CEO & FOUNDER
Ashraf M Uddin was born in a disadvantaged rural village in Bangladesh, though his family was among the wealthiest in the area. From an early age, he witnessed his parents’ generosity, as they fed up to a hundred hungry villagers daily during times of famine. Despite personal hardships—losing his mother at two, gaining a stepmother at five, lack of education facilities, and the famine of the 1970s—Ashraf remained determined to pursue his childhood vision.
The first 18 years of his life shaped his mission: to help the poorest children and their parents gain equal access to education, health, legal, and financial services. In 1997, he established an Australian Education Campus in Bangladesh in collaboration with the University of Western Sydney, supported by Australian government officials and diplomats. Although the project closed in 2002 due to lack of cooperation from local authorities, it laid the foundation for his lifelong commitment.
Ashraf earned his MBA in Strategic Education Management from Western Sydney University in 2000, equipping him to design education programs for the underprivileged. In 2003, he completed an MPH at the University of Sydney and later founded Centres of Disease Prevention and Control to address public health gaps in rural Bangladesh. He is now pursuing a PhD in Economics and Finance, focusing on reducing poverty through social enterprise and ensuring equal access to financial services for unbanked populations worldwide.
Ashraf is also the founder of Chiefs of the Century for Children, supporting distressed children and families—victims of domestic and family violence in Sydney, as well as those suffering from poverty, famine, war, and homelessness.
BOARD DIRECTOR
Dr. Afraz Zaman graduated from Allama Iqbal Medical College and trained in Adult and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve and Washington Universities, USA. He served as Chief Fellow at Washington University and received the Outstanding Resident in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry award from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
He worked in New Zealand before moving to Bundaberg, Queensland, in 2006, later serving as Clinical Director of Mental Health in Coffs Harbour, NSW. Since 2020, he has been with Westmead Hospital, Sydney.
Dr. Zaman specialises in child maltreatment and family violence—key preventable causes of child mental disorders. He is dedicated to early risk identification, preventive intervention, and supporting vulnerable families. As a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, he provides clinical leadership in risk assessment, referral, and treatment, including for victims and perpetrators of family violence.
BOARD DIRECTOR
Rabeya Binti Salam is a shining example of resilience and excellence. A devoted mother of two, she has balanced family life with a deep commitment to preventing domestic and family violence, war crimes, homelessness, and poverty.
She holds a Bachelor (Honours) and Master of Social Science in Economics, along with an MBA in Professional Accounting from the University of Technology Sydney (2005). As a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA), she is recognised for her integrity and excellence in financial stewardship. In addition, she has over a decade of teaching experience in Sydney.
Guided by her vision to protect victims of violence, poverty, and displacement worldwide, Rabeya now brings her passion and expertise to Chiefs of the Century for Children as a valued member of the Board.
BOARD DIRECTOR
Mr. Shafiqul Islam holds a Master of Commerce (Management) from the National University of Bangladesh (2002) and a Master of Accounting from Central Queensland University, Australia (2005). He is a full member of the professional accounting body IPA, recognised under Australian law as equivalent to CPA and CA ANZ.
Shafiqul has extensive experience in ERP systems (Oracle), serving 13 years at UNSW Sydney, one year at ANU Canberra, and since 2022 as Health Service Manager in Data and Research Finance at NSW Health. His roles span financial reporting, research grants, operating funds, compliance, risk management, accounts payable/receivable, reconciliations, and approvals under organisational delegations.
Dedicated and principled, Shafiqul applies deep knowledge of accounting standards (AASB) to ensure integrity, accuracy, and compliance in financial operations.
Chiefs of the Century for Children proudly welcomes him to the Board of Directors. His passion for supporting children affected by domestic violence, poverty, homelessness, and war will strengthen our mission and impact.
ICT ADVISOR
Mahfuzul Quader holds a Bachelor in Physics from the University of Rajshahi (2002), one of Bangladesh’s leading universities, followed by an MBA in Marketing from North South University (2008), one of the country’s top business schools.
He brings over 20 years of international experience in telecommunications, ICT, and project management across Bangladesh and Australia. He has successfully led national-scale programs for Optus, Vodafone in Australia, where his leadership in governance, stakeholder engagement, and vendor management ensured projects were completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of safety and compliance.
From 2011 to 2016, Mahfuz served as Country Project Manager at the International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of UNCTAD and WTO, where he focused on building sustainable export competitiveness for Bangladesh’s IT industry. In this role, he worked closely with government, industry associations, and private sector leaders to identify market opportunities, strengthen export capabilities, and promote long-term growth of the IT and BPO sectors. His leadership contributed to the emergence of IT services as a key driver of economic development and job creation.
In addition to his telecommunications and international development experience, Mahfuz has built and managed businesses in the digital space, establishing ecommerce ventures and founding 61WEB, a web design and digital services agency supporting Australian businesses. His breadth of expertise covers ICT strategy, cyber governance, change management, and digital transformation, making him a trusted advisor in both corporate and community-focused initiatives.
Passionate about using technology for social impact, Mahfuz brings a commitment to innovation and sustainable growth in his role as ICT Advisor to the Board of Chiefs of the Century for Children. His insights will strengthen the organisation’s capacity to harness technology in support of children affected by poverty, violence, displacement, and conflict.
At the heart of everything we do is a bold vision for a better world and the drive to make it real. We believe in setting ambitious goals, thinking beyond limits, and turning ideas into action.
