Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq

Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq (Urdu: چوہدری فیصل مشتاقى‎; TI; born 27 July 1978), is a Pakistani academician, school practitioner and former caretaker provincial minister for education of the Punjab. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Roots Millennium Schools, Pakistan and is the Executive Director and member of the Board of Directors of the Roots School System.

He is recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims of the world for the last three consecutive years, a Young Presidents' Organization Board member, World Wide Fund for Nature Member of the Board of Governors Pakistan, Cadet College Hasanabdal Member of the Board of Governors and the Chair of the China Radio International Roots Confucius Classroom Project in Pakistan. Faisal is also the founder and CEO of a non-profit organisation 'Change – in Education Foundation' working in support of 'Public Private Partnerships' across education and thus scaling Millennium Development Goals and so far he has successfully reformed more than 250 government schools across various districts, provinces and rural communities in Pakistan.

Faisal has been conferred with the fourth-highest National Civil Award of Pakistan, the 'Tamgha-e-Imtiaz', by the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari on Pakistan Day Ceremony held at the Presidency on 23 March 2013 in recognition of his outstanding services in the field of language promotion, education, literacy, youth and advocacy.

Faisal Mushtaq was born in 1978, in Kharian, his father Mushtaq Rasul Chaudary was a colonel in the Pakistan Army and mother Riffat Mushtaq an academician & teacher. In 1988 his mother, Riffat Mushtaq, founded Roots School System.

In 1997, he completed his higher secondary education in sciences from Cadet College Hasan Abdal. Later that year, he moved to the United Kingdom for higher education. In 1998, he did diploma in Economics from the London School of Economics. He got his degree with honours in finance and accounting from the University of Salford in 2001. In 2006, he graduated from the National Defense University after completing a national security workshop. Faisal is a certified teacher and trainer by the Cambridge International Examinations United Kingdom. He also serves as the visiting faculty at the National Defense University.

After completing his school in 2001, Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq started working at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London as a financial management consultant. Working with PricewaterhouseCoopers, he provided consultancy to various clients including: Virgin Holidays, Royal Dutch Shell, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Defence, Lloyd's Register and The Equitable Life Assurance Society.

In 2002, he joined IBM Global Services as a business consultant. He worked on various projects in capacity as a public sector consultant including, BBC and Home Office United Kingdom.

After a few years as a consultant in the United Kingdom, he returned to Pakistan to follow in the footsteps of his mother, and joined the private education sector. He became director of Roots School System in 2004, and since then, has been associated with it.

Roots Millennium Schools, Pakistan

Under his management, the Roots schools now offer continuous education from Montessori up to undergraduate level with nearly 2000 employees in more than 20 major cities across Pakistan. His purpose-built schools pioneered classroom teaching innovations from introduction of Chinese language across school curriculum to gaining Microsoft mentor school status 2014 from Microsoft USA. Other ideas and flagship initiatives include inclusion of German language Pasch Program with the Goethe Institute, Authoring of Intel Skills for Success Information Communication Technology Curriculum, WWF Green school program, Global citizenship in action program with the British Council, Professional development with Cambridge International Examinations and Robotics Program with World Robotics Organization. He established teacher training and development institute 'Roots National Institute of Teacher Training & Education', where more than 10,000 teachers from both the public and private sectors have been trained on international standards and won placements.

In 2008, Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq founded 'Change – in Education Foundation', which is a social and developmental sector not for profit organization committed to bridge the gap in education services provision in Pakistan. He is promoting public/private partnership across district, provincial and federal levels in Pakistan. He is also an active environmentalist and contributor to greener community through World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan.

• Recipient of fourth-highest civil award 'Tamgha-e-Imtiaz' by President Asif Ali Zardari at the Pakistan Day ceremony in 2013 in recognition of his 'outstanding services in the field of education, promotion of Chinese language across Pakistan, educational change sponsor and globally recognized school and education management practitioner'.
• Recognized and added to the latest edition of ‘The Muslim 500’ 2014-2015 which includes names of The 500 Most Influential Muslims from around the world.
• He has been recently awarded as the ‘Best Educationist of the Year 2014’ by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in recognition of his efforts and initiatives in the field of education, teaching and learning.
• Awarded the 'Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2011' by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented by Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gillani.
• Awarded the 'Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012' by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented by Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif.
• Recognized by Premier of the People's Republic of China Wen Jiabao for his services in support of Chinese language promotion in Pakistan.
• He is a member of Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan education task force on youth.
• Member of the Board of Governors of World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan.
• Chair of China Radio International Confucius Classroom Pakistan.