Abdulkader Thomas is the President and CEO of SHAPE for Economic Consulting operating as SHAPE Knowledge Services, Kuwait. Abdulkader has over 30 years of diversified financial services experience. Abdulkader’s background includes capital markets, real estate finance and trade finance. He has served in various international banks and dealt with regulatory approval for Islamic products in different countries, consulting for and training financial institutions, regulators and businesses about Islamic finance.

Along with his team at SHAPE, Abdulkader works on projects that include launching de novo Islamic banks and Islamic banking windows, funds, Sukuk, regulations, policies and procedures including Shariah policies, Shariah compliance, product development and structuring.

Abdulkader is a Member of the International Advisory Committee for Islamic Capital Markets at the Securities Commission of Malaysia.
A graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in International Trade, Abdulkader earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honors) in Arabic and Islamic studies from the University of Chicago.

Abdulkader is a frequent speaker on Islamic financial and banking matters. He has co-authored or edited several works in the field including ‘Structuring Islamic Financial Transactions’ with Stella Cox and Bryan Kraty (London: Euromoney, 2005) among others.

Ahmed Ali Siddiqui is Senior Executive Vice-President and Head Shariah Compliance, Meezan Bank. Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi. His areas of specialization include Islamic Finance and MIS. He has over 22 years of rich Islamic banking experience and is involved in pioneering work in the field of Islamic finance in Pakistan. His major areas of interest are Shariah compliant product development, Sovereign Sukuk and deal structuring, development of innovative solutions for retail, corporate and consumer banking, formulation of policy guidelines, Islamic banking training, Shariah audit, applicative research and Islamic financial advisory services. He is the Founding Director of IBA Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance, an emerging global center for Islamic finance research, academic programs, professional training and industry interaction. He leads one of the largest research departments in the Islamic banking world with around 40 dedicated team members. He is also the Secretary for the Shariah Supervisory Board at Meezan Bank Limited. His previous assignments include the launching of Car Ijarah – Pakistan’s first Islamic car financing scheme and Easy Home – Pakistan’s first Islamic housing finance as Product Manager in Pakistan. Ahmed is also part of the joint financial advisors team to the Government of Pakistan for the issuance of local currency Sovereign Sukuk and Islamic financing transactions and has advised the government in structuring and issuance of Sukuk/Islamic transactions of over US$13 billion dollars. He also led the consortium of Islamic banks in Pakistan for the Issuance of 400 BN First and Second Pakistan Energy Sukuk issued by the Ministry of Energy, Government of Pakistan. Ahmed has served and is also a member of several task forces at the Central Bank level related to Islamic banking products, Islamic banking regulations, governance framework, accounting disclosures and adoption of AAOIFI Shariah standards. He is also actively involved in Islamic banking training activities and has conducted various training sessions, corporate workshops and seminars on different Islamic Banking topics. Ahmed is a frequent speaker on Islamic banking at the National Institute of Banking and Finance (State Bank of Pakistan), Export Promotion Bureau, LUMS and Center of Islamic Economics (CIE), Karachi and has conducted several specialized workshops in UAE, Bahrain, Malaysia, Australia and the UK.

Ahmed Roshdy Zaki is a seasoned financial expert with extensive experience in diversifying portfolios and managing investments across a wide range of asset classes. His expertise spans cash, fixed income, money markets, foreign exchange, high yield and alternative investment strategies. Ahmed’s portfolios are global in nature, encompassing various currencies and markets, aiming to provide a balance between capital preservation and capital growth with reduced volatility over full investment cycles in both local and foreign currencies. Ahmed Roshdy Zaki holds an MBA with a major in Finance from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Cairo, Egypt. He has also completed numerous training courses and workshops in fixed income portfolio management, foreign exchange, credit analysis, financial leasing and more.

Professional Experience:

• Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, KSA
• Manager, Liquidity and Investments Division
• August 2021 – Present
• Senior Dealer, Dealing Room
• November 2011 – August 2021
• Blom Bank Egypt, Cairo, Egypt
• Head of Fixed Income and MM Desk
• April 2008 – November 2011
• Banque Misr, Cairo, Egypt
• Assistant Manager, Dealing Room
• September 2007 – April 2008
• Head of Fixed Income and MM Desk
• August 2000 – August 2007

Ahmet Tacer completed his undergraduate education in Mechanical Engineering at Northeastern University and earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts. Ahmet Tacer speaks fluent German and English.

From 1999 to 2005, he worked as Director of Structured Finance at ABN AMRO Bank, where he arranged syndicated loans for banks and corporate clients and structured asset-backed securitization transactions.

Between 2005 and 2012, he served as the Director of Global Capital Markets at Deutsche Bank, responsible for Debt and Equity Capital Markets origination for the EEMEA region and participated in numerous significant Eurobond and Global Bond issuances.

From 2013 to 2017, he worked as Director of Investment Banking at Q Invest, acquiring a local asset management company and managing Sukuk issuances.

He worked as a short-term consultant at World Bank, advising Pakistan’s government on its international Eurobond and Sukuk borrowing programs.

Since 2023, Ahmet Tacer has been serving as the Director of Capital Markets and Investment Banking at Golden Global Investment Bank, where he has managed the process of obtaining credit ratings from Fitch and JCR, establishing and arranging issuances for international and private Sukuk programs.

Professor Ainurul Rosli specialises in SME growth programme development, particularly in research and social impact. She works on evidence-led enterprise social impact/value and co-creation initiatives to support SMEs’ strategic agendas including collaboration for digital adoption. An enthusiastic ecosystem builder, who collaborates with industry players, policymakers, educators and researchers, she brings innovative methodologies in her impact research and consultancy work to help champion the importance of strategic thinking in doing research with impact. Professor Rosli’s work has been instrumental in supporting the UK Government Funded Small Business Support programmes (Small Business Leadership, Help To Grow Management). In addition, she secured a grant from UKRI on SME digital footprint, where the findings enabled her to help shape the Help to Grow Digital initiatives. She is a Social Innovation Movement NGO and Social Value Malaysia Co-founder with functional expertise in social impact. She is currently chairing the Practice and Impact Special Interest Group of the Institute of Small Business Enterprise (ISBE), UK.

Ammara Masood is the Global Industries GM for Banking and Financial Services at Systems Limited, a leading global technology firm and systems integrator. With over 29 years of experience, Ammara has a distinguished career in IT strategy, consulting and digital transformation across the banking, telecom and high-tech sectors. She has played pivotal roles in founding and leading IT companies across the US, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, driving some of the industry’s largest transformation initiatives. Ammara is known for opening new markets, implementing institutional reforms and turning around companies, bringing her expertise in governance and strategic leadership to every role. She serves as an Independent Director for the Central Depository Company and holds positions on the Governing Council of Pakistan Single Window and the Industry Advisory Board of Habib University. She has also held leadership roles in the Pakistan Software Houses Association and DataCheck. Her contributions to the industry have been recognized globally, including leadership awards at the 2021 and 2022 Global Banking Tech Awards in London. Ammara holds an MBA in Information Sciences from California State University, San Bernardino, and an Executive Diploma in Strategic Uses of Information Sciences from Stanford University.

Ang Xing Xian is a disciplined, risk-loving entrepreneur determined to transform the financial industry with innovative solutions. He is the Co-founder and CEO of CapBay, an award-winning Supply Chain Finance platform that helps businesses obtain smarter financing, and a P2P financing platform licensed by the Securities Commission Malaysia. Ang Xing Xian also serves as the CEO of Kenanga Capital Islamic, a Shariah compliant factoring company. He has successfully led the team to win numerous awards and establish itself as one of the top alternative financing platforms, having funded over RM3 billion to underserved SMEs.

Ang Xing Xian was named the EY Emerging Entrepreneur of The Year for Malaysia, and CapBay was the only Malaysian company named in CNBC and Statista’s ‘Top 200 Global Fintech Companies’. Additionally, it recently ranked 30th among 500 in the Financial Times High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2024, making it the highest-ranked Malaysian company. He has extensive experience in management consulting as an Accenture Strategy Consultant advising on technology and analytics. He was also an in-house consultant for Creador private equity, overseeing their technology portfolio. He graduated from Oxford University with a Master’s in Computational Finance following his Mathematics and Statistics Bachelor’s degree from Imperial College London.

Anoop Sonpar is a business development and sales leader with top-tier global financial services organizations. He has pioneered regional and global sales businesses in developed and emerging markets and led talented sales teams to achieve double-digit revenue growth. Operating at the forefront of the financial technology industry for more than 20 years, he has helped to develop, negotiate and lead solutions initiatives that are changing the landscape of relevance for banks and capital markets firms. He has orchestrated enterprise-level, game-changing solutions for organizations to enable agile and fluid adaptation to industry capital pressures and constantly changing regulatory frameworks. Recognized as a subject matter expert and thought leader, he is regularly sought out to speak at industry events and customer conferences and has shared insights and expertise in Islamic banking, treasury optimization, digitization and corporate and retail banking. He leads the new business team in ASEAN and South Asia at Temenos.

Ariffin Sabirin was born in Kluang, Johor. Upon completing his Degree in Business Management from the National University of Malaysia in 1994, he joined Citibank as a Management Associate.

In 1996, he joined RHB Unit Trust Management as Senior Associate. His career in estate planning started in 1998 when he joined a law firm as Marketing Director.

His responsibility was to develop and market Islamic inheritance products such as wills and Hibah. He founded Wasiyyah Shoppe, a shariah compliance trustee company in 2004 to better service the Ummah with introduction of innovative and comprehensive solutions.

Being in the forefront of the industry since 1998, Ariffin is a subject matter expert and has delivered more than 5,000 talks in seminars and dialogs in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the UK and Australia. He also contributed to the proposed amendment of the Act relating to Muslim inheritance under the Attorney General Chambers of Malaysia.

With support from an experienced Board of Directors, Ariffin has led the company to notable achievements such as ‘High Bumiputera Performance Company’ under the TERAS program of TERAJU Prime Minister Department in 2007, The Most Promising Franchisor Award in 2008, The Best Regional (Asia) Enterprise 2018 from European Business Assembly, Inspirational Company 2019 by The World Confederation of Business and The Best Shariah Estate Planning and Administration Company in Malaysia 2020.

Wasiyyah Shoppe currently services close to 70,000 clients nation-wide and is the biggest Shariah trustee company in Malaysia with estimated assets to be managed on behalf of the clients amounting to RM35 billion.

Bikesh Lakhmichand is no stranger to the world of digital disruption in Southeast Asia. He is the founding partner of 1337 Ventures, Malaysia’s first accelerator program that has invested in over 60 innovative digital start-ups across diverse areas spanning gaming, social networking, education, big data, proximity marketing, wearable technology, fintech and recently, social enterprises. 1337 Ventures is the mastermind behind Alpha Startups, an intensive five-day design sprint-based pre-accelerator boot camp that has helped numerous start-ups such as ParkEasy and Gigfairy that went from idea to exit in just 12 months.

Beyond helping to discover, validate and scale high-potential start-ups from ideas to businesses of the future, Bikesh utilizes his experience in the start-up scene to help corporates such as Khazanah, Maybank and CIMB transform and compete in the digital age. Bikesh helps corporates via consultations to create new business units or services, designs thinking to equip them with relevant skill sets and knowledge as well as organizes accelerator programs that help start-ups identify and solve their problem statements.

Bilal Parvaiz started his career with Standard Chartered in 2010 as part of the Group Islamic Banking team based in United Arab Emirates, where he was responsible for the Bank’s Structured Trade and Transaction Banking business across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and South Asian markets.
He joined Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia in 2014 and led the Islamic Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) team, driving regional coverage across the ASEAN markets including Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia.

Bilal was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia on 15 March 2024 and is now steering the Bank’s Islamic banking business in Malaysia to greater heights by strengthening Saadiq’s leading position in the Islamic banking arena.

Bilal has played an instrumental role in originating landmark transactions across the GCC, South Asia and ASEAN, including market firsts such as the world’s first ESG Islamic Collateralised Commodity Murabahah transaction and Sustainable Islamic Supplier Finance. Bilal most notably spearheaded the Halal360 initiative, a key proposition that aims to expand the Halal eco-system globally.

Bilal was also the Country Champion for Sustainable Finance and represented the Bank in multiple sustainability initiatives including Value Based Intermediation (VBI) and Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3). He also jointly led the Value Based Impact Assessment Framework (VBIAF) for the Renewable Energy sector. Owing to his expertise in Islamic Finance – the Halal economy and Sustainable Finance, he is often invited to share his views at various industry forums.

Bilal holds an MBA and professional qualifications in Sustainable Finance from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, has undertaken the Sustainability Leadership Programme at the University of Cambridge and the Global Banking Leadership program at Bayes Business School London. He is also an Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF).

Elias is a Partner in Trowers & Hamlins’ International Banking and Finance Department.

Elias has a broad range of experience both in the conventional and Islamic finance spheres. He has significant experience in representing the full spectrum of stakeholders on a range of banking and finance transactions including project financing and real estate financing as well as capital market issuances.

Frederik Wijsenbeek is a Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Ethos Invest. He joined Ethos in 2023 with 25 years of experience in private equity, private credit, real estate and special situations investing across North America and Europe. Frederik’s expertise lies in sourcing, structuring and executing complex transactions as well as building and leading teams of investment professionals. He has a successful track record of developing and expanding alternative asset management platforms. Frederik was a senior investment team member with more than US$5 billion invested in blue-chip institutional and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) investors across multiple geographies and sectors. Before joining Ethos, Frederik worked at Morgan Stanley Investment Management for a decade. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Frederik was Director and Head of European Direct Private Equity for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, a leading global pension fund with US$250 billion of assets under management. He was also a Partner at Bregal Investments, a EUR2 billion (US$2.13 billion) private equity fund backed by the UHNW Brenninkmeijer family. Frederik earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction from Stanford University and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

Hakan Ozyon’s role as CEO at Hejaz Financial Services involves setting strategic paths and forming financial alliances. With over 30 years of experience in business, he is known for leading innovative strategies and nurturing talent. He is adept at unlocking potential, promoting growth and increasing revenue. Hakan has deep ties in both the Islamic and broader Australian communities, enhancing business operations and setting corporate goals. Notably, he has spent a decade transforming visions into pioneering Islamic financial services. He is respected globally for his business acumen.

Dr Hamim Syahrum Ahmad Mokhtar is currently the Deputy Director in the Financial Inclusion Department of Bank Negara Malaysia. His role includes leading and guiding strategic development policies of social finance, microfinance and green finance. Previously, he was the Deputy Director in the Financial Surveillance Department and Islamic Banking & Takaful Department.

Dr Hamim was also involved in a number of working groups and taskforces established by the ISFB including the following groups: Capital Adequacy Standards (Sukuk Securitisation and Real Estate), Governance of Islamic Collective Investment Scheme, Guides on Islamic Deposit Insurance and Guidance Notes in the determination of Alpha in Capital Adequacy Ratio.

Dr Hamim holds a degree in Accounting with Honors, an MBA and a PhD in Islamic Banking and Finance. He has published and presented several papers at both domestic and international conferences, including a paper on the efficiency and competition of Islamic banking in Malaysia which was accorded the ‘Highly Commended Award’ by award-winning international Journal Emerald Literati Network. He is also a Chartered Accountant of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and a Chartered Banker. He received the central bank’s Excellent Individual Performance Awards in 2009.

Dr Jane Chang is Malaysia’s first Accredited Social Value Practitioner (Level 3). As a scholar of cognitive entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education, she is passionate about innovation for social impact. Her work on entrepreneurial mindset and cognition has assisted individuals worldwide, including in deprived areas of London, the interior of Borneo and the scholars of world-class nations, into a space of community learning for a value creation mindset. She was a finalist for the Reimagine Education Award at Wharton Business School (the most innovative curriculum design). She co-founded one of Malaysia’s first social value and impact management quality setters, providing a unique social value and impact framework with international accreditation to manage social value and impact. A leader who incorporates social innovation and practical entrepreneurship education in everything she does, Jane brings together an impressive eclectic mix of skills and experience as an ecosystem builder.

John Welling is Head of Global Equity Indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI), where he leads the global equities team in overseeing, promoting and developing S&P DJI’s extensive portfolio of global indices including the S&P Global BMI, S&P World Index, S&P Global 1200 and various regional benchmarks as well as S&P DJI’s established and growing sustainability index offerings.

With a background in structured products and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from BYU, John became a member of the S&P DJI team in 2017 and brings a broad perspective to his role. Outside of work, John enjoys snow skiing, trail running, bicycling and spending time with family.

Yoon Jun Jie is the CEO and Founder of Capsphere, Malaysia’s first Asset Based P2P Financing and Investment platform registered with Securities Commission Malaysia. He started Capsphere to support local SME’s and to enable communities to take part in their growth. Previously, he was Vice-President in the Southeast Asia Global Corporate Banking team at Bank of America. He has gained experience in facilitating debt financing, advising on cash management and treasury solutions for global corporations and financial institutions.

He has completed the Professional Credit Certification from the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers. His education includes an MPhil in Economics from University of Cambridge and a BSc in Statistics, Economics and Finance from University College London.

Khairul Nisa Ismail stands as a pillar of entrepreneurship and innovation in the ever-evolving world of digital technology. As the CEO of SEDANIA As-Salam Capital (SASC), a fintech subsidiary of SEDANIA Innovator, her career has been a remarkable journey filled with visionary leadership, a commitment to digital transformation and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Her illustrious career spans over 25 years spearheading some major initiatives that have set new benchmarks, especially within the fintech and aviation industry. Under her leadership, SASC has become a key player in the Islamic fintech space, promoting Shariah compliant solutions like the As-Sidq Commodity Trading Platform, Marketplace for Islamic Product and Digital Banking Suite of Services. She has been instrumental in developing the first-ever digital Hibah platform in partnership with Wasiyyah Shoppe, addressing the issues of unclaimed assets among Muslims in Malaysia.

Nisa Ismail’s leadership extends to fostering impactful partnerships with over 95 financial services institutions, driving growth and innovation in Malaysia’s digital banking sector. She also leads the group’s telco tech business, focusing on Value-Added Services. Her forward-thinking vision and dedication to digital transformation have established her as a pioneering entrepreneur and a visionary leader.

Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid joined IILM after spending 13 years at CIMB, where he had served the bank in various capacities including as a Deputy CEO at CIMB Islamic and as a Senior Managing Director at the bank’s public sector, group wholesale banking. Safri brings with him almost 30 years of experience in the banking and financial sector including over 20 years of meaningful experience as a pioneer, structurer, transactor and renowned leader in Islamic finance locally and internationally. Safri has played an instrumental role in bringing some of the world’s first, groundbreaking and award-winning Islamic transactions to the market and is well regarded as one of the pioneers of the Islamic capital market globally. Safri has a strong credit background having served as a group credit committee member at CIMB between 2012 and 2020 as well as well as a senior analyst at Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad from 2000 to 2003. Safri holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the International Islamic University Malaysia and an MBA (Globalisation) from Maastricht School, the Netherlands. He is a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysian Institute of Accounts. Safri is a speaker at many local and international Islamic conferences and events.

Dr Mohamad Zabidi Ahmad has worked in the banking industry for 38 years. He has amassed 19 years of experience in group treasury products and functions (conventional and Islamic) including corporate (deposits, investments, client solutions), interbank, fixed income and derivatives, product development, structuring and marketing. He previously served as the Senior Managing Director and Regional Head of Islamic Treasury, Treasury and Markets in Group Wholesale Banking for CIMB Group. During that time, he was responsible for the development of CIMB Group’s regional Islamic treasury franchises, managing over RM100 billion (US$23.88 billion) of Islamic assets for CIMB Group Islamic Banking. His country-focused treasury remits included Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand and for five years, he was based in London as a Chief Dealer. His innovations included the introduction of CIMB’s Islamic repo contract.

Dr Mohamad Zabidi has held various additional executive management positions within the CIMB Group, including the Chairman of the Investment Account Oversight Committee and a Member of the Group Islamic Management Committee, the Treasury and Market Committee and the Group Islamic Wholesale Banking Committee. He has been widely recognized for his leadership, with CIMB announced as ‘Best Islamic Bank for Treasury Management’ at the IFN Awards in 2019. He previously participated in the Bursa Malaysia/Bank Negara Malaysia Working Group resulting in the formation of the Bursa Suq Al-Sila’ Commodity House and the Working Group resulting in the establishment of the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation.

Dr Mohamad Zabidi served as Proactive Chairman of AIBIM Treasury & Markets, leading the CMTC Sukuk Index Task Force in the successful launch of the Sovereign & Corporate Bloomberg-AIBIM-Bursa Sukuk Index in September 2012. In 2018, under his leadership, AIBIM also published the practice notes for Qard Hasan and commodity Murabahah for adoption by AIBIM members. He has presented papers on Islamic treasury products to various central banks including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Bank Indonesia and Bank Negara Malaysia.

Among his academic and professional achievements, Dr Mohamad Zabidi holds a doctorate in Business Administration from Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia and has a Bachelor’s in Accounting with Honors from Universiti Teknologi MARA.

A qualified Chartered Accountant, Dr Mohamad Zabidi is a practicing member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, a Certified Senior Financial Market Practitioner by ACI-Financial Market of Malaysia and the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers and holds an Associate Qualification in Islamic Finance from the Islamic Banking & Finance Institute Malaysia and that of Senior Associate from the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance.

Dr Mohamed Damak is a Senior Director of Financial Services at S&P Global Ratings, covering financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa. He is also the Global Head of Islamic finance at the rating agency, leading a global team of Islamic finance analysts.

Dr Mohamed had worked for S&P Global Ratings from 2006 to 2010, covering conventional and Islamic financial institutions in MENA. He then worked as a Principal Credit Risk Officer for the African Development Bank in Tunis before rejoining S&P Global Ratings.

Holding a PhD in Finance and a Master’s degree in Money, Banking and Finance from Universite Paris-Pantheon-Assas, Dr Mohamed also has a Master’s degree in Financial Institutions Management from Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Tunis.

Iqbal is a Senior Banker who has enjoyed a successful 35 year career in banking and finance domestically and internationally. Among the institutions he has served are Maybank, the AmBank Group, the Employees Provident Fund Malaysia, Kuwait Finance House Malaysia and Warba Bank K.S.C.P. Kuwait. His areas of experience are in treasury, investments and capital markets; risk management; international banking; commercial and consumer banking; credit management; and business strategy and transformation. Notably, as Treasurer, he was at the forefront of navigating the institutions he served through three major economic and financial crises in 1997-98, 2008-09, and 2020-21. He pioneered the structuring and usage of several now commonplace Shariah compliant financial instruments such as foreign exchange forward contracts, profit-rate swaps, Basel III compliant Additional Tier-1 Sukuk and also the first local currency Sukuk issued by a Kuwaiti financial institution. Iqbal holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Science and Computer Systems from Oklahoma State University, in the US. He is a Qualified Risk Director accredited by the Institute of Enterprise Risk Practitioners (IERP) and has attended numerous executive programs during his career, including The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business Executive Leadership Development Program. He is currently an Independent Non-Executive Director of Agrobank Malaysia Berhad.

Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin is currently Head of the Halal Integrated Platform (HIP) which is part of Halal Development Corporation that focuses on the development and facilitation of the Halal industry ecosystem. HIP is the first digital platform in the world that provides a networking platform for Halal industry players, empowering stakeholders in the Halal industry and in the Halal supply chain.

Mohammad Hafiz has over 18 years of experience in management consulting, digital transformation and implementation of large-scale digital projects. He has extensive experience in the development of digital ecosystems for industry and business-specific solutions for large organizations for both government ministries as well as multinational companies.

Dr Mahbubi hails from Indonesia and holds a PhD in Islamic Banking and Finance from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). He obtained his Master’s degree in Islamic Finance from the International Center for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF), and Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Finance from Tazkia Institute, Bogor, Indonesia.

Dr Mahbubi currently holds the position of Islamic Finance Expert at the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) and is a registered Shariah adviser with the Securities Commission Malaysia. Dr Mahbubi also holds international recognition as Member of the Curriculum Review Committee at the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), Bahrain. He is also Chairman of Sidogiri Islamic Institute; Director of Shariah, AIFA Consulting; Member of Board Shariah Committee, CIMB Islamic Bank; Member of Shariah Committee, FWD Takaful Sdn Bhd; and Shariah Advisor of Dar al-Muraja’ah al-Shar’iyyah, Bahrain.

Previously, he was the Chairman of Shariah Committee, Affin Islamic Bank Berhad; on the Board of Directors for ZICO Shariah Advisory; and former Head of Economics, Finance, Awqaf and Zakat at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS Malaysia). He was also a researcher at the International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA) Malaysia.

Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi is the Regional Head of Wholesale Banking at CIMB Islamic and is responsible for developing and growing the Islamic wholesale banking business of CIMB Group. Prior to joining CIMB Islamic in April 2020, he was with CIMB Bank, carrying out capital and balance sheet management roles of the group. He was a key person in the liquidity and interest rate management of the group, ensuring sustainable assets growth through a lean and optimized balance sheet. He started his career as a Management Trainee with CIMB Investment Bank back in July 2007.

Mohd Ekmal graduated with a Master of Science degree in Risk Management and Financial Engineering from Imperial College London in 2012. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Chartered Professional in the Islamic Finance Charter.

Mohd Radzuan Mohamed has more than 20 years of experience in the industry with expertise in Takaful and re-Takaful, insurance and re-insurance, broking, consulting and adjusting. Prior to joining MTA, he was a Senior Manager in various insurance and Takaful companies.

He is currently the Grand Councilor of The Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF). Radzuan is also an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Business and Administration of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

Radzuan is a Member of the Lembaga Zakat Selangor (MAIS) Board in the Risk, Integrity and Compliance Committee. He received the Risk Icon Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of Enterprise Risk Management.

He is a Fellow Member of The Malaysian Insurance Institute (FMII), a Certified Professional in Islamic Finance (CPIF), an Associate of the Institute Risk Management (AIRM, UK) with an Enterprise Risk Professional Certification (IERP) as well as an alumnus of the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in Scotland.

Dr Muhammad Issyam Ismail is part of the Islamic Wholesale Banking team at CIMB Islamic Bank, where he is responsible for developing and structuring Islamic capital market instruments. His experience includes structuring and providing Shariah advisory services for equity instruments and various Sukuk deals, both globally and locally. Notably, he contributed to landmark global Sukuk deals such as the first Sovereign sustainability Sukuk by the Government of Malaysia in 2021, the UK sovereign Sukuk in 2021 and multiple global Sukuk issuances by Khazanah and the Republic of Indonesia. He is also part of the MIFC working group committee at AIBIM in support of the renewed MIFC agenda.

Prior to his current role, he was part of the Shariah advisory teams at CIMB Islamic Bank and Hong Leong Islamic Bank, where he covered retail, commercial, corporate and treasury segments. He also served as a trainee lecturer at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), where he participated in several academic research projects and publications.

Professionally, he holds the Chartered Banker qualification from the Chartered Banker Institute, is a Certified Shariah Advisor and Auditor by AAOIFI, and is a Certified Banking Auditor by the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers. He earned a PhD from Universiti Malaya, where his research focused on the impact of Standard 59 by AAOIFI on global hybrid Sukuk offerings. Additionally, he holds a Chartered Banker MBA from Bangor University (Wales), an MSc in Islamic Banking and Finance from IIiBF, and a dual degree in Civil Law.

As Vice-President of Moody’s Investors Service based in Dubai, Nitish Bhojnagarwala covers a portfolio of large conventional as well as Islamic financial institutions in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.

Nitish joined Moody’s in 2011 and has led Sukuk roundtables and conducted workshops on banking and Islamic finance at various conferences in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Nitish has also authored several research articles with a focus on regional banking, credit issues and issuer-in-depths.

Prior to joining Moody’s, Nitish served five years at Tamweel in the Treasury. He has also worked for KPMG in the UAE. Nitish holds an MBA from S P Jain Institute of Management & Research with a major in Finance (Investment Banking).

Ravi Kittane has over 25 years of combined financial services industry and consulting experience leading successful business transformations globally for major banks, insurers and asset managers. He specialises in digital strategy, technology architecture, solution stack and operating model development and has advised incumbents as well as digital challengers. Ravi has built large multi-disciplinary teams and led large programs in the areas of business transformation, digital strategy and transformation, next generation optimisation, business process reengineering and outsourcing, program and change management. He is leading the development and delivery of digital banking and digital insurance value propositions and technologies for incumbent banks and insurers as well as digital banking and digital insurer license aspirants/winners in Malaysia and the region. During his time in the industry with Royal Bank of Canada, he led several major digital and technology led transformations leading to revenue uplift, customer experience enhancements and productivity improvements. He co-led the task force to upskill and re-skill the Bank’s 27,000 operations professionals through a multi-year targeted strategy. Ravi is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion and writes and speaks at forums on financial inclusion, digitalisation, architecture modernisation and the impact of AI.

Professor Dr Rusni Hassan is an esteemed leader in Islamic finance, notably serving as Dean at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance. Her distinguished career is marked by a profound influence on academic, regulatory and practical aspects of Islamic finance globally. Her leadership extends beyond finance to influential positions in Shariah advisory councils and boards of directors for various organizations, reflecting her versatile expertise and commitment to integrating Islamic principles in broader economic practices.

A prolific author, she has contributed over a hundred scholarly articles and numerous seminal books that have significantly shaped the legal and regulatory landscape of Islamic finance worldwide.

A passionate academician, she has mentored countless students and young professionals, emphasizing the importance of ethical practices and the integration of Islamic values in business and finance and nurturing the next generation of Islamic finance professionals and fostering a well-rounded and principled financial leadership.

Her works and contribution to Islamic Finance has been internationally recognized by the Government of Maldives when she was awarded the National-Recognition for Outstanding Contribution of Females to Develop and Sustain Islamic Finance Industry in Maldives in 2018.

Her career is a testament to unwavering dedication as murabbi to excellence in Islamic finance. Her achievements span academic contributions, regulatory enhancements and influential leadership, making her invaluable to the global Islamic finance community and an inspiring leader whose work continues to impact the academia and industry profoundly.

Sazul is the the Chief Technology Officer for KAF Digital Berhad, the digital bank arm for KAF Investment Bank. Educated in France, he has been in the Technology and Digital space for over 23 years in various industries such as asset management, investment, oil and gas and consulting. Previous success stories include the operational and enablement of the first e-Wallet that provides daily returns and introducing wealth management onto the e-Wallet space. Currently, he is building the team, the culture and digital platform for the digital bank consortium led by KAF Investment Bank.

Shabnam Mokhtar has over 18 years of experience in the finance space. Currently, she spearheads research and development activities at SHAPE including sustainability analysis. With a global clientele experience, Shabnam brings implementation knowledge, considering the business context, regulation and best practices in different markets. Shabnam was appointed as the Securities Commission – Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Islamic Finance Visiting Fellow for 2021/2022. She is interested in multi-disciplinary research especially in the areas of impact investing, sustainability, innovation and technology.

At Oxford, Shabnam focused on the blue economy, impact investing and lessons for Islamic finance. Formerly, she headed the capital market research for the International Shari’ah Research Academy. Her focus area was case study-based research projects in the Sukuk market. Her prior positions include Adjunct Professor of Finance at both DePaul University (Chicago) and IE Business School (Madrid) as well as Lecturer in Accounting, Finance and Bank Management at Universiti Putra Malaysia. She is also a member of the AAOIFI Examination Review Committee. Shabnam serves as a Shariah Committee Member for RHB Islamic Bank, AIA Public Takaful and London-based Islamic fintech Algbra.

Sherif Elmansy is a dynamic Banking Solutions Products Director with over 21 years of extensive experience in the banking software industry. He has a deep passion for creating and implementing innovative software products that not only optimize operations but also significantly boost organizational sales. Sherif’s expertise spans across digital banking, both front-end and back-end while his strategic leadership has been instrumental in driving the success of core banking products throughout their entire lifecycle.

In his current role since the beginning of 2024, Sherif oversees the entire product line for core banking and digital banking solutions at International Turnkey Systems (ITS). His responsibilities range from strategic planning to managing tactical activities that ensure the products meet market demands and customer needs.

Sherif’s career began in 2001 with a strong foundation in commerce, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Ain Shams University, Egypt. His early roles at the Commercial International Bank of Egypt provided him with valuable insights into customer service and financial operations, which have continued to inform his approach to product management.

Joining ITS in 2004 as a Software Developer, Sherif quickly advanced to roles such as Banking Functional Consultant and Senior Functional Consultant, leading critical projects across the Middle East, Far East and North Africa. As a Senior Product Manager from 2013 to 2023, he led the development of the next-generation ETHIX Core Banking Product, working with cross-functional teams to define product vision, strategy and intellectual property management. Under his leadership, the ETHIX solutions have been successfully installed in over 56 reputable banks across the Middle East, Far East and North Africa.

Committed to continuous professional development, Sherif holds several prestigious certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP), and Certified Islamic Finance Expert (CIFE). His educational background and extensive professional training ensure that he remains at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.

Sherif Elmansy’s career, spanning over two decades, is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, innovation and leadership. His contributions have not only advanced the organizations he has served but have also set new benchmarks in the banking software industry.

Dr Suresh Naidu Sadasivan is an experienced Certified Blockchain Expert by the US-based Blockchain Council and a Certified Blockchain Solution Architect by Blockchain Training Alliance, Canada. He is also a vital education professional with a Degree in Law (LLB Hons) from the University of London, an MBA (IT Sector) from Staffordshire University and the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from the City University of Paris. With over 20 years of experience in education and industry, he has lectured at the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) and served in various leadership roles. He is currently the Director of Communication and Innovation at Masverse. Skilled in blockchain, entrepreneurship and public speaking, he is known for his approachable, layperson teaching style and contributions to blockchain education and implementation.

Vineeta Tan is Managing Editor and Director of REDmoney Group, one of the world’s longest-running Islamic finance media houses. Vineeta oversees REDmoney Group’s stable of products including Islamic Finance news, IFN Fintech and Islamic Sustainable Finance & Investment. With over a decade of experience in the journalism and publishing industry, Vineeta specializes in ethical and Islamic finance as well as fintech reporting and analysis covering regions including the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. As managing editor of IFN, Vineeta leads the editorial direction and business development of IFN and its sister publications in addition to authoring reports, producing podcasts and conducting video interviews. She has interviewed senior industry players, key stakeholders and senior dignitaries including the finance/economic ministers of the Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Vineeta is a regular on the international conference circuit as both a moderator and speaker. She has an MBA and is trained in Journalism and Sociology. Vineeta also holds the Islamic Finance Qualification awarded by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments, UK.

Yasir Gorpe is a Senior Investment Specialist / Fund Manager at the Treasury Department of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), with over a decade of experience in the management of its fixed-income investment portfolios. During his tenure, he has played a key role in expanding IsDB’s presence in the capital markets and successfully growing its Sukuk investment portfolios. Prior to joining IsDB, Yasir served as an analyst in an international organization, focusing on macroeconomic data management and analysis. He holds a BS in Finance from George Mason University in Virginia in the US.

Professor Dr Younes Soualhi is a Senior Research Fellow at ISRA, INCEIF University, Malaysia with 27 years of teaching experience in Shariah and Islamic finance. He has published widely on Islamic banking and finance and serves on various Shariah advisory boards, including Al Rajhi Bank, MNRB and ABC Bank (Algeria). He holds a BA in Shariah from Algeria and an MA and PhD from Malaysian universities. Additionally, he is a registered financial planner and a member of the AAOIFI Shariah sub-committee in Malaysia.

Globally, he is Senior Consultant to the World Bank, Washington DC in the US.

Ahmad Fuad Alhabshi is an executive director of Halogen Capital, the first licensed digital asset fund manager in Malaysia. He leads the growth and development of the company, with the goal to provide institutional and individual investors with regulated crypto asset opportunities and innovative investment solutions.

Prior to taking this role, Ahmad was CEO of Abbas Investment Management (now known as Opus Islamic Asset Management).

Throughout his 15-year career in asset management, Ahmad has successfully managed over RM2 billion (US$426.48 million)-worth of assets for a diverse clientele, from government-affiliated organizations to family offices, SMEs, private banking clients and high-net-worth individuals. His experience spans across US dollar, Singapore dollar and Malaysian ringgit bond markets.

Ahmad holds a Master of Science degree in analogue and digital integrated circuit design from Imperial College London, UK and a Bachelor of Science degree in electronic engineering from the University of Warwick, UK. He has been a holder of a Capital Markets Services Representative’s License since 2010.

With a notable career in the field of Islamic finance, Prof Dr Aishath Muneeza currently holds the position of professor and associate dean for students and internationalization at INCEIF University in Malaysia. Throughout her professional journey, she has gained extensive experience and received recognition from esteemed institutions in the realm of Islamic finance.

Notably, Prof Dr Aishath made history as the first female deputy minister of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives, and later as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury in the same country. She has also served as the head of Islamic finance at the Capital Market Development Authority of the Maldives.

Prof Dr Aishath’s contributions extend beyond governmental positions. She has served as the chairman of the board of directors of the National Hajj Pilgrimage Fund, Maldives Hajj Corporation and the Maldives Center for Islamic Finance and she is also a registered Shariah advisor with the Securities Commission Malaysia.

For over a decade, Prof Dr Aishath has held the chairmanship of the apex Shariah Advisory Council of the Capital Market Development Authority of the Maldives. Her involvement extends to AAOIFI, where she serves as a member of the Public Interest Monitoring Consultative Committee.

Bilal Parvaiz started his career with Standard Chartered in 2010 as part of the Group Islamic Banking team based in United Arab Emirates, where he was responsible for the Bank’s Structured Trade and Transaction Banking business across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and South Asian markets.
He joined Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia in 2014 and led the Islamic Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) team, driving regional coverage across the ASEAN markets including Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Indonesia.

Bilal was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia on 15 March 2024 and is now steering the Bank’s Islamic banking business in Malaysia to greater heights by strengthening Saadiq’s leading position in the Islamic banking arena.

Bilal has played an instrumental role in originating landmark transactions across the GCC, South Asia and ASEAN, including market firsts such as the world’s first ESG Islamic Collateralised Commodity Murabahah transaction and Sustainable Islamic Supplier Finance. Bilal most notably spearheaded the Halal360 initiative, a key proposition that aims to expand the Halal eco-system globally.

Bilal was also the Country Champion for Sustainable Finance and represented the Bank in multiple sustainability initiatives including Value Based Intermediation (VBI) and Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3). He also jointly led the Value Based Impact Assessment Framework (VBIAF) for the Renewable Energy sector. Owing to his expertise in Islamic Finance – the Halal economy and Sustainable Finance, he is often invited to share his views at various industry forums.

Bilal holds an MBA and professional qualifications in Sustainable Finance from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, has undertaken the Sustainability Leadership Programme at the University of Cambridge and the Global Banking Leadership program at Bayes Business School London. He is also an Associate Member of Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF).

Dima A Djani is the founder and CEO of Hijra Group, formerly known as ALAMI, a prominent Islamic financial technology ecosystem. Within this role, he has steered Hijra’s transformation from a Shariah compliant SME lending platform into a pioneering Islamic challenger bank. Under his leadership, Hijra has cultivated a robust network of over 144,000 funders, facilitating support for 15,800 projects spanning multiple nations and disbursing in excess of US$333 million in financing. In a significant milestone in 2021, the company acquired Jakarta’s sole Islamic rural bank and digitally transformed it into Hijra Bank, targeting over 230 million underserved Muslims with a suite of dedicated digital banking solutions. Since the launch of the banking app in December 2022, Hijra has onboarded more than 245,000 bank accounts and retail lenders. Prior to his current role, Dima gained valuable experience at prominent financial institutions such as Citi Corporate Investment Banking Division and Societe Generale Corporate Investment Bank. He holds an MBA from INSEAD (GEMBA), where he led ALAMI to victory in the 35th INSEAD Global Venture Competition. Dima earned his Bachelor of Business Management degree from RMIT University in Singapore.

A supporter of Gobi’s efforts to expand in ASEAN since 2014, Jamaludin Bujang joined the firm in 2019 and is overseeing operations and investment activities at Gobi’s Kuala Lumpur office. He has 15 years of experience in equity research, investment evaluation, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and an additional 14 years of experience in venture capital (VC).

Prior to Gobi, Jamaludin was CEO of MAVCAP, Malaysia’s largest VC firm, which has directly and indirectly invested in over 1,100 start-ups since 2001. While at MAVCAP, Jamaludin shifted the company’s strategic direction to focus on raising funds from the private sector and managing funds with local and international VC partners, including 500 Startups, Elixir Capital, Gobi Partners, Vynn Capital and Intres Capital. He also attracted a number of local corporates and sovereign funds to invest in VC funds, including Axiata, Johor Corporation and Khazanah Nasional. In total, Jamal helped MAVCAP to create, manage and participate in nine funds, with a combined size of over US$500 million.

At Gobi, Jamaludin successfully created and launched a US$20 million venture fund in Pakistan, in collaboration with the Fatima Group, one of the country’s largest conglomerates.

Yoon Jun Jie is the CEO and Founder of Capsphere, Malaysia’s first Asset Based P2P Financing and Investment platform registered with Securities Commission Malaysia. He started Capsphere to support local SME’s and to enable communities to take part in their growth. Previously, he was Vice-President in the Southeast Asia Global Corporate Banking team at Bank of America. He has gained experience in facilitating debt financing, advising on cash management and treasury solutions for global corporations and financial institutions.

He has completed the Professional Credit Certification from the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers. His education includes an MPhil in Economics from University of Cambridge and a BSc in Statistics, Economics and Finance from University College London.

Kaleon Leong Rahan has been CEO of the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia (FIMM) since the 1st October 2018. He comes with over 20 years of experience in various senior management roles in the Malaysian investment management industry, specializing in the fields of unit trust and asset management, regulations and auditing.

Prior to his appointment at FIMM, Kaleon was CEO and a director of HSBC (Malaysia) Trustee. He had also served at the Securities Commission Malaysia, AmInvestment Services and PwC.

In addition to the above, Kaleon has participated as a speaker and resource person on fund management in events organized by the Asian Development Bank, Securities Industry Development Corporation, etc. He is also a board member of the International Investment Funds Association.

Kaleon is a chartered accountant (Malaysian Institute of Accountants) and holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia, as well as a Master’s degree in information technology management from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.

Mohammad Hafiz Jamaluddin is currently Head of the Halal Integrated Platform (HIP) which is part of Halal Development Corporation that focuses on the development and facilitation of the Halal industry ecosystem. HIP is the first digital platform in the world that provides a networking platform for Halal industry players, empowering stakeholders in the Halal industry and in the Halal supply chain.

Mohammad Hafiz has over 18 years of experience in management consulting, digital transformation and implementation of large-scale digital projects. He has extensive experience in the development of digital ecosystems for industry and business-specific solutions for large organizations for both government ministries as well as multinational companies.

Mohd Ekmal Mohd Zazi is the Regional Head of Wholesale Banking at CIMB Islamic and is responsible for developing and growing the Islamic wholesale banking business of CIMB Group. Prior to joining CIMB Islamic in April 2020, he was with CIMB Bank, carrying out capital and balance sheet management roles of the group. He was a key person in the liquidity and interest rate management of the group, ensuring sustainable assets growth through a lean and optimized balance sheet. He started his career as a Management Trainee with CIMB Investment Bank back in July 2007.

Mohd Ekmal graduated with a Master of Science degree in Risk Management and Financial Engineering from Imperial College London in 2012. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Chartered Professional in the Islamic Finance Charter.

Professor Dr Rusni Hassan is an esteemed leader in Islamic finance, notably serving as Dean at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance. Her distinguished career is marked by a profound influence on academic, regulatory and practical aspects of Islamic finance globally. Her leadership extends beyond finance to influential positions in Shariah advisory councils and boards of directors for various organizations, reflecting her versatile expertise and commitment to integrating Islamic principles in broader economic practices.

A prolific author, she has contributed over a hundred scholarly articles and numerous seminal books that have significantly shaped the legal and regulatory landscape of Islamic finance worldwide.

A passionate academician, she has mentored countless students and young professionals, emphasizing the importance of ethical practices and the integration of Islamic values in business and finance and nurturing the next generation of Islamic finance professionals and fostering a well-rounded and principled financial leadership.

Her works and contribution to Islamic Finance has been internationally recognized by the Government of Maldives when she was awarded the National-Recognition for Outstanding Contribution of Females to Develop and Sustain Islamic Finance Industry in Maldives in 2018.

Her career is a testament to unwavering dedication as murabbi to excellence in Islamic finance. Her achievements span academic contributions, regulatory enhancements and influential leadership, making her invaluable to the global Islamic finance community and an inspiring leader whose work continues to impact the academia and industry profoundly.

Saujatya Guin is the country director for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei at Temenos. Saujatya is a business development leader with a strong background in information technology, excelling in executing high-value contracts in the telecoms, technology and banking sectors. Saujatya is adept at expanding businesses in new markets with innovative products and keeps up with industry trends, creating compelling business cases aligned with company goals. Bridging the gap between commercial and technical teams, Saujatya ensures a clear understanding of the technology roadmap. Saujatya is passionate about sustainable solutions in digital and fintech, embracing challenges with creative collaboration and precision.

In his more than 20 years in enterprise/B2B tech sales, Saujatya has led digital transformations in Asia, catering to banking, communication and broadcasting, manufacturing, and digital government and public services. Saujatya has contributed to digital banking and financial innovation in ASEAN since 2017 and has initiated and successfully sold transformative initiatives such as greenfield implementations, digital core systems, open banking with API and SOA, digital and omni-channel revolutions, automation and regulatory-driven technology refresh. He has been actively involved in the rise of MVNOs, embedded finance, fintechs and challenger banks.