Aamir A. Rehman has been engaged in values-aligned investment for over two decades. He has served the finance community as an investor, advisor, author, and educator. Dr. Rehman’s portfolio includes Limited Partner investments in private capital funds across a range of asset classes and stages. His investments include positions in buyout, secondaries, growth, venture capital, and public markets funds. Dr. Rehman is also a direct investor in over 10 companies, largely in financial services ventures. He seeks to invest in and support enterprises that help people align their finances with their values. Dr. Rehman’s board affiliations include Stearns Salaam Banking and Fajr Capital Advisors. He is a board member of PwrQ and a board observer of Nuvem Health, both of which are private-equity backed companies. He is Chair of the Limited Partners Advisory Committee (LPAC) of Mindshift Capital and a board member of Shukr Investments. Dr. Rehman was a co-founder and managing director at Fajr Capital, a private equity group that has successfully invested over $700 million in investments. He earlier served as head of strategy for HSBC Amanah, the global Islamic finance business of the HSBC Group, and as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. Dr. Rehman is a trustee of Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and also a trustee of Rutgers Preparatory School. In addition to his work in investments, Dr. Rehman has served as a senior advisor on Islamic finance to the United Nations Development Programme. He has also consulted the World Bank Group on the impact of Islamic finance on development and financial inclusion. An adjunct faculty member at Columbia Business School, Dr. Rehman has taught private equity to over 500 MBA and executive MBA students. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy at Columbia University. Dr. Rehman hold a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He further holds a doctoral degree in education (Ed.D.) from Columbia University.

Fahad is a pioneering force in Islamic banking and fintech, with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He’s a visionary architect of Shariah-compliant solutions, seamlessly integrating ethical finance with cutting-edge technology. This unique expertise has been instrumental in shaping Mabrook Canada’s groundbreaking framework, which blends traditional Islamic principles with next-generation digital assets infrastructure. Fahad is a globally recognized leader whose influence spans strategic brand positioning, international market expansion, and fintech education. He has worked in leadership roles with major financial institutions and techs like Dubai Islamic Bank, Scotiabank and IBM, USA and co-founded TAIF, an award-winning Islamic finance education platform. He’s leading Mabrook Canada’s launch of the world’s first AAOIFI-compliant blockchain-powered Islamic tokenization platform, pushing the boundaries of ethical finance and Web3 innovation.

Mike Tirman is a partner in Ice Miller’s Real Estate Group and advises and represents clients in all areas of real estate law, including acquisitions and dispositions, financing (including various forms of Shariah compliant financing), ground leasing, development, land use and zoning, entity structuring and joint ventures.

Some of Mike’s representative transactions include, among others, r
epresenting a buyer in a US$195 million Shariah compliant acquisition and CMBS financing of a portfolio of 30 industrial properties, representing a landlord in a US$104 million refinance of a portfolio of four industrial properties in New Jersey encumbered by ground leases and representing a REIT in a US$30 million acquisition of a parking garage and execution of a reverse 1031 exchange.

Mike is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Indiana.

Thomas Polson has been active in the Islamic finance industry since 2008. His industry experience includes advisory services, product development, real estate, public securities, and converting conventional funds to compliant versions. His corporate roles have included being a senior consultant at Ascenta, a firm specializing in knowledge transfer initiatives between the USA and GCC, co-founding Falah Capital, which managed an NYSE-listed Islamic ETF program, and working as an investment advisor at The Investor for Securities Company, a $4 billion asset manager in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Polson has a bachelor’s degree from Franklin University Switzerland, a postgraduate diploma from the Institute of Islamic Banking & Insurance, and a master’s degree in Islamic finance from Bangor Business School.

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.

Fahad is a pioneering force in Islamic banking and fintech, with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He’s a visionary architect of Shariah-compliant solutions, seamlessly integrating ethical finance with cutting-edge technology. This unique expertise has been instrumental in shaping Mabrook Canada’s groundbreaking framework, which blends traditional Islamic principles with next-generation digital assets infrastructure. Fahad is a globally recognized leader whose influence spans strategic brand positioning, international market expansion, and fintech education. He has worked in leadership roles with major financial institutions and techs like Dubai Islamic Bank, Scotiabank and IBM, USA and co-founded TAIF, an award-winning Islamic finance education platform. He’s leading Mabrook Canada’s launch of the world’s first AAOIFI-compliant blockchain-powered Islamic tokenization platform, pushing the boundaries of ethical finance and Web3 innovation.

Dr John A. Sandwick is a recognized pioneer in Islamic finance. He created the first application of the Modern Portfolio Theory in the context of global portfolio allocations with Shariah certification. He is also noted for organizing innovative domestic and international Sukuk, the world’s first global Sukuk fund, a Sukuk participation certificate and the first-ever mid-market Sukuk facility in Saudi Arabia. Dr John served as a Visiting Professor of Finance at Al Yamamah University in Riyadh, and a former instructor in the Graduate School of Finance at University Paris-Dauphine. He frequently taught Master Classes on Islamic Finance for groups including central banks, pension funds, family offices and treasuries.

Dr John’s most recent publications on Islamic finance include a popular article in the Journal of Asset Management. He has a Master’s degree in Development Banking from American University in Washington, DC and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Grenoble Ecole de Management in France. He previously worked in the private banking units of Deutsche Bank (Suisse), Credit Suisse and Encore Management (in association with UBS). He is currently a Corporate Finance and Asset Management Consultant for Saudi families and businesses.

Dr Main Alqudah holds Ph.D.s in Islamic Studies from American Open University and Al-Azhar University, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Al-Azhar. An Associate Professor and member of AMJA’s Resident Fatwa Committee, he is an experienced lecturer in Islamic Studies, teaching at both school and college levels. A frequent speaker at regional and national conferences, he has addressed large audiences on topics such as Islamic finance, interest-bearing transactions in the U.S., Zakah rules for American Muslims, the financial crisis, and contemporary Muslim family issues at various Islamic centers and masajid across the country.

Michael McMillen is a veteran finance lawyer, who focuses his practice on Islamic finance, project and infrastructure development and finance, investment funds, and real estate. He has more than 40 years of broad-based finance and corporate experience and is recognized as a global leader in Islamic finance and investment. Michael has vast experience in the development and implementation of innovative Shariah-compliant financial products and structures, many of them the first of their kind. His transactional work in the Middle East, North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia has included extensive investment funds work and transactions involving most major asset classes. Due to his expansive experience, Michael has been recognized in Who’s Who Legal 2024 for Islamic Finance. To further exemplify this commitment to the practice, he is a Lecturer in Law at the Columbia Law School, teaching an Islamic finance course as a part of the adjunct faculty.

Mike Tirman is a partner in Ice Miller’s Real Estate Group and advises and represents clients in all areas of real estate law, including acquisitions and dispositions, financing (including various forms of Shariah compliant financing), ground leasing, development, land use and zoning, entity structuring and joint ventures.

Some of Mike’s representative transactions include, among others, r
epresenting a buyer in a US$195 million Shariah compliant acquisition and CMBS financing of a portfolio of 30 industrial properties, representing a landlord in a US$104 million refinance of a portfolio of four industrial properties in New Jersey encumbered by ground leases and representing a REIT in a US$30 million acquisition of a parking garage and execution of a reverse 1031 exchange.

Mike is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Indiana.

Dr Mohamad Sawwaf is the Co-Founder and CEO of Manzil and a recognized authority in Islamic finance in Canada. He holds a Doctorate in Islamic Finance, specializing in the factors influencing the adoption of Islamic banking and financial services among Canadian Muslims. Additionally, he earned an MBA with a Finance specialization from Rotman (Canada) and an MSc in Corporate Governance from Henley (UK). Beyond his leadership at Manzil, Dr Mohamad regularly advises the UAE government on Islamic finance practices and teaches corporate finance, Islamic finance, and entrepreneurship at local business schools. His expertise has led to his recent appointment as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Canada Arab Business Council (CABC), where he provides strategic guidance to governments in Canada and Arab nations on policies that promote and enhance bilateral trade and investment.

Patrick, a Fixed Income Lead and Portfolio Manager, joined Saturna Capital in October 2014. He was a former Adjunct Professor of Finance for the Sustainable MBA Program at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) currently known as Presidio Graduate School. Patrick holds a BA in Economics from Western Washington University and an MBA from Seattle University Albers School of Business. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Financial Planner. Prior to joining Saturna Capital, Patrick led ESG research and was Director of Fixed Income Portfolio Management since 2007 with a private account group at UBS Institutional Consulting Services specializing in investment management for global conservation and national wildlife park endowments as well as sustainable-social screened client portfolios. He is a former Chair of the United Nation’s Principles for Investment Fixed Income Outreach Subcommittee and a current Member of the UNPRI’s Bondholder Engagement Working Group (BEWG), an advisory committee working to elevate important ESG considerations and best practices among issuers and investors. Patrick’s past experience also includes business valuation at Moss Adams and portfolio management at Washington Mutual Bank. He lives in Bellingham and is a proud father of two. He enjoys sea kayaking, hiking and being part of the Pacific Northwest community. Patrick is a Member of the Board of Trustees to the Museum of Glass in Tacoma and a Rotary Member.

Tariq Al Rifai has been involved in the Islamic banking and finance sector for over 20 years and is viewed as a leading authority on Islamic investments, private equity and Sukuk. He has written for prestigious publications and is the author of ‘Islamic Finance and the New Financial System: An Ethical Approach to Preventing Future Financial Crises’, published by Wiley in April 2015.

Tariq is often quoted in print and electronic media, including The Financial Times, Bloomberg and Reuters. He has also appeared as a guest on Bloomberg Television, CNBC Arabia, Sky News Arabia and is a regular guest on Al-Arabiya Business Channel.

Since 2018, Tariq has been an advisor to the United Nations Development Programme on Kuwait economic policy. More recently, he served as the head of research and investor relations at Kuwait Finance House in Kuwait, one of the largest Islamic financial institutions in the world. He also served as the global director of Islamic indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices (Dubai) and as the vice-president of UIB Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, which managed a US$300 million Shariah compliant investment portfolio.

Previously, Tariq was a partner in the London office of The International Investor, a Kuwait-based investment bank, where he was responsible for building distribution relationships with financial institutions in Europe and the Middle East. He also was the vice-president and manager of HSBC Bank’s Islamic Finance Program in New York. In 1996, Tariq founded Failaka Advisors, which was the first-ever organization to monitor and publish research on Islamic funds.

Tariq holds an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in international finance from St Cloud State University in Minnesota.