Sultan Mahmud Tiwana is a strategic thinker and planner with an SME & Microfinance specialization. He is an Entrepreneurship trainer with hands on experience of organizing and managing Institutional Capacity Building of Training Institutions (TIs) and Business Development Services (BDS), across the Value Chains.  Additionally, he has  international experience in Afghanistan for the World Bank, as an SME expert in ISM and MTR missions.  

Education

• Executive Training at Harvard, Kennedy School of Government, on “Financial Institutions for Private Enterprise Development”, FIPED, Aug 2007

• Masters in Business Administration with combined majors in Marketing and Finance from Institute of Business Administration, University of Karachi, 1984.

• Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Technology from Dawood College of Engineering,E.D. University, Karachi, 1982.

Current Position

            Pro-Rector/ Vice Chancellor BRAINS Institute, Peshawar

Major career achievements

• Principal Author of “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor”, C-PEC July 2013. Being termed as a Game changer of historic proportions, by many.
• Strategized and steered the preparation of SME Development plan (2013-18), for SMEDA, covering Policy reforms, Sectoral and Entrepreneurial Eco-system development initiatives, subsequently adopted by the Govt. of Pakistan as part of Vision 2025, Sept 2013.
• Lead Consultant for Prime Minister’s Interest Free Loan Scheme, PMIFL with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, launching the PKR 3.5 Billion scheme from Program announcement to developing its implementation guidelines, ‘Operations Manual’.
• Directed and supervised the role of SMEDA, in Prime Ministers Youth Business Loans program, as Focal person SMEDA for PMYBL 2013-2014.
• A member of Implementation Support Mission (ISM) and Midterm Review (MTR) mission of The World Bank as an international consultant for SME/ SME finance in Afghanistan (AREDP) May, Aug and Oct. 2012
• National Project Director for a UNDP (EU funded) project (SMEDA-ER), for early recovery of flood-affected communities in 30 districts across the country; Carrying out “Regional development planning” with Asset profiling, enhancement of Rural Value Chains and PKR 300 Million Grant component.
• National Project Director, ProGole - a joint UNDP-SMEDA project for legal empowerment of poor; Winner of a UNDP Regional award (Asia-Pacific), with grant for a pilot implementation for innovative delivery of legal services to marginalized businesses, through service providers.2010-12
• Successfully steered ‘Sector development strategies’ process for “Marble and Granite” and “Gems and Jewelry” sectors and supervised eight (8) other SME sectors, resulting in formation of dedicated sector development companies including Pakistan Stone Development Company-PASDEC and PGJDC, etc with stake-holders participation in Public private partnership mode, 2004-06.
• Successfully planned and implemented capacity building program, ‘Accounting Services to SMEs by BDS (SMAP program), building capacities of over 30,000 small and micro enterprises SME clients by business development services, BDS networks in PPP mode. 2006-08
• Initiated and directed capacity building and market access of rural entrepreneurs and groups through establishment of business development services, BDS networks, Rural enterprise development program known as AHAN program 2007
• Developed and implemented ‘Capacity building of Banking Institutions for delivery of Finance’ to SMEs including ‘Program lending’, ‘Awareness program for SME Finance products’ and training of SME bankers on SME accounting software, SMAP 2010
• Coordinated SME financing programs of all seven public sector commercial banks of Pakistan as the Prime Minister’s coordinator for Self Employment Scheme, Apl- Oct 1999.
• Established and managed the first SME financing program for a commercial bank, The Bank of Khyber, including formation of SME credit policy. April 1994 to June 1999.
• Established and managed, the first, micro financing program in the banking industry of Pakistan for The Bank of Khyber including design and development of systems and procedures for communities’ and groups’ lending, 1994 to jun1999
• Initiated and directed Micro-finance plus; enterprise-support systems for rural communities and groups for non financial BDS, 1994 to 1999

Research and development

• Principal author of “Small gems mining policy for NWFP”- A Go NWFP- SMEDA undertaking for third generation reforms, 2000.
• Lead strategy development and implementation of “Marble & Granite sector development plan” 1999, and continued collaboration with Strategy working groups (SWOGs) of stakeholders - 2004.
• Principal author of Draft “Entrepreneurship development strategy” a guideline for the stakeholders.- Available on SMEDA website, 2002.
• Principal author of “Private sector development strategy” for NWFP in collaboration with the stakeholders, a GoNWFP-SMEDA working paper for World Bank, 2001.
• Co-Led Feasibility study for a Credit Guarantee Fund for SMEs 2014 for UNIDO
• Steered and lead preparation of 56 Prefeasibility studies in a record time of Two weeks for Prime Ministers Small business Loans scheme, Oct 2013.
• Conceptualized and authored “Rural enterprise development program”, being implemented as “AHAN” under Prime Minister’s special initiative by MoP, 2006.
• Lead capacity building study on ‘Banks Readiness for SMEs’ to identify their requirements, SMEDA 2004.
• Principal author of two volumes of Five years development plan for Engineering Industry in Pakistan- for EPB, Govt. of Pakistan as consultant 1992.
• Principal author of “Industrialization strategy for N.W.F.P” for Govt. of NWFP as consultant, 1993.
• Principal author of “Credit strategy for financing Small Scale Industries in the Province of NWFP” for The Bank of Khyber as consultant, 1993..