Mohamad Ali Iqbal bin Abdul Khalid was appointed Assistant Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia in June 2024. He oversees the Market Operations and Development Department, Investment Department, Foreign Exchange Policy Department, and the Treasury Risk Infrastructure Unit, providing strategic direction and leadership to safeguard the stability and resilience of Malaysia’s financial and monetary systems.

With over 23 years of service at Bank Negara Malaysia, Mohamad Ali Iqbal has held senior leadership roles across core central banking functions. His previous appointments include Director of the Investment Operations and Financial Market Department, Director of the Governor’s Office, Director of the International Department, and Deputy Director of Equity Management and Fixed Income. He also served as Chief Representative at both the Bank Negara Malaysia New York Representative Office and the London Representative Office, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening Malaysia’s international financial and economic relations.

He holds an MEng from Durham University, an MSc from Singapore Management University, and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A CFA charter holder since 2004, he is also a Chartered Banker (CB) with the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB).

Abdulla Al Hammadi serves as an Assistant Vice President with Moody’s Financial Institutions Group. He is based in Dubai, where he oversees a portfolio of bank credit ratings across the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, with a particular emphasis on Islamic financial institutions. Abdulla joined Moody’s in 2024. Prior to his tenure at Moody’s, Abdulla was an Associate Director at Fitch Ratings, covering financial institution ratings in the Middle East. Before Fitch Ratings, he was with the Central Bank of Bahrain, handling prudential supervision for wholesale banks. Abdulla is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and earned a First-Class Honours degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Bahrain. He authored a book titled “Principles of Financial planning, Investment & Trading” aimed at providing comprehensive overview on passive style investment portfolio.

Aizuddin Danian Izham Cheong was appointed Chief Personal Banking Officer of AEON Bank in November 2024. He is a seasoned banker with over 24 years of experience, specialising in retail banking, digital business, marketing, and transformation management. Prior to joining AEON Bank, Aizuddin served as the Head of Digital Banking, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad where his team rolled out several industry firsts in the digital banking and payments space. Aizuddin graduated with a degree in Human Sciences from International Islamic University Malaysia.

Ustaz Ashraf Gomma Ali is Group Chief Shariah & Sustainability Officer of MBSB Group, leading Shariah and sustainability across MBSB Bank and MIDF. He brings nearly two decades of experience in Islamic finance spanning Shariah advisory, banking, product development, credit and sustainability. He is an AAOIFI Certified Shariah Adviser and holds an LLB from Umm Al-Qura University and a Master’s in Islamic Finance from INCEIF. At MBSB, Ashraf focuses on advancing a progressive and inclusive approach to Islamic banking, with particular emphasis on sustainable finance, risk-sharing, SME and social finance, and the integration of Shariah principles into business strategy. He also contributes to industry discussions on Maqasid al-Shariah, responsible banking and the evolving role of Islamic finance in supporting economic and social development.

Azleena Idris is currently Senior Director at Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet Malaysia), where she heads the Strategy & ESG functions at the nation’s retail payments. She joined PayNet Malaysia in August 2019 as Corporate Services Director (Head of Division).

With over 2 decades of combined experience both as a regulator and a financial services sector professional, she played an instrumental role in several national and international initiatives including the 2nd Financial Sector Master Plan, Malaysia as an International Financial Centre (MIFC), Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation, and several merger and acquisition exercises involving the RHB Group. She was with the Central Bank of Malaysia specialising in Islamic financial infrastructure development strategies for over a decade and prior to that, was with a local large financial conglomerate for close to 10 years where she held senior positions in corporate finance, legal, compliance and was also joint company secretary of the parent listed parent company. She is also a short-term expert with the International Monetary Fund and a short-term consultant with the World Bank.

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).

Darius Nass is an Associate Director for Global Equity Indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). He is based out of the Singapore office and is responsible for the product management of S&P DJI’s global index suites, including the S&P Global BMI, S&P Global 1200 and S&P Islamic Indices. In his role, Darius leads efforts to develop new benchmarks, promotes existing offerings and regularly publishes market commentary, analytical reports and research.

Prior to joining S&P DJI, Darius was part of the Nasdaq Index R&D team, where he was led product development initiatives for the APAC region.

Darius holds a Master’s degree in Quantitative Finance from Singapore Management University.

Hichem Djouhri is the Founder and Senior Executive Officer of ASB Capital, a DIFC-based asset management firm, where he oversees the firm’s investment strategy. He brings over 20 years of experience in asset management and investment management, having previously served as COO and Head of Asset Management at Three Comma Capital and Head of Asset Management at Al Khair Capital. Prior to this, he spent a decade at Shuaa Capital. Throughout his career, Hichem has built a strong track record across regional asset management and has been recognised as a Best UAE and MENA Asset Manager for six consecutive years. He is also a Citywire A-rated investment professional.

Ivan Koh leads Business Development for ASEAN, ex-Singapore at SWIFT. He oversees engagement with market infrastructures, financial institutions, asset managers, and corporates across the ASEAN region, with a focus on driving collaboration to enable efficient, secure, and seamless cross border payments and securities transactions. Prior to joining SWIFT, Ivan spent over 20 years in the financial information and market data technology sector, holding a range of management and leadership roles.

Junaidah is the Head of Treasury & Corporate Finance at Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB), with over 24 years of experience in treasury, asset and liability management (ALM), and investments. She previously served as Head of Asset Liability Management at Agrobank and Head of Treasury at Prasarana Malaysia Berhad.

She began her career in the banking sector, where she gained experience in investment roles. With a strong track record across financial institutions and government-linked companies, she brings extensive expertise in balance sheet management, funding strategies, and financial risk oversight. In her current role, she has also been involved in advancing PAAB’s sustainable finance agenda, including the enhancement of its Sustainable Islamic Finance Framework to facilitate the issuance of blue sukuk.

Lydia Long is an Investment Specialist at CGIF and a seasoned debt capital markets professional with 14 years of experience across Asia’s bond and Sukuk markets. Prior to joining CGIF, Lydia was a Director of Debt Capital Markets at CCB International in Hong Kong, where she advised Asian issuers on a diverse range of financing solutions. Lydia began her debt capital markets career with HSBC Malaysia, where she played a pivotal role in originating and structuring a number of landmark Sukuk transactions. These included the Government of Malaysia’s USD Sukuk, Malaysia EXIM Bank’s USD Sukuk, Sime Darby’s USD Sukuk and the Jimah East Power Project Sukuk.

Dr Marco Tieman is the Co-Founder and CEO of HSC Alliance. HSC Alliance is an organisation, established in Malaysia, with the purpose to create an international Halal supply chain network, harmonise Halal supply chain protocols, and promote Halal supply chain excellence. He is also the Founder and CEO of LBB International, supply chain consulting & research firm providing supply chain analysis, supply chain design, and market research. He is an Adjunct Professor with Universitas Ary Ginanjar (Indonesia) and Taylor’s University (Malaysia), conducting research on Halal procurement strategy, halal logistics, Halal supply chain management, and Halal ecosystems. He is a board member of the Halal Products Development Company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is the author of ‘Halal business management: a guide to achieving halal excellence’ published by Routledge (London) in 2021. He has a MSc in Industrial engineering & Management Science from Twente University (the Netherlands) and a PhD in Business Management from UiTM (Malaysia).

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. 

Currently, Dr. Mahbubi serves as an Associate Professor and Deputy Dean at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance in Malaysia. In addition to his academic role, he is an Islamic Finance Expert at the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank, a member of Indonesia’s Islamic Finance Development Committee, a registered Shariah adviser with the Securities Commission Malaysia. Dr. Mahbubi also holds international recognition as a chairman of Advisory Committee of Experts, Summit Bank, Nigeria, member of Board Shariah Committee, CIMB Islamic Bank; member of Shariah Committee, FWD Takaful Sdn Bhd; and Shariah advisor for Dar al-Muraja’ah al-Shar’iyyah, Bahrain.

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

Mohd Idzwan Izuddin Ab Rahman brings over 12 years of experience in the finance and investment industry, with a proven track record in leadership, strategic management and corporate governance.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and a Master’s degree in Computer Science/Information Technology from the University of Salford, United Kingdom. He has also completed professional programmes in Islamic finance.

Prior to assuming his role as Chairman of PMB Investment, Mohd Idzwan Izuddin Ab Rahman held several senior executive positions, including Executive Director at Bintai Kinden Corporation and Invesco Capital Management. He also served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of CDMH Capital. His broad professional experience spans multiple sectors, including telecommunications, banking and asset management.

Beyond his corporate leadership roles, Mohd Idzwan Izuddin Ab Rahman has contributed his expertise to various boards and committees. His previous appointments include serving with the Olympic Council of Malaysia and as a Board Advisor to Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN), where he chaired the Procurement and Investment Division.

Nick Edmondes has been the resident managing partner of Trowers’s Kuala Lumpur office since 2015 when the firm became the first foreign law firm to be granted a qualified foreign law firm license in Malaysia. Nick’s 36 years of experience includes major infrastructure project development and finance, privatization, corporate structuring, restructuring and cross-border investment, particularly in real estate.

Nick has worked in London and Trowers’s overseas offices, and in the 1990s, Nick established the firm’s Islamic Finance Group, which has grown to be recognized as a First Tier practice in the Legal 500 directory of law firms. He remains a key client partner for a number of international Islamic financial institutions.

Nick has been recognized as a ‘Notable Practitioner in Islamic Finance’ in the Chambers & Partners Legal Directory 2014, and as a ‘Legal Expert in the field of Project Energy and Natural Resources (including PFI)’ in the Legal Business: Legal Experts directory 2010. Nick has written many articles and has spoken regularly on a variety of topics in the UK, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, among many other countries, on diverse subjects from inward investment to the UK to private sector financing for the public sector and Islamic finance.

Nikita Anand is a Director and Lead Analyst within S&P Global Ratings’ Financial Institutions group. She specializes in credit analysis of financial institutions across the dynamic emerging markets of South and Southeast Asia, bringing over thirteen years of experience to her role.

She is also instrumental in driving investor engagement through strategic outreach and fostering strong relationships with issuers and stakeholders.

Nikita spearheads S&P Global Ratings’ research and thought leadership initiatives for Islamic Finance in the Asia-Pacific region, producing impactful articles and leading sector-focused webcasts.

Prior to joining S&P Global Ratings, Nikita was a Senior Analyst at CRISIL (an S&P Global Company), where she focused on the credit analysis of Indian financial institutions.

Nikita holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, and a Bachelor of Technology from the National Institute of Technology, Surat.

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.

Scarlett Chai is the Country Manager of Luno Malaysia, where she is responsible for the company’s operations, growth, and regulatory compliance. She leads a cross-functional team, focusing on partnership development, product strategy, growth initiatives, and stakeholder relations. Joining Luno in 2019 as a Country Associate, Scarlett progressed to Partnerships Lead and then Marketing Manager in 2021. In her marketing roles, she significantly enhanced Luno’s brand awareness and developed key partnership programs. Her achievements include establishing Luno’s affiliate program, spearheading the ‘Women-in-Crypto’ community for crypto education, and leading the extensive ‘Move with Luno’ brand campaign. Passionate about empowering young women, Scarlett is dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap in fintech for women in Malaysia through awareness and education.

Siti Rosina binti Attaullah is Deputy Director at the Islamic Finance Department of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), with over 20 years of experience in advancing Islamic finance through policymaking, market development, research, and advisory work at both national and international levels.

Prior to her current role, she headed the Islamic Capital Markets Research Unit at KFH Research Limited, where she led research and advisory engagements across Asia and the Middle East. She has also contributed to industry talent development, including serving as National Consultant to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a regional study on talent migration in ASEAN and contributing to the development of professional qualification frameworks for the financial services industry.

She holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from Universiti Utara Malaysia, a Master’s Degree in Finance from the University of Warwick, and is a Chartered Banker.

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.

Abdulwahhab Abed is SEDCO Capital’s Chief Executive Officer, his latest role in an illustrious 18-year association with the firm. A results-driven leader, he is well regarded in the investment and asset management industry for successfully managing a diverse range of business lines.

Mr Abed brings to the role extensive hands-on experience in charting strategic business plans; negotiating investment opportunities across a range of asset classes and geographies; structuring funding for portfolios; developing optimal exit strategies; and building shareholder and client value. He also has sound legal expertise and proven experience in leading merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions and in negotiating deals and partnerships with a wide array of regional and international corporates.

Before his appointment as CEO, Mr Abed held various roles in the firm, the most recent of which were Chief Business Development Officer, Chief Investment Officer, Head of Corporate Finance, Head of Real Estate and Vice President of Private Equity. He currently chairs the Investment, Management Committees and the Product Development Committee.

Mr Abed has an MBA (Finance major) and a BSc (Finance and Accounting double majors), both from Bentley University’s McCallum School of Business in the USA. Mr Abed is a graduate of Misk 2030 Leaders program.

Dr Ayaz Ismail is the director of wholesale banking at CIMB Islamic in Malaysia, where he covers Islamic investment banking transactions. He has been involved in various ground-breaking and award-winning ringgit and non-ringgit Sukuk offerings. Prior to joining CIMB Islamic, he was with Malaysian multinational conglomerate Sime Darby, carrying out various roles in the CEO’s Office, as well as legal, strategy and communications functions of the group.

Dr Ayaz completed his PhD in Islamic finance at INCEIF University, Malaysia. He graduated with an MBA in financial studies from the University of Nottingham in the UK as a Chevening scholar, and also holds a Bbachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from the same university. He is a Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance charterholder and a grand councilor of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals.

With over 23 years of professional experience, Faisal Islam is a recognized leader in digital finance, product innovation, and financial inclusion. Faisal’s work focuses on closing the financing gap for MSMEs through a range of Shariah-compliant digital products, including Islamic consumer financing, Islamic BNPL, invoice financing, agricultural finance, and Islamic card solutions. He has also pioneered the design of AI-driven, Shariah-compliant alternative credit scoring models, aimed at expanding financial access to underserved segments. In addition, he has successfully established regulatory-aligned Islamic financing operations in emerging markets. His expertise spans the full spectrum of product development from Shariah structuring and partner bank enablement to building embedded finance ecosystems, always ensuring alignment with Islamic ethical standards. His initiatives have been instrumental in advancing cashless economies and promoting financial inclusion through innovative loyalty programs, digital onboarding solutions, and incentive-based payment ecosystems. Beyond Islamic finance, Faisal brings a strong background in technology leadership, with extensive experience across banking, fintech, retail, and asset management sectors.

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. 

Currently, Dr. Mahbubi serves as an Associate Professor and Deputy Dean at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance in Malaysia. In addition to his academic role, he is an Islamic Finance Expert at the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank, a member of Indonesia’s Islamic Finance Development Committee, a registered Shariah adviser with the Securities Commission Malaysia. Dr. Mahbubi also holds international recognition as a chairman of Advisory Committee of Experts, Summit Bank, Nigeria, member of Board Shariah Committee, CIMB Islamic Bank; member of Shariah Committee, FWD Takaful Sdn Bhd; and Shariah advisor for Dar al-Muraja’ah al-Shar’iyyah, Bahrain.

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

Prof Dr Rusni Hassan is a Professor at the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), and a globally recognised authority in Islamic banking and finance. With nearly 30 years of academic and industry experience, she specialises in Shariah, governance, and the legal aspects of Islamic banking and finance. A distinguished researcher and expert trainer, she has authored numerous books, book chapters, and articles in leading local and international journals, and is recognised among the Top 10 contributors to Islamic finance research in the Scopus database. Beyond academia, she serves as Chairman and member of Shariah Committees, as well as a Board Director of Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia and internationally. Her exceptional contributions to the industry have earned her international recognition, including being named among the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Islamic Business and Finance by Cambridge IFA for seven consecutive years (2019–2024). In 2025, she was honoured with the Islamic Finance Personality of the Year award by the Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA), followed by the Takaful Kembara Award 2026 by the Malaysian Takaful Association in recognition of her longstanding contributions to strengthening Shariah governance, advancing industry practices, and nurturing talent within the Islamic banking and finance sector.