Sada Cumber

Infobox US Ambassador
name=Sada Cumber


imagesize = 150px
order=1st
ambassador_from=United States
country= the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
term_start =March 3, 2008
president= George W. Bush
predecessor = First Special Envoy
successor = "incumbent"
birth_date =birth date and age |1951|12|03
birth_place = Karachi, Pakistan
spouse=
party=Republican
profession=Businessman
religion= Islam
footnotes=

Sada Cumber assumed his duties as Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on March 3, 2008. As Special Envoy, Mr. Cumber serves as the U.S. representative to the OIC, and will seek to promote mutual understanding and dialogue between the United States and Muslim communities around the world. Until recently, Mr. Cumber also served as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Malta in Austin. [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/101432.htm Cumber, Sada ] ]

Early history and personal life

Mr. Cumber was born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1951. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and a Master’s Degree in History, both from the University of Karachi. Mr. Cumber came to the United States in 1978 and has been an American citizen since 1986.

Career history

Cumber is the co-founder of an investment and wealth consultancy, CACH Capital Management, and some ten other enterprises.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Cumber was an entrepreneur and investor based in Austin, Texas. Mr. Cumber’s business background is in senior management, marketing, and imaging technology. As an entrepreneur, Mr. Cumber has specialized in national and global network strategy, strategic marketing, business planning and institution building.

Mr. Cumber has founded 11 companies in technology-based industries, including Texas Global, an international strategic advising firm, and CACH Capital Management, an investment advisory and wealth management firm. Prior to his appointment as Special Envoy, Mr. Cumber also served as Chairman of the Board of TCMS-LLC, an intellectual property development company, and as Chairman of Sozotek Inc., an imaging technology company. Mr. Cumber has also served on numerous corporate boards and as a speaker at the meetings of several national and international organizations, on topics including the ethics of persuasion, entrepreneurship and governance.

Sada also serves as the Principal in Texas Global-LLP, a partnership that manages the strategic intersection between Business, Government and Public Affairs.

Prior to founding Texas Global, Mr. Cumber founded SozoTek, a wireless imaging company. Sada also served as Chairman & CEO of Psionic Technologies, Inc., an Internet Security software company acquired by Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) in 2002. In 1995, he co-founded Applied Science Fiction, a company specializing in a digital dry film process whose technologies were recently acquired by Kodak (NYSE: EK). Sada previously owned Triumph Flexo Industries which was acquired by American Greetings (NYSE: AM) in 1994.

He also brings special leadership skills that have earned him a reputation for being fair, self-assured, decisive and trustworthy. He is an engaging coach who fosters an environment of excitement, passion and a feeling of camaraderie. Cumber is a highly result-oriented leader with strength of character that encourages, empowers and elevates others to the next level. [http://www.texasglobal.com/about_us/about_us.html Texas Global - About Us - government consultant ] ]

Philanthropic work

Mr. Cumber has been active in the public sphere, serving on the boards of various Texas-based and international organizations, including the Board of Directors of the Texas Economic Development Board (a $300 million fund), the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (a $200 million fund), the 15th World Congress on Information Technology, the Texas Business Council, and the Governor’s Task Force on Higher Education. Mr. Cumber has also been active in civic organizations, advisory councils, and charitable foundations.

Sada has served on numerous boards, civic/community organizations, advisory councils and foundations. He is regularly invited by national and international organizations to speak on Ethics of Persuasion, Entrepreneurship and Governance. He has been extensively written and quoted in numerous national and international publications such as "Forbes", "The Wall Street Journal", "Scribe Business" (German), "Austin American Statesman", "Business Journal" and other publications.

Community involvement:

Governor of Texas: Appointee on Texas Economic Development Board ($300 Million fund).

Governor of Texas: Appointee on Texas Emerging Technology Fund ($200 Million fund).

Governor of Texas: Member Texas Business Council

Governor of Texas: Task Force on Higher Education

Honorary Consul General: The Republic of Malta

Chairman - Texas 5-Year Strategic Plan for International Business

University Of Texas, Chancellor's Advisory Council: Institute for Public Schools Initiatives

Board and Executive Committee: WCIT/2006: World Congress on Information Technology

Member, Steering Committee: United Nations 60 th Anniversary – Austin, Texas

University of Texas, College of Fine Arts: Advisory Council

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)–Advisory board member Houston chapter

President, His Highness the Aga Khan Council for Southwest USA (two terms)

Board of Trustees, Photo Marketing Association International

Board of Trustees, Digital Imaging Marketing Association

Board of Trustees, Association of Photo CD Users

Board of Directors, Foundation of Religion Studies, Texas

Life Member, Buck Rogers Group

Appointment as Special Envoy to OIC

Bush, who first indicated in June 2007 that he would send an envoy to the OIC, was to meet with Cumber and then make his choice public at 2:10 p.m. (1910 GMT), spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.“It is an important organization, it has a constructive role to play in the world, and the president is signalling our desire to have a greater dialogue with the organization as well as Muslims around the world,” she said.Cumber is currently chairman and chief executive officer of wireless imaging company SozoTek.Asked why Bush’s search for an envoy had taken as long as it had, Perino replied: “He wanted to find the right person and he found that in Sada Cumber.” [ [http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2008/02/ The Washington Times, America's Newspaper ] ]

In addition to his work within the American Ismaili religious community, Sada Cumber, Bush's OIC appointee, has represented the Aga Khan's humanitarian programs in the southwestern United States. In sending an American Muslim to the OIC who stands for independence in Muslim theology, entrepreneurship as well as social responsibility in the use of Muslim wealth, and a strong pro-Western attitude, Bush has brought another small but positive change to relations between the West and the Islamic world. Throughout history, and especially in crisis zones, minor developments have had great consequences. Perhaps the appointment of a U.S. representative to the OIC in the person of Sada Cumber will prove to be another such decisive and meaningful action.

His skills, experience and character recently earned him the appointment of Honorary Consul for the country Malta. [ [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/835mgwfz.asp Meet Sada Cumber ] ]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title = United States Ambassador to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
before = First Special Envoy
after = "incumbent"
years = 2008 – Present

References