Afshan Akhtar is a distinguished lawyer whose career spans some of the most complex legal, financial, and governance landscapes in the Middle East and beyond. With over two decades of experience, she has built a successful reputation in combining technical legal expertise with strategic foresight as well as advising Boards and Executive Management to navigate legal, compliance and governance challenges.

Afshan has served as the Group Board Secretary and Board Governance Officer at Bapco Energies, where she supports the Board of Directors, Board Committees, and Executive Leadership in embedding best-practice governance across the National Energy Company of Bahrain. In this role, she designed and implemented board operating models, streamlined governance structures for multiple subsidiaries, and elevated the Board Secretariat into a strategic partnership role with the business. Her work has ensured that decision-making at the highest levels of the organisation is efficient, transparent, and aligned with international governance standards.

Afshan’s career began in London with Clifford Chance, one of the world’s leading law firms, where she trained and practised in the Banking & Finance Department. There, she honed her skills in cross-border transactions, regulatory framework setting, and multi disciplinary contract negotiations.

Upon relocating to Bahrain with her family, Afshan has held senior legal roles at Bank ABC, Alba, and Bapco Refining, each appointment exposing her to different sectors and regulatory environments. At Bank ABC, she advised on complex financing arrangements across multiple jurisdictions; at Alba, she oversaw legal issues in heavy industry, including listed company regulations and capital programmes; and at Bapco Refining, she managed the Legal and Board Secretary positions within one of Bahrain’s most critical energy assets. These roles cemented her ability to blend legal insight with pragmatic solutions tailored to the needs of large enterprises.

Afshan is a Chartered Director (CDir) with the Institute of Directors (IoD) UK, a credential that reflects her advanced competence in board leadership, strategy, risk, and stewardship. She is one of the few legal professionals in the region to hold this designation, underscoring her dual identity as both a lawyer and a governance professional of the highest calibre.

In addition to her professional recognition, Afshan was the recipient of a national award from His Majesty the King of Bahrain - a testament to her contribution to the contribution to the legal profession in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Beyond her formal roles, Afshan is passionate about mediation and conflict resolution, often emphasising the importance of discretion, judgment, and foresight in building trust with stakeholders. She regularly speaks at legal and governance forums, where she shares insights on evolving board practices and the role of legal and governance frameworks in energy transition.

Throughout her career, Afshan has embodied the principle that law and governance is not about process alone, but about enabling sound judgment and long-term value creation. Her combination of legal acumen, governance expertise and emotional intelligence makes her a leading voice in shaping the future of legal and governance leadership in the region and beyond.