The growth of Islamic banks, and Islamic finance, continues to outpace the development of talent the industry crucially needs. A dearth in human capital, and leadership in particular, is now one of the biggest challenges the industry faces. Developing a new generation of Islamic bankers and intermediaries must therefore be embraced not only by academics but also industry leaders and financial regulators in key Islamic finance markets globally.
Human Capital in Islamic Finance Forum, brought to you by the ICD, will focus on what it will take to meet the human capital needs of an industry developing rapidly both in terms of size and sophistication. Attend this exclusive event on the 25th of April and throw in your two cents into this multi-stakeholder discussion.
Agenda
8.00 – 9.00
Registration
9.00 – 9.15
Welcome Address Khaled Al Aboodi — CEO, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector
9.15 – 9.30
Keynote Address Sayed Aqa —Vice President, Cooperation and Capacity Development, IDB Group
9.30 – 10.15
Panel Session: Developing Leadership in the Islamic Banking Sector The Islamic finance industry faces a unique dilemma – familiar faces. The industry’s top talent tend to be poached by the competition in a landscape where growth is far outpacing the availability of talent to match the requirements of C-level positions. How will we, as an industry, overcome the current dearth in strong leadership? What is needed to nurture and grow mid-level managers to become industry leaders? And more importantly, can the industry stay on growth trajectory without fresh chiefs?
Moderator:
Ashar Nazim —Partner, Global Islamic Banking Center, EY
Panelists:
Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar — CEO, Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC) DrMohdDaud Bakar — Founder and Group Chairman, Amanie Group, Malaysia Rehan M. Shaikh — CEO Islamic Banking, Standard Chartered Saadiq, UAE Tirad Mahmoud — CEO, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
10.15 – 10.45
Coffee Break
10.45 – 11.05
Presentation: Hiring Trends, Human Capital Initiatives Dr Hatim El-Tahir —Director, Islamic Finance Group & Islamic Finance Knowledge Center Leader, Deloitte & Touche, Bahrain
11.05 – 11.50
Panel Session: Onstage Discourse between HR Practitioners and Academia Many of today’s successful Islamic bankers embarked on a route far removed from their fields of study. Islamic investment bankers, for example, often have a background in law but no real grounding in the area of Islamic finance. We ask HR practitioners and academic providers how this disconnect can be addressed:
Are Islamic finance graduate programs adequately preparing young professionals for the industry?
How are curriculums being designed to meet the needs of the market?
What are HR practitioners looking for when recruiting young executives? What will be expected of them from Day One?
How do current industry professional standards support the new generation of bankers and what needs to change? Will professional qualification become mandatory for Islamic bankers?
Moderator:
Nyra Mahmood — Director, Simply Sharia Human Capital, the UK
Panelists:
Dr Abdel Aziz Mustafa — Advisor to the CEO, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) Dr Celia de Anca — Director, Saudi-Spanish Centre for Islamic Economics & Finance, IE Business School Khairul Nizam — Chief Operating Officer, Finance Accreditation Agency Suhail Bin Tarraf — Chief Executive Officer, Tanfeeth
11.50– 12.20
IFTDP Graduation Ceremony The Islamic Finance Talent Development Program (IFTDP) is a two-year program designed for mid-career professionals and the only human capital development program for Islamic finance so far in the industry that offers on-the-job assignments and academic qualifications. The graduation ceremony is to commemorate the completion of the two-year program for IFTDP Cohort III.
12.20 – 14.00
Networking Luncheon
14.00 – 16.00
The ICD Human Capital Roundtable: Current State, Issues and Challenges to Islamic Finance Human Capital Development This two-hour closed-door session will be attended by representatives of Islamic banks, government bodies, academics and HR managers of leading companies. Participants will look at the key issues on how to unlock the human capital potential for competent capacity-building in Islamic finance, with aim of providing open and free-flowing discussions exploring the core ideas in a wider context of human capital development, identifying potential stumbling blocks and challenges, while examining how best to garner opportunities and create collaborations across the industry.
Participants:
Dr Abdel Aziz Mustafa— Advisor to the CEO, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) Ashar Nazim— Partner, Global Islamic Banking Center, EY Dr Celia de Anca— Director, Saudi-Spanish Centre for Islamic Economics & Finance, IE Business School Dr Hatim El-Tahir— Director, Islamic Finance Group & Islamic Finance Knowledge Center Leader, Deloitte & Touche, Bahrain Dr Jamal Zarrouk —Visiting Professor of Economics, New York University Abu Dhabi Khairul Nizam— Chief Operating Officer, Finance Accreditation Agency Khaled Al Aboodi — CEO, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) Dr Mohd Daud Bakar— Founder and Group Chairman, Amanie Group, Malaysia Nyra Mahmood— Director, Simply Sharia Human Capital, the UK Sulaiman Sultan— Acting Director of Corporate Support, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) Tirad Mahmoud — CEO, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
