KARACHI: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) conducted the Grand Finale of the National Finance Olympiad (NFO) 2025, organised under the auspices of ICAP’s Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee, bringing together finance professionals, industry leaders, and academics from across the country.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Samiullah Siddiqui, Chairman PAIB Committee and Vice President ICAP, who highlighted ICAP’s National Finance Olympiad as a flagship initiative aimed at strengthening strategic thinking, leadership, and decision-making capabilities among finance professionals.
He emphasized the importance of such platforms in up-skilling finance leaders to navigate increasingly complex business in competitive environments.
In his address, Saif Ullah, President ICAP, highlighted the evolving role of finance professionals in corporate governance, sustainability, and national economic development, reaffirming ICAP’s commitment to promoting professional excellence and future-ready leadership.
This year Irfan Siddiqui, Founding Partner & former CEO and President, Meezan Bank Limited joined as Chief Guest. He admired the platforms like NFO where the talent is not only showcased but enabled in a competitive environment to deal with business challenges including strategic insights and deliveries via storytelling.
This was followed by an address from Abdul Rahim Abbasi, Head of Corporate Finance, Unilever Pakistan who highlighted the value of industry-led initiatives in bridging professional knowledge with real-world business challenges and fostering commercially astute finance leadership.
The National Finance Olympiad has, since its inception, served as a premier platform for finance professionals to demonstrate technical competence and strategic judgment through real-world business challenges. This year, the competition attracted 40 teams, including 31 teams from Karachi, 5 from Lahore, 3 from Islamabad, and 1 overseas team from KSA. After two rigorous rounds, six teams qualified for the Grand Finale.
The finalist teams—HUBCO Green (Private) Limited, Careem, K-Electric, Systems Limited (∞) BAT, Alpha Analysts, and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited. Rightfully earned their place in the concluding stage through strong analytical performance and strategic insight.
A central feature of the Grand Finale was the Board Room Challenge, where finalist teams presented strategic solutions to complex business scenarios in a simulated environment.
The competition was evaluated by a distinguished jury comprising Muhammad Faisal, Chief Executive Officer, Lucky Motors; Bilal Khan, General Manager, Pakistan Oil Fields; and Dr. Huma Baqai, Rector, Millennium Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship (MITE).
The Grand Finale comprised multiple competitive segments designed to test participants’ story-telling & presentation skills along with financial acumen and strategic thinking. These included Boardroom – unwind the mind, a rapid-fire 100-second challenge, and the interactive Spin the Wheel, which required teams to make decisions across different categories while managing an element of risk for scoring.
ICAP also acknowledged the contributions of its technical partners, BDO Ebrahim & Co. and EY Ford Rhodes, for their support along with knowledge partner Karachi School of Business & Leadership (KSBL) in the successful conduct of the Olympiad.
After a rigorous competition, Alpha Analysts emerged triumphant as the National Finance Olympiad Champion 2025, securing the coveted trophy. K-Electric and Careem Team were declared 1st and 2nd Runners-up, respectively.
The event concluded with the presentation of mementos followed by a group photograph, and dinner.
The National Finance Olympiad has consistently inspired finance professionals for more than a decade to lead with confidence, adapt to evolving challenges, and excel on both national and global stages.
The event was attended by a diverse audience including; students, seasoned finance leaders, ICAP members, Past Presidents, Southern Regional Committee members and finance leaders from prominent companies across Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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