Why South-South collaboration is the key to unlocking clean energy in the Global South
Self-sufficiency, indigenization and affordability are vital drivers when it comes to meeting the Global South’s energy needs.
Ayla Majid is the Founder & CEO at Planetive Middle East and Planetive Pakistan. She is a leading energy transition strategist, decarbonisation investor and M&A expert with emerging market focus. Ayla has over two decades of investments and financial advisory experience across sectors including: large infrastructure, energy transition, and digital innovation. Ayla sits on the boards of companies in sectors: energy, AI, engineering, pharmaceutical, and microfinance bank. Siemens Pakistan Engineering; and Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Member of the Board of Governors of The Helpcare Society (a non-profit running “Teach a Child Schools” for under privileged children). Elected Global Deputy President and Board Member, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK).
Through various roles pushing the boundary for sustainable energy, hydrogen’s role in energy transition, decarbonisation, sustainability led governance, and climate tech.
Successfully completed Board Roles: Government Holdings; (first independent chair of the board of the state owned energy holding company, where she provided stewardship for successful investments in large scale mineral and energy assets), Central Power Procurement Authority, Pakistan (company responsible for buying entire country’s power); Mari Petroleum Company Limited, ISE-Real Estate Investment Trust; Islamabad Electric Supply Corporation, Islamabad Stock Exchange, and Intellectual Property Rights Organization of Government of Pakistan.
Young Global Leader 2015; served as member YGL Advisory Group; Member Global Future Council on Energy Transition of the World Economic Forum.
In January 2020, Ayla moderated a high level discussion on the “The Global Risks” at the 50th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Ayla is an Eisenhower Global Fellow 2021. She is a thought leader and speaks regularly on Hydrogen strategy and project development with a key focus on the MENA region. Was a plenary speaker at Gastech 2022 in Milan, Gastech 2023 in Singapore, and led sessions on hydrogen as energy transition fuel at LEAP 2022 in Riyadh.
MBA, Lahore University of Management Sciences; LLB, University of London; ACCA; attended the National Security Workshop, National Defence University Pakistan; Global Leadership and Public Policy module, Harvard Kennedy School; Transformational Leadership module, Said Business School, University of Oxford; Nanyang Technology University Executive Education Module on "Smart Cities"; Princeton University Executive Education Module on “Advancing Global Energy Transition”.
Self-sufficiency, indigenization and affordability are vital drivers when it comes to meeting the Global South’s energy needs.
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