Huawei Pakistan has appointed Kanwal Cheema as the new Chief Executive Officer of its Financial Services Industry (FSI) division, a move that reflects the company’s strategy to deepen its engagement with Pakistan’s rapidly growing digital financial and technology sectors. The appointment marks an important leadership transition as Huawei expands its role in supporting banks, fintechs, government institutions, and enterprise clients across the country.
Cheema brings with her a career built across multinational technology companies and social innovation platforms, combining technical expertise with strategic leadership. Before joining Huawei, she held a series of senior roles in the global technology industry, where she worked at the intersection of infrastructure, digital transformation, and customer experience. Her leadership style has been widely associated with building scalable systems and fostering long-term partnerships.
She began her professional journey at Cisco Systems in Amsterdam, where she worked as a Systems Engineer and gained hands-on experience in enterprise networking and large-scale IT architecture. Over time, she worked across multiple regions and industry verticals, developing a track record in managing complex technology deployments. Her progression led her to assume the role of Global Account Director in Sydney, where she was responsible for managing high-value international clients and cross-border digital transformation initiatives.
Following her work in large multinational firms, Cheema joined the founding team of Silicon Valley-based startup Graphiant. At the young company, she led global partnerships and marketing strategy, playing a central role in shaping the company’s growth during its early expansion phase. Her experience in startup environments added to her background in enterprise technology, giving her a balanced perspective on both large-scale systems and agile innovation models.
Alongside her corporate career, Cheema is also known for her work in social impact through My Impact Meter (MIM), which she founded as Pakistan’s first digital charity marketplace. The platform focuses on transparency and accountability in philanthropy by enabling NGOs to operate through a structured digital ecosystem. It also allows individuals to gift essential services such as groceries, education, and healthcare to beneficiaries who are verified through CNIC-based processes, helping bridge trust gaps within the charitable sector.
Industry analysts note that Huawei already maintains a strong footprint in Pakistan’s technology sector, particularly in telecommunications infrastructure, cloud computing, and enterprise solutions. With Cheema’s appointment, the company is expected to further strengthen its engagement with financial institutions, digital service providers, fintech companies, and public-sector partners, particularly in areas linked to digital payments, secure infrastructure, and data-driven financial services.
Observers believe that her blend of global technology experience, startup leadership, and social entrepreneurship positions her to play a crucial role in shaping Huawei Pakistan’s strategy for the Financial Services Industry division. Her leadership is expected to focus on building local capabilities, fostering collaborations, and contributing to the evolution of Pakistan’s digital finance ecosystem at a time when the country is witnessing accelerated adoption of technology-driven financial services.
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