Zeeshan Aftab is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of 10Pearls for EMEA region. He has over 20 years of cross-functional experience in technology, and startups. Prior to 10Pearls, Zeeshan worked with Malaysian and Indian companies, where he was responsible for implementation of enterprise applications globally.

Zeeshan has a Bachelor in Technology Management from Istanbul University, Turkey, and an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration. He lives in London, and shuttles between Washington DC, Karachi and other locations.

Following are the edited excerpts of a recent conversation BR Research had with him:

BR Research: How did the foundation of 10Pearls take place?

Zeeshan Aftab: After graduating from Istanbul University Turkey, I returned to Pakistan and worked in Software Solutions and IT Education industry. My interaction with all stake holders of the ecosystem gave me ample experience and an understanding of the missing ingredient hindering the growth of IT industry in Pakistan.

I felt that organizations are missing the opportunity to leverage employees’ talent due to their lack of trust and autonomy for employees. I also noticed that the industry was not inclusive and had no participation from women – ignoring 50 percent population. Then there is office bureaucracy and politics – that hinders creativity and openness in people. I aspired to create an organization based on human centric values and inclusivity, that would give people the opportunity to unlock their potential and enable them to contribute to the growth of business.

Based on these values, I co-founded 10Pearls in 2004 with my brother Imran Aftab. At that time, Imran was Heading the Global Sourcing at AOL Time Warner, a role in which he had spent years in vendor management at top outsourcing destinations including India, Philippines, Mexico, South Africa etc. I witnessed first-hand the effect of well-paying jobs in developing communities, and together, we realized how mass job creation could help enrich lives of families and community in Pakistan.

We kicked off the operations in a small room from our apartment with two used computers, Rs. 120,000 capital and one employee. It was a humbling experience and took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to build the initial business.

In 2009 during recession, when many companies were laying off people, 10Pearls decided to invest in Mobile Application Development. They created the first agile app on iPhone and published it on App Store. At that time, NOKIA had launched their first touch screen phone – N8; and announced an app development competition on Symbian platform. They continued to invest and submitted their app and won the first prize on it. Soon after, they also dabbled with gaming, and participated in a contest by AT&T and won the 2 nd prize in the world. That opened doors for them, and they had the opportunity to work with many companies including Marvel Studios.

The company continued to invest in the business and fast forward 19 years, 10Pearls has evolved to become an award-winning, end-to-end, global digital partner with offices in USA, Latin America, UK, UAE and Pakistan, and a global headcount of 1500+ people. 10Pearls has the highest female staff ratio in any IT company in Pakistan.

BRR: 10Pearls is a “Global digital partner helping businesses transform, create new products and scale teams.” How does 10Pearls define itself as a global IT company?

ZA: 10Pearls has presence in multiple continents and has customers and delivery centers in North America, LATAM, Europe and Asia. What began as a two-person operation is now a global award-winning company, helping our clients reimagine their business, and enriching the lives of people and communities around the world. The company is headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and has business operations in over 10 countries, across four continents.

We work with global customers that include Fortune 1,000 companies, SMEs as well as high-growth startups. We have made strategic acquisitions in the US, UK and LATAM and have also been recognized and awarded for our work and leadership by top global names such as Ernst & Young (EY), Inc., Financial Times, Gartner, Forrester, Fortune etc.

BRR: What are the specialized areas of 10Pearls in the field of IT and what are the sectors you focus for businesses?

ZA: As a global digital partner, our focused industries include Healthcare, Financial Services, Energy, Education & Telcos. We enable communication and customer engagement through personalized consumer insights and transform education through innovation to create impactful learning experiences.

We are also helping Energy companies modernize through secure digital processes and innovation and empowering fintech companies and financial institutions with creation and modernization of digital financial solutions.

We leverage Artificial Intelligence in everything we do, thus helping our customers & partners digitalize existing business and processes, build innovative new products, and augment teams. Our solutions include Business Strategy, Emerging Tech such as AI, ML, IoT and Blockchain. We have strategic focus on Security, Data & Analytics, and Continuous Delivery and Quality.

BRR: How many mergers and acquisitions have been made by 10Pearls since its inception?

ZA: Over the last 10 years, 10Pearls has grown both organically as well as through strategic acquisitions. We have acquired over 10 businesses in the past. In each case, we have been able to jointly expand the “customer footprint” for the sellers by providing breadth, depth and global scale of services. Our strategy is to not only support businesses we acquire, but also help them expand their teams. The teams have been integrated into the larger 10Pearls family, while maintaining the Seller’s sense of “autonomy”. Our recent acquisitions include the Inspirant Group – A healthcare-focused Digital Transformation Business; Symbox – a Business Process Management & Orchestration company focused on Telco & Media; and Oiga Technologies – AI-focused technology solutions company.

BRR: What is the future of AI in Pakistan? How is 10Pearls actively focusing on AI to expand its businesses worldwide?

ZA: AI has immense potential to contribute towards Pakistan’s progress, especially in areas such as healthcare, education, agriculture, finance, and business operations. AI applications can optimize resource management, improve healthcare diagnosis, revolutionize education with personalized learning. All smart devices use some form of AI to learn from customer data and improve the user experience.

Embracing AI can lead to a variety of positive outcomes and transformative changes in personalization, Improved healthcare and human-machine collaboration leading to economic growth. However, addressing challenges related to data privacy, governance and workforce skills is crucial for realizing these benefits and ensuring sustainable growth.

As a global consulting and technology firm, we actively integrate artificial intelligence (AI) across our operations to drive business expansion worldwide. This involves providing consulting services for AI strategy and implementation, developing AI solutions, as well as incorporating AI into existing solutions. We also utilize AI internally to enhance efficiency using Co-Pilot, and proactively invest in research and development to stay at the forefront of technology.

BRR: What are some technology trends anticipated in future – particularly in AI, and how are they being incorporated into real projects to create an impact?

ZA: Many businesses have started using AI for content generation including videos, presentations, images and websites. Some have gone a step ahead and are using automated bots aka ‘agents’ to automate daily tasks using Generative AI. These include getting access to their mailbox, reading emails, writing email drafts, getting them reviewed and then replying to the emails.

The future will completely transform our personal life and businesses. Everybody will have access to a ‘Polymath’ in their pocket. You can imagine that multiple polymaths will be talking to each other in future and the whole interaction that will happen is currently completely unexplored. It’s similar to how the world first saw social media a decade ago, with no one comprehending the remarkable impact it would eventually have on individuals and societies. The AI revolution is far more powerful than social media and it’s coming.

As personal data is becoming available in abundance via handheld devices, we will see that businesses will be hyper personalized. AI will be able to look at this data and generate millions of combinations in seconds, and easily evaluate if these combinations will attract users (based on their data). This will be an enormous facilitator for Science, Businesses and Technology.

For areas where we don’t have available data, such as creation of drugs, AI could be used to simulate and create data from scratch and suggest the molecule structure of the drug to cure and test it on a virtual human body before we go and test it on human beings. This will drastically reduce the time and cost to launch new drugs.

BRR: How is 10Pearls different in becoming a leading employer of choice for IT professionals?

ZA: Becoming a leading employer of choice in the IT industry requires a holistic approach, and we’ve focused on several key elements to distinguish ourselves.

Firstly, as a tech-focused company taking on complex projects, we’re constantly exploring innovative solutions, and disrupting the status quo. From large, globally distributed solutions to small-scale startups, retail to health sector, modernization to emerging tech, our scope of work is vast, diverse, and constantly evolving!

Secondly, we have built our company as not just a workplace, but rather a purpose-driven community of talented and driven professionals who collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other. Our company culture emphasizes openness, teamwork, and a supportive environment where everyone’s voice is valued.

To stay at the forefront of the rapidly evolving technological landscape, we invest significantly in the continuous learning and development of our employees. Our company culture emphasizes openness, teamwork, and a supportive environment where everyone’s voice is valued. From external and internal training programs to mentorship initiatives, we’re dedicated to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other. Our e-learning platform 10Pearls University enables not just our teammates but external students and professionals to upskill themselves through courses designed by 10Pearls experts.

Also, our values emphasize making a positive impact in the community. This encourages our teammates to get involved in the community service initiatives through our philanthropic arm Empower Foundation. With the help of our teammates, Empower Foundation has built 4 welfare spaces that provide daily fresh meals to underserved neighborhoods, educational and vocational training, and employment opportunities.

Lastly, we believe in recognizing and celebrating the hard work of our teammates. Through performance- based incentives, employee recognition programs, and a constructive feedback culture, we ensure that our team feels valued for their efforts.

BRR: What are some strategies you employ to acquire, train, and retain good tech talent in Pakistan?

ZA: To support emerging talent, we actively engage with universities in Pakistan. Through partnerships and campus recruitment programs, we establish connections with bright minds, providing them with a glimpse into the exciting opportunities that await them at 10Pearls. We also run annual Internship Programs and Campus Ambassador Programs for undergrads keen on building a career in tech. These programs give us the opportunity to have access to some of the finest talent in Pakistan.

In the ever-evolving tech landscape, continuous learning is non-negotiable. We invest significantly in international training programs, workshops, and certifications to empower our team members with the skills they need to excel in their roles and stay ahead of industry trends. Mentorship is also a key aspect of our approach to talent development. By fostering mentorship programs, we encourage experienced professionals to guide and support their peers, creating a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing.

We understand the value our tech talent brings to the table, and we ensure that their contributions are duly recognized. Competitive compensation, along with comprehensive benefits, is our way of demonstrating our commitment to their well-being and success. Moreover, we are committed to providing clear career paths for our employees. Whether it's through promotions, role expansions, or leadership opportunities, we want our team to see and experience a bright future with 10Pearls.

BRR: How can private and government organizations in Pakistan work towards improving IT exports?

ZA: Having a population of 250 million with more than 60 percent people under the age of 40 years, Pakistan has a huge potential for being a services economy. With over 10,000 IT graduates every year, internet connectivity and English-speaking ability, we have all the ingredients to be a great destination to address the supply side of the equation to increase IT exports.

However, we also need to address the demand side of the equation. We have to invest and improve the perception of Pakistan by working with the likes of Gartner to get us covered in their reports and creating an opportunity to present us as a valuable contender in front of buyers.

Additionally, we should invest to build large organizations. While revenue from freelancers is respectful, they are only able to attract small customers who are looking to find inexpensive knowledge workers. Large customers, however, are more interested in working with established organizations with over 10,000 people. Unfortunately, there is not a single IT company in Pakistan who has more than 10,000 knowledge workers. We are hence losing out on this opportunity and only have access to smaller customers.

Also, private and government organizations in Pakistan must collaborate to enhance IT exports by implementing a comprehensive strategy. The government should create a favorable business environment through supportive policies, tax incentives, and streamlined regulations. Investing in STEM education and skills development programs will ensure a skilled workforce.

Private organizations can focus on innovation, research, and development, fostering learning opportunities for people. Joint efforts in marketing, international collaboration and participation in global IT events will further expand market reach. Additionally, enhancing cybersecurity measures and promoting industry-academia partnerships will contribute to building a resilient and competitive IT ecosystem, ultimately driving growth in IT exports.