Zameer Choudrey, Baron Choudrey

Zameer Choudrey, BA (Hons), FCA

Zameer Choudrey is the Chief Executive of Bestway Group. He graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury and is a Chartered Accountant by profession.

UK Corporate Experience

Zameer joined Bestway as Financial Controller in 1984 and was promoted to the Board as Finance Director in 1990. He was appointed Chief Executive in July 2004.

Under Zameer’s dynamic leadership Bestway continues to push forward the traditional industry boundaries and whilst diversification has led the group into new markets, the core business and the heart and soul remain firmly within the wholesale sector. This was further underlined, by the £ 100.0 million acquisition of Batleys in January 2005. The Batleys acquisition cemented Bestway’s position as the United Kingdom’s second largest wholesaler.

In June 2006 Bestway won the ‘Best Wholesaler Award’ at the Grocer Gold Awards. The award recognised Bestway’s clear and well–executed strategy of helping its customers become better retailers.

In March 2010 Bestway was awarded the much coveted title of ‘Asian Business of the Year’ at the Eastern Eye Asian Business Awards. The award acknowledges the success the company has achieved since its inception.

In June 2010 Bestway Group subsidiary Batleys agreed to acquire Bellevue Wholesale's two Wholesale warehouses in Edinburgh and Stirling.

In November 2010 Batleys acquired the Martex Group of three cash and carry branches and its foodservice operation from C J Lang. Thus increasing Batleys branch network to 24, a 33% increase in just over five years since acquisition by Bestway.

Bestway Group is the 16th largest privately owned company in the UK according to the Sunday Times/Deloitte Top Track 100 Index published in June 2010.

Today, Bestway Group is the largest Asian owned Business in the UK; with an Group annual turnover is in excess of £ 2.2 billion. It enjoys 18% of market share in the wholesale sector. It trades from 60 warehouses, offering over 5.5 million square feet of selling space, a product line of over 25,000 items and serving 100,000 independent retailers, many of who provide 24 hours service to various communities throughout the country. Bestway provides employment to over 5,000 people in the UK.

It is the largest overseas Pakistani investor with investments in excess of US$ 1.0 billion in Pakistan and it provides employment to over 17,000 people in Pakistan.

International Corporate Experience

In 1995 Zameer initiated the Group’s business diversification strategy and was appointed Chief Executive of Bestway Cement. The Group’s first cement plant went into commercial production in April 1998.

Bestway Cement Limited – In 1995 work was initiated on the cement plant in Hattar, in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa Province of Pakistan. This was an initial investment of US$ 120.0 million. Civil works started in January 1996 and the Kiln was fired in April 1998, which is a record in itself.

In 2002 at the cost of US$ 20.0 million plant capacity was enhanced to 1.3 million TPA.

Bestway Cement was listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange in February 2001 and is one of the largest listed companies by market capitalisation.

Since June 2003 Bestway Cement continues to be the largest exporter of cement to Afghanistan.

In February 2004 Bestway Cement decided to expand its operations through setting up of a 1.8 million TPA plant in Chakwal in the Province of Punjab, Pakistan at a total investment of US$ 140.0 million. In July 2006 the President of Pakistan performed the official opening of the plant.

In September 2005 the Group acquired its third cement plant Mustehkam Cement as part of the Government’s Privatisation Program. This was an initial investment of approximately US$ 70.0 million. In the post acquisition period the Group has invested in excess of US$ 50.0 million to increase Mustehkam’s cement manufacturing capacity to 1.1 million TPA. This additional capacity came online in February 2010.

In October 2007 Bestway Cement was granted an export license by the Bureau of Indian Standards. In just over three years Bestway Cement has emerged as the largest exporter of Pakistani cement to India.

In June 2008 the Group’s fourth cement plant with a 1.8 million TPA capacity went into commercial production adjacent to existing site in Chakwal at a cost of US$ 180.0 million.

Under Zameer’s stewardship, the Group’s cement manufacturing operations have blossomed to become the 2nd largest in Pakistan with four modern state of the art cement plants, with a capacity of 6.0 million TPA and a workforce of over 2,500 people.

Being an environmentally conscious company Bestway Cement through an investment of approximately US$29.0 million established Pakistan’s first Waste Heat Recovery Power Plant (WHRPP). The plant generates about 15MW of power. WHRPP became operational in September 2009. The 60,000 carbon emission credits generated from WHRPP will be an additional source of income. The WHRPP would also help in reducing green house gas emissions. The plant gained CDM (Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol) approval in August 2010.

United Bank Limited – In October 2002 Bestway Group along with His Highness Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan’s Abu Dhabi Group successfully bid for a controlling share in United Bank Limited (UBL). This was a total investment of approximately US$ 210.0 million in Pakistan’s fourth largest bank. Since acquisition, Bestway Group’s shareholding has increased from 25.50% to 31.07%.

The corporate transformation of the bank has translated into increase in profitability with profit before tax growing from US$ 48.0 million in December 2002 to US$ 166.0 million in December 2009, an increase of 243%.

Today, UBL is an industry leader, offering diverse products through imaginative delivery channels. In July 2005 the bank was listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange. Since listing UBL’s market capitalisation has increased by more than 200%. The stock’s stellar performance was rewarded with UBL’s inclusion in the Morgan Stanley Capital International Global Indices in May 2006.

In June 2007, the Global Depository Receipts of UBL were listed on the London Stock Exchange; offering targeting institutional investors raised in excess of US$ 650.0 million. Also in June 2007, AsiaMoney Magazine declared UBL ‘The Best Domestic Bank in Pakistan 2007’.

Today, UBL has over 1,100 branches in Pakistan; a significant presence throughout the Middle East; Subsidiaries in UK and Switzerland; a branch in New York and Representative Offices in Beijing and Kazakhstan.

By December 2009 the bank’s asset base had increased to US$ 8.0 billion, with UBL emerging as the second largest private bank in Pakistan. The Bank provides employment to over 14,500 people.

Zameer serves as a Director of UBL and Chairman of the Board Audit Committee. He has also a Director of UBL Insurers.

Philanthropic Activities – United Kingdom

At the heart of Bestway Group’s philosophy is the desire to help those less fortunate than others by supporting charities and contributing to help the local community. This is manifested in the charter of the Bestway Foundation established in 1987, with Zameer being a founding Trustee.

Every year the Group contributes approximately 2.5% of its profit to the Foundation for its various charitable activities geared to the health and education sectors.

In the 1990s Bestway Foundation provided funding to a number of Information Technology and Learning Resource Centres in communities that were in close proximity to our warehouses.

Bestway Foundation has been closely associated with local schools such as John Kelly Colleges/Schools (Crest Academies) with Zameer serving as school governor from 1992-2002.

Since 1996 Bestway Foundation has invested in 35 inner city schools in as part of the Specialist Schools & Academies Program.

In November 2005 Bestway Group was honoured with the ‘Social Responsibility Award’ at the JP Morgan 2005 Family Business Honours in recognition of demonstrating excellent standards of philanthropy and good citizenship.

In April 2006 His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh honoured Bestway Foundation for its contribution towards the success of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Scheme. The Bestway Foundation has been associated with the Awards Scheme since 1994 and has been a regular contributor to its activities.

In May 2006 Bestway Foundation joined hands with former British Prime Minister Sir John Major and Oval Trust, to a play a leading role in the creation of the Pakistan Room at the Oval Cricket Ground.

In April 2009 Zameer joined the Board of Trustees of Crimestoppers UK and in March 2010 he joined the trade industry’s flagship charity Caravan as a Trustee. Bestway Foundation has been associated with Crimestoppers since 2000 and with Caravan since 1992.

In June 2009 in order to facilitate the people displaced by the military operations in the tribal areas of North West Pakistan, Bestway Foundation announced 50 special scholarships for university students from displaced backgrounds who were studying in the UK.

The Foundation’s yearly fundraiser event – ‘The Ascot Charity Race Day’ has over the years raised funds for various worthy causes e.g. National Hospital Development Fund (2010); Princes Trust (2009 & 2003); Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (2008); Barnardos (2007); President of Pakistan Earthquake Relief Fund (2006); Crimestoppers (2005); Save the Children’s Fund (2004); Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards (2001); SportsAid (2000); Age Concern (1999 & 1995); Variety Club Children’s Charity; The Macmillan Fund and many more national and international charities.

Since its establishment Bestway Group has donated in excess of £ 11.5 million to assist the Foundation in its charitable activities geared towards health and education.

Philanthropic Activities – International

In 1997 Bestway Foundation Pakistan was established and Zameer was appointed Chairman of the Foundation.

Since 1995, under Zameer’s leadership Bestway Cement has been supporting countless number of local widows and orphans through grants. Additionally, Bestway Cement and Bestway Foundation have built and provided financial support to local village schools and dispensaries near our plant sites in Hattar, Khyber Paktoonwakha Province and Chakwal, Punjab Province.

Bestway Foundation Pakistan annually provides 300 scholarships to Medical and Engineering students throughout the country.

In the summer of 2004, in anticipation of the announcement of Bestway Cement Chakwal – I, Bestway Foundation UK approved a grant of US$ 1.0 million for Bestway Foundation Pakistan.

In 2005 Bestway Foundation Pakistan adopted 29 government run schools in rural parts of Rawalpindi District, Province of Punjab.

In April 2006 Bestway Foundation contributed in excess of US$ 0.3 million to National Management Foundation, to help fund institutions of higher learning in the Province of Punjab.

In May 2006 Bestway Cement donated in excess of US$ 0.4 million towards the establishment of the Chakwal Campus of University of Engineering & Technology Lahore.

In June 2006 the President of Pakistan conferred upon Bestway Foundation ‘Sitra-e-Essar’. The award recognised the contribution made by the Foundation in aiding the efforts of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in aftermath of the October 2005 earthquake.

In June 2006 Bestway Foundation entered into an agreement with CARE Foundation Pakistan for sponsorship of inner city schools. As part of this agreement through an investment of approximately US$ 0.5 million Bestway Foundation has agreed to sponsor Schools in Lahore.

In August 2010 due to the unprecedented devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan, Bestway Foundation and Bestway Group donated Rs. 5.0 million to assist the Government in rehabilitating the affected people.

Name: Zameer Choudrey, BA (Hons), FCA Business Address: Bestway Group, 2 Abbey Road, Park Royal, London NW10 7BW Chief Executive: Bestway Group Vice-Chairman: Pakistan Britain Trade & Investment Forum, UK International Directorships: Bestway Cement Limited; United Bank Limited; UBL Insurers Limited. Fellowship: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. Memberships: The Institute of Directors. Charitable Activities: Chairman Bestway Foundation Pakistan; Trustee Bestway Foundation UK; Trustee Crimestoppers UK; Trustee Caravan. Pervious Appointments: 2004-2008 Member – Confederation of British Industry Economic Affairs Committee. 1992-2002 Governor - John Kelly Boys & John Kelly Girls Schools (now Crest Academies) in North West London.