Press and Speaker Kit

Everything needed to introduce, quote, or book Shahzad Asghar: approved bios in three lengths, a downloadable headshot, speaking topics, and verified impact metrics. Text and photo may be used with attribution to Shahzad Asghar and a link to shahzadasghar.com.

One-line bio

Shahzad Asghar is Head of Data and Digital Solutions at UNESCWA (United Nations), known for deploying AI systems that served 700,000+ refugees across five countries.

Short bio

Shahzad Asghar is Head of Data and Digital Solutions at UNESCWA, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Over 20 years across UNESCWA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOCHA, and CIDA, he has built AI and data systems for humanitarian operations, including UNHCR's first global IVR appointment system, which served 700,000+ refugees. He created the Last-Mile AI Framework.

Full bio

Shahzad Asghar is Head of Data and Digital Solutions at UNESCWA, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in Beirut, a role he has held since 2024. He leads teams across data engineering, web delivery, infrastructure, and cybersecurity, with a focus on AI governance and practical AI adoption in regulated institutional environments. Before UNESCWA, he led the Data Analysis Group at UNHCR Jordan from 2018 to 2024, where he built UNHCR's first global IVR appointment system, serving 700,000+ refugees, cut registration service time by 83 percent, and recovered 63,000 missing refugee contacts through data integrity analysis. His platform DigitalAAP, an AI-driven refugee feedback system, was selected for the UN Global Pulse Accelerator. He created the Last-Mile AI Framework and teaches free public courses on agentic AI and large language models.

Speaking topics

  • Last-Mile AI: building AI where infrastructure fails — why most field AI failures are not model failures.
  • Agentic AI in regulated UN workflows — autonomous agents where accountability is not optional.
  • AI governance inside the United Nations system — from policy to human-in-the-loop safeguards in production.
  • Data systems for refugee operations — lessons from 700,000+ refugees served.

Media and speaking inquiries: shahzad.cdcu@gmail.com. See also the full profile and speaking and publications.