Hafsa Iqbal

• Master of Public Administration, Columbia University
• BSc, Economics, Lahore University of Management Sciences

Hafsa has led projects in over 15 countries across South Asia, Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific and North America to support governments, philanthropies and global leaders to deliver outcomes in low-, middle- and high-income environments. 

At Delivery Associates, she envisioned, created and now heads the Global Funds & Partnerships practice alongside co-leading the Middle East region. 

Hafsa’s pivotal contributions have included leading a $2.5bn fund to enhance results from global health, agriculture and infrastructure projects; spearheading educational reforms in Ethiopia; addressing implementation hurdles in an Australian state education department; leading a cabinet of ministers retreat in Sierra Leone; and transforming a Royal Court's vision into actionable, government-wide goals in a Middle Eastern country. Hafsa's strategic vision also brought to life the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Initiative with UNICEF, J-PAL and Pratham, showcasing her ability to bridge gaps between local governments, international organizations and private partners to drive a brighter future for the most vulnerable.

As the world continues to move towards greater global connectedness, much of Hafsa's work is now focused on building strong partnerships across global multi-laterals, philanthropies, regional institutions and in-country government political leaders. She is also applying her strong expertise in investment fund management to increase ROI for development funds worldwide. Taken as a whole, her work helps ensure that investments, policies and programs lead to lasting results at the local level.

Prior to joining Delivery Associates, Hafsa worked at Ernst & Young, where she was primarily focused on supporting state and non-state enterprises in the Middle East. Before that, her interest in supporting people all over the world brought her from rural Tamale in Ghana, where she worked on digital inclusion for women, to Vietnam, where she worked closely with at-risk youth on breaking inter-generational cycles of poverty, to Pakistan, where she helped launch the Chief Minister's Delivery Unit and led the unit's education team. Hafsa has deep experience in measurement & evaluation, including designing randomized control trials in some of Pakistan's hardest-hit areas.