59^th  PSEB Board of Directors’ meeting in June. Abu Bakar was chosen after careful consideration had been given.

The leadership position has been vacant since the previous Managing Director’s tenure ended in August 2022. Even though the post was changed from Managing Director to CEO, the process of recruitment took a long time, which meant that the PSEB went for a long time without a permanent head. An earlier bid to appoint Ali Raza Khan in 2023 was also dismissed because he could not secure clearances on security issues.

Abu Bakar’s appointment has come at the right time for PSEB since the organization is set to improve the export of software from Pakistan. With his background in M&A, digital innovation and operational leadership, the tenure is expected to bring a much-needed strategic direction to PSEB’s growth, stability and the digitization of Pakistan’s IT sector.