A career Central Banker and Regulator with over 28 years’ experience at various important positions in State Bank of Pakistan including Head Strategic Management, Director Agricultural Credit, Director Development Finance, Director Islamic Banking, Director Finance and Executive Director Financial Resource Management. With strong strategic orientation, he led the teams to develop regulatory and supervisory framework for rural finance and Islamic finance and gave strategic directions to these evolving areas/sectors. Having a well-rounded and diversified experience in different central banking functions, he has deep insights of banks/FIs regulation and supervision, risk based supervision, development finance, financial markets, financial management, FE reserve management, enterprise risk management, information security and corporate governance.
He is working as the MD and CEO of Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC) since December 2022 and in this short period of less than 8 months has taken several initiatives to transform PSPC into a globally recognized and modern security printer. He has developed the PSPC’s strategic plan, “the vision 2028” for next five years, which sets explicit goals and projects along with the timelines to take the PSPC in the desired direction. As the MD and CEO, he reports to the PSPC Board headed by Governor SBP.
As the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Director Financial Resource Management from May 2018 to November 2022 reporting directly to the Governor, he headed the most diverse portfolio in the SBP as the Executive Director, and led and steered the finance, the treasury operations, risk management, information security, currency management, and government banking teams. He also spearheaded the completion of two very complex projects i.e. i) automation of currency management function both in the central bank and the banking industry, and ii) digitization of FBR tax collections and Provincial Governments’ receipts.The projects have led to complete elimination of manual cash processing in the country and digitization of FBR tax receipts, currently over 75% of FBR taxes are collected through digital means. Similarly, various provincial receipts have been digitized that brought huge system wide efficiency and tax payers’ convenience.
Using his deep insights of Islamic finance, he developed the Islamic version of Naya Pakistan Certificates and led the whole process of itsapproval by Ministry of Finance and SBP Shariah Committee, development of the requisite IT platform and launching in October 2020.
Before his deputation to PSPC as MD in December 2022, Mr. Saleem remained an active member of the Executive Committee of SBPconstituted under SBP Act. He also remained a member of Monetary Policy Operations Committee which reviews proposals for consideration of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) and monitors implementation of the monetary policy stance decided by MPC. He was also a member of IT Steering Committee, Management Committee on Property and Equipment, Management Committee on Enterprise Risk Management and the Security Committee of the Bank.
He also Chaired the Business Plans Review Committee with the mandate to review the Business Plans and budgets of business groups/departments and recommend the same for consideration of the Governor. He was also the Chairperson of the IT Procurement Committee having powers to make IT procurements of up to Rs.50 million.
He also served as a Board Member on the Board of Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (PSPC) from 2018 to December 2022 and remained an active member of the Audit Committee and Investment Committee of the PSPC Board. On his recommendation the Audit Committee introduced risk based audit in PSPC requiring assurance from internal audit department on adequacy of risk identification, measurement and management systems in place in PSPC.
He is also representing SBP on the Board of Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance (PICG) as the Board Member and a member of National Council of Institute of Cost and Management Accountants in Pakistan.
His core competencies include strategic orientation, solution-orientedapproach with focus on larger and strategic objectives, team building, conflict resolution, problem solving, clarity of thoughts, concern for details, empathy, trust and compassion for subordinates and fellow colleagues, hardworking and full of positive energy to achieve the professional and institutional objectives.
