Pakistan Stock Exchange's first foreign CEO resigns over differences with board members

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) Chief Executive Officer Richard Morin, the first foreigner to head the country's main bourse, resigned Tuesday after he was served a notice for allegedly running his own wealth management company in Canada.

Morin's resignation comes at a time when the stock exchange is under pressure because of the weakening Pakistani currency against the US dollars and decrease in foreign direct investments after the USD 6 billion bailout package signed by the government with the IMF which carries some tough conditions for the Pakistan economy.

A notification of Morin's resignation was shared on the PSX website. Morin, a Canadian national, was the first non-Pakistani CEO of PSX and had joined in January 2018 during PML-N's tenure.

An emergency meeting of the PSX Board of Directors (BoD) was held on Tuesday during which Morin submitted his resignation. It was approved immediately by the board, according to media reports.

As per speculation, Morin had developed differences with the board after the PSX board of director had written a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan about Morin, alleging that while he was the CEO in Pakistan, he was running a company abroad.

During a Board of Directors meet on May 20, Morin had given a hearing on the show-cause notice served to him for alleged breach of employment contract by simultaneously operating his own wealth management company while being employed by the PSX.

Wealth Management, a Montreal-based firm that identifies itself as independent financial advisers' had Morin as the CEO of the company and chairman of its board.

Morin has said that there was no wrongdoing and he had declared his interest in Archer Wealth Management at the time of taking up his position at the PSX.

Morin who has held several top positions in financial and investment houses is the second foreigner to resign as CEO of a major Pakistani institution. In the past, a German CEO of Pakistan National Airlines also left his job after corruption charges were brought against him.