Mr. Mirza is a Masters of Commerce (M.Com) from University of Punjab, Lahore, and has also been awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the Institute of Business Management, Karachi. He has about 53 years of work experience.

Mr. Mirza served for about seven years in various positions in Investment Corporation of Pakistan (ICP), and then for over 6 years in the Credit & Finance Corporation, a merchant bank in London. Subsequently, for about two decades, he remained on the professional investment staff of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) (Member, World Bank Group).  Besides this, he has also served as the founding Chairman of Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (three years); Sector Manager for Financial Sector Development, East Asia & Pacific Region, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA (about four years); Chairman and Chief Executive, Monopoly Control Authority (one year); founding Chairman and Chief Executive Competition Commission of Pakistan (three years); and Member, Competition Appellate Tribunal (about eight months). Mr. Mirza joined the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in 2010 and is at present Professor of Practice. Mr. Mirza is also an Independent Director and Chairman of the Board of both Orix Leasing Pakistan Limited as well as the Board of Awwal Modaraba, and an Independent Director on the Boards of Silkbank and Murree Brewery Company Limited. Recently, he was appointed Chairman, Securities and Exchange Policy Board.

Significant among his regular consultancy assignments are Finance Consultant, WAPDA and Evaluator, Investment Evaluation Unit, The World Bank Group.