Career Biography

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.

Akhtar currently serves as 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 has 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.

Akhtar‘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, Akhtar 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.

Akhtar 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.

Akhtar was named In-House Lawyer of the Year at the Legal 500 Legal Awards in Dubai and has served as a judge for numerous legal awards. This highlights her strong and vocal support for the profession and to create a community of likeminded professionals across the Middle East region. In addition to her professional recognition, Akhtar 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, Akhtar 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, Akhtar 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.

What are the main cases or transactions that you have been involved in recently?

Given my effectiveness and impact as Chief Legal Counsel and Board Secretary of Bapco Refining, I was subsequently appointed Group Board Secretary and Board Governance Officer for the Bapco Energies Group. In this capacity, I provide board secretarial, governance and strategic legal advisory services to the Bapco Energies Group reporting to the Board of Directors of Bapco Energies and chaired by His Highness Sh. Nasser bin Nasser AlKhalifa.

I have continued to advise the Board of Directors and the Management on the Bapco Modernisation Programme (BMP) the largest industrial project in Bahrain’s history valued at $7bn. My role covers EPC contractor matters, Lender issues, safety-related considerations and regulatory compliance. The legal function I lead has been integral to the BMP, which is due to complete commissioning by the end of this year.

Aligned with Bahrain’s Vision 2030, I have also spearheaded the Legal transformation at the Group Level to support the national energy strategy. The transformation emphasises building a high-performance legal function that embeds best governance practices, proactively manages legal risks and embraces innovation in legal technologies. By balancing digital adoption with oversight, I ensure that legal and ethical frameworks – particularly around AI governance, data ethics, and cybersecurity risks remain robust and forward looking.