Kashif Zafar is Co-Head of Global Distribution and Co-Head of Macro Products within the Investment Bank at Barclays leading a team of nearly 900 people.
Kashif has inspired tangible change across the BAME agenda at Barclays, from his active leadership of the multicultural ‘Embrace’ network, to his authentic personal role-modelling. Through outreach activities, platform events and mentoring, Kashif has inspired people from a range of multicultural backgrounds to bring their talent to Barclays. As a result, Barclays has significantly improved the diversity of those applying to and joining the bank. Thanks to Kashif’s leadership, Barclays is now recognised by SEO as leading the banks recruiter league table and currently hire 50% more BAME interns than the next best competitor, Goldman Sachs. Following these achievements, the make up of the Investment Bank front office intern class has changed over the past 5 years, for example from 25% in 2011 to 45% this year in BAME candidates in the Markets business.
In the UK he sits on the boards of British Pakistan Foundation (BPF), the American School in London (Board Diversity and Admission committee) and the Advisory Board for SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity). In the US Kashif sits on the boards of International House and American Pakistan Foundation and supports SAYA (South Asian Youth Action) and is a member of Global Advisory Councils of Developments in Literacy. He is also an Associate Partner of Acumen (a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of poverty)