Dawar is a Director at executive search firm Penna and has specialised in senior public sector appointments for over twenty four years.

He set up and chairs the national Diversity in Local Government Leadership network (DLGL) and is the only executive head-hunter to be on the board of The Staff College, which supports the development of leadership and management capacity in local authorities and their Children’s Trust partner organisations. He is also a mentor on the NGDP BAME 2023 mentoring programme for graduates in the national management scheme in local government.

He was recently recognised as the most influential muslim in the UK for professional services by Equality X, who surveyed the 3.9 million muslims in the country and compiled a top 100 list which included the likes of Sir Mo Farah, Hollywood actor and rapper Riz Ahmed, Liverpool footballer Mo Salah and BBC journalist Mishal Hussain.