The year was 1984, and Sohail Ahmad was working in Pakistan's civil service near the Afghanistan border. The Soviets had invaded Afghanistan a few years earlier, so Ahmad's posting was in a highly volatile zone. U.S. aid money was pouring into the country, and as part of the aid some promising Pakistani civil servants could pursue graduate studies in the United States.

Unbeknownst to Ahmad, his superiors nominated him for the opportunity. After a lengthy interview process, the United States Agency for International Development sent him to Carnegie Mellon University. The 32-year-old arrived in Pittsburgh on a cold January day in 1986, with little knowledge of the city or the university.

Back in Pakistan, he had earned his undergraduate degree in political science and English, so he welcomed the opportunity to broaden his horizons in an unfamiliar land. At Heinz College, he took graduate courses in organizational management, economics, communications, and public speaking. He says his favorite course was one on values and public policy, where he really began to understand the need for societal value in the public policy decision-making process. Along the way, he adds, he also developed a passion for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pizza Hut.

In the past 20 years, his career has steadily progressed—serving as Pakistan's secretary of health, secretary of finance, and secretary of planning and development.

Most recently, he was appointed to his most senior position to date: chair of Pakistan's Federal Board of Revenue, which is the equivalent of the IRS in the United States. As chair, Ahmad heads one of the largest organizations in the country, which has 26,000 employees.

Sindya Bhanoo (CS'02)