Team at SmartRupee

Farooq Tirmizi

CEO & Founder

Farooq Tirmizi - Profile

Farooq has worked for the past 12 years in financial services and financial journalism, both in Pakistan and the United States. He has worked in asset management in Pakistan, learning the ropes of the mutual fund industry, including its failure to market itself and provide adequate services to its prospective clientele. He then became the youngest chief financial correspondent of any major Pakistani publication when, aged 24, he led and shaped the team  at The Express Tribune, the Pakistani affiliate of The New York Times global edition, building a reputation for credibility and becoming an essential voice trusted to analyse and comment on Pakistani capital markets for the last decade. 

In the United States, he worked at a large alternative asset manager ($35B in total AUM, $5B in emerging and frontier markets), serving as their analyst on Pakistan and Bangladesh equities. He moved to a consulting firm, advising private equity clients such as TPG, Carlyle, Welsh Carson, and KKR on over 80 transactions valued at over $35 billion. In the process, he helped triple the size of the PE advisory business over three years, demonstrating intracompany entrepreneurial ability. 

Farooq holds a BSFS degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. 

Hadi Tabani - Profile

Hadi has eight years of experience as a technology leader in both Pakistan and the United States. He currently serves as the Chief Technology Architect of Liquid Technologies, a leading software house that he co-founded. In that capacity, he has gained extensive experience in leading cross-functional technology teams working on complex solutions across a variety of platforms. In particular, he has experience working with large Pakistani financial institutions on complex projects that gives him unparalleled insights into the challenges of working with legacy technology systems in the Pakistani financial services industry.

Meiryum Ali​

Business Head

Meiryum Ali - Profile

Meiryum has worked at the intersection of finance and journalism in both Pakistan and the United States. In Pakistan, she was a national columnist at the Express Tribune, the Pakistani affiliate of The New York Times global edition. She then created and led the economic section for Soch Videos, a journalism video startup, for which she received the Thomson Foundation 2019 Young Journalist Award for journalists under the age of 30 from developing countries. She has also worked as a financial and business correspondent for Profit, the Pakistani affiliate of The Wall Street Journal.

In the United States, she worked for The Wall Street Journal in New York, and for Brightwire, a boutique financial news startup for Wall Street investors on financial and business information coming from East and South-East Asia. In her capacity of working for niche startups, Meiryum has experience in effectively helping small companies build a team.

Meiryum holds a BA in economics from Yale University, where she was also a Yale Journalism Scholar.

Mirco Haag

CFO & General Counsel

Hamza Aurangzeb

Financial Analyst

Syed Nayl

Software Engineer

Micro Haag

CFO & General Counsel

Micro Haag - Profile

Mirco Haag is a corporate lawyer with experience in banking and finance, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property. In his practice he has represented a variety of financial institutions and large companies, and has acted as general outside counsel. He is also familiar with Delaware law having passed the bar in both Delaware and California. Prior to being a lawyer, Mirco worked for wealth management private banks in the United States and Switzerland.

Mirco graduated from Georgetown University, where he first worked with Farooq. He has a JD (cum laude) and an MBA (highest honors) from Boston University.

Hamza Aurangzeb

Financial Analyst

Hamza Aurangzeb - Profile

Hamza Aurangzeb is a financial analyst with interests in the international trade and financial markets of frontier and emerging markets. At Elphinstone, he has studied patterns in the mutual fund industry of Pakistan and developed a portfolio consisting of the best performing funds during the last 10 years. He trades frequently at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) and is optimistic about improving the efficiency of the financial markets in Pakistan.  

Hamza holds BSc (honors) in social development and policy with a concentration in political economy from Habib University. His thesis “Chinese Neocolonialism in Pakistan” received the best thesis award in the category of political economy in 2019. 

Syed Nayl

Software Engineer

Syed Nayl - Profile

Syed Nayl joined Elphinstone as one of the first tech hires. He is responsible for full-stack development at Elphinstone, while also looking into the digitization and automation of much of the manual processes that AMCs at Pakistan require customers to do. When he’s not working at Elphinstone, he’s often teaching Computer Science to people who are looking to switch careers or to graduate students looking to polish their skills. Of late, he has taken up an interest in cryptocurrencies, and personal finance.

Nayl holds a BSc in Computer Science degree from Habib University.

Shehreyar Ali

Software Engineer

Uzair Talpur

Product Designer

Alina Baig

Operations Associate

Shehreyar Ali

Software Engineer

Shehreyar Ali - Profile

Shehreyar Ali was one of the first members to join the tech team. A keen problem solver, he is well-versed in full stack web development, data analytics and machine learning. When he’s not working at Elphinstone, he’s often teaching Computer Science online to people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Shehreyar holds a BSc in computer science from Habib University. For his final year project, he helped develop an ambulance hailing application for android users.

Uzair Talpur

Product Designer

Uzair Talpur - Profile

Uzair Talpur is a multidisciplinary visual communication designer, with a career spanning two decades. He has worked with both government entities and multinationals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Uzair has assisted companies and agencies to improve user response through user-centered design methodologies, drive sales, and boost profitability – by all appropriate visual design means. With an extensive UX research and design experience, Uzair’s forte is in effective high-impact SaaS solutions, mobile apps, interfaces and websites. His skill set revolves around the design aspects of digital products, print & branding design.

Uzair has a Mass Communications Degree with a major in Advertising & Design.

Alina Baig

Operations Associate

Alina Baig - Profile

Alina is the first hire for the Elphinstone’s operations department, where her responsibilities include managing logistics and different day to day projects. She has previously worked as social media and marketing intern at EdLab Pakistan, and as a design intern at Jaffer Business Systems. When not managing Elphinstone affairs, she works as a freelance artist, and runs her own online art business. 

Alina holds a BA in communication and design from Habib University. Her thesis won the best project award in her major.  

Hamza Asad

Junior Software Engineer

Hussain Imam

Junior Software Engineer

Uzair Talpur

Product Designer

Uzair Talpur - Profile

Uzair Talpur is a multidisciplinary visual communication designer, with a career spanning two decades. He has worked with both government entities and multinationals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Uzair has assisted companies and agencies to improve user response through user-centered design methodologies, drive sales, and boost profitability – by all appropriate visual design means. With an extensive UX research and design experience, Uzair’s forte is in effective high-impact SaaS solutions, mobile apps, interfaces and websites. His skill set revolves around the design aspects of digital products, print & branding design.

Uzair has a Mass Communications Degree with a major in Advertising & Design.

Uzair Talpur

Product Designer

Uzair Talpur - Profile

Uzair Talpur is a multidisciplinary visual communication designer, with a career spanning two decades. He has worked with both government entities and multinationals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Uzair has assisted companies and agencies to improve user response through user-centered design methodologies, drive sales, and boost profitability – by all appropriate visual design means. With an extensive UX research and design experience, Uzair’s forte is in effective high-impact SaaS solutions, mobile apps, interfaces and websites. His skill set revolves around the design aspects of digital products, print & branding design.

Uzair has a Mass Communications Degree with a major in Advertising & Design.