Zafar Tahir

 Zaf Tahir is a Houston-educated small businessman who has taken advantage of the opportunities that come from living in an international city and who uses his experience to give back to his community. Zaf received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Houston in 1984, where he was a member of the Electrical Engineering Honor Society.

He followed that up with an Executive MBA at UH in 1999, winning the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. Zaf started out in the Houston Ship Channel area as an Automation and Robotics engineer. Later he worked in Control Systems & Project Engineering in Houston, New York, Europe, Far East and the Middle East, learning about the possibilities of the global economy.

Since 1996 Zaf has also been a business owner. Currently he serves as President and CEO of Taji Petroleum Inc., which operates gasoline dealerships with convenience stores and auto repair shops and is  engaged in development of more facilities. He also serves as President of International Spectrum Development, which works with multinational and international companies to locate and develop opportunities in developing markets. But there is more than work for Zaf Tahir; there is also his commitment to community service.

Zaf is chair of Mayor Bill White’s Task Force on Safety and Security for small retail establishments.  He was also appointed by Mayor White to his International Advisory Board for South Asia.  Zaf served Mayor Lee P. Brown as the Chair of his Transition Team for Human Resources in 1998 and on Public Works commission. He has been President of the South Texas Area Dealers Association since 1999.  Zaf is an active Board Member of the Asia Society and a member of the Advisory Board for the Asia Studies Center at the University of Houston. Zaf is married to Yasmeen who is Marketing executive with Northwestern Financial network. They have two sons, Emad and Farhad.