Kaiser Zaman

Former representative for the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees

Kaiser Zaman has been involved in humanitarian projects — as the deputy or head of operations for various United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) missions and non-governmental organizations around the world — for over 25 years.

Mr. Zaman worked with UNHCR from 1988 to 1997 in locations ranging from Geneva and New York to Somalia, Hong Kong,Thailand and Azerbaijan. He has lived in — and traveled on UN missions to — countries on every continent.

Before joining UNHCR, Mr. Zaman worked for Unilever and Shell Oil in Pakistan and Bangladesh (1967-71), the International Rescue Committee in Bangladesh (1972-73), BRAC (1977-78) and Capitol Headstart in Washington, D.C.(1976-77).

Mr. Zaman currently works as a freelance travel writer — exploring destinations such as Nepal and Tibet.

Mr. Zaman was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh — an Indian, grew up as a Pakistani and was a Bangladeshi citizen living overseas — all due to the vagaries of politics. Mr. Zaman became an American citizen when he settled in Miami. Mr. Zaman comes from a Muslim background — he and his wife, of Jewish descent, have been married for nearly 30 years.

He received two MBAs, the first from the University of Karachi (1967) and the second from American University in Washington, D.C. (1975).