Dr. Zain Farooq

As an award-winning fintech entrepreneur, I bring over a decade of proven leadership in building, scaling, and managing digital financial solutions across Pakistan and the GCC. Currently serving as Managing Director at Barq PK (formerly MyTM), I lead regulatory alignment, product innovation, strategic partnerships, and EMI licensing under the State Bank of Pakistan's framework. I have demonstrated resilience, vision, and global recognition through ventures like MyTM, the Sullis Card, and collaborations with Mastercard, Zindigi, and Ignite. My work reflects a deep understanding of digital finance, customer-centric models, and operational excellence required to lead an EMI institution in Pakistan.

• Acquired by Barq Group in 2025; transitioned into Barq PK under my leadership.
• Founder of MyTM – Pakistan’s award-winning fintech platform promoting youth empowerment and digital inclusion.
• Presidential Award 2024 for outstanding contributions in the Entrepreneurship and Fintech Startup sector
• Launched Sullis Card in 2024 (in partnership with JS Bank/Zindigi and Mastercard) for Hajj & Umrah pilgrims – includes cashback, airport lounge access, and full POS functionality.
• Received two NOCs from the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) for Digital SME Lending.
• Runner-up in Fintech category at Xtreme Tech Challenge USA 2022 – pitched to Bill Gates and other global investors.
• Secured $1M contract at LEAP 2022 (KSA) with support from Ignite and the Digital Cooperation Organization.
• Winner or World Entrepreneurship World Cup 2022 (Nationals)
• First Pakistani startup to win GITEX Supernova (2021), competing against 2,130 global startups.
• Successfully raised investment thrice (2019, 2022 and 2023) under extreme macroeconomic pressure after 800+ rejections.
• Built MyTM Consumer and Dukaan App – enabling mobile payments, ticketing, Umrah packages, and bill payments both online and at retail outlets.
• Led a company employing 130 people with operations in 6 cities across 2 countries and an annual turnover of $2M+.

Financial Technology – University of Michigan 2025

• - Studied the evolution of digital finance, including digital payments, blockchain technology, smart contracts, and decentralized finance (DeFi).
• - Learned how fintech is reshaping lending, insurance, wealth management, and crowdfunding.
• - Gained knowledge of regulatory risks, cybersecurity, and financial data privacy.
• - Applied real-world case studies of global fintech leaders.

Digital Transformation of Financial Services – Copenhagen Business School 2025

• - Analyzed how traditional financial institutions adapt to digital disruption through agile technologies and customer-centric strategies.
• - Studied open banking, platform-based competition, and the impact of fintech startups on incumbent banks.
• - Learned to design organizational models that foster innovation in highly regulated environments.
• - Reviewed digital trust, ethical AI, and governance in financial platforms.

Fintech: Foundations, Payments & Regulations – University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) 2025

• - Developed a foundational understanding of fintech ecosystems including real-time payments, mobile wallets, P2P lending, and alternative credit scoring.
• - Studied the role of regulation in fintech innovation, and how countries like India, Kenya, and China have enabled scale through policy.
• - Reviewed the rise of RegTech, InsurTech, and digital challenger banks.
• - Built analytical skills for assessing compliance, consumer protection, and market readiness for fintech products.