I am a technology executive with over 20 years of leadership and commercial experience in startups and high-growth companies in emerging markets. I have a cross-functional background in business operations, strategy, development, and implementation, with a focus on financial services, media, and distributed energy.As the Group CEO and Co-Founder of AzamPay (payments processing) and Sarafu (e-commerce), I lead a combined team of over 180 employees across East Africa and am responsible for the overall vision, direction, and performance. Successuly grew the combined entity to cashflow-positive within 4 years exceeding $4 million in net revenue by 2024. I also co-founded AzamPesa, the only sim-independent licensed e-money wallet in Tanzania and the fastest growing mobile payments platform in Tanzania. I have extensive international experience in East Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East, where I have led and supported the expansion and operations of various ventures in fintech, telecommunications, media, and content, and captive power. I have also developed and managed strategic partnerships and alliances with key stakeholders, investors, and regulators, raising over $30 million in venture capital and securing multiple large contracts and deals.I regularly undertake internal and external training programs in Negotiation, Communication and other business related topics and have been sought after as a speaker on industry and related business topics at various conferences around the world. I hold a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, with a focus on political and economic development, and a Bachelor of Science Foreign Service from Georgetown University, with a major in international economics. I write about fintech, innovation, and emerging markets on my blog, firasahmad.substack.com.