Abdul-Rahman joined IdealRatings in 2012 and is based in Saudi Arabia. He has extensive experience as a Sales Executive serving the financial sector across the Middle East with a proven track record among top tier institutions. Prior to IdealRatings, Abdul-Rahman was a Sales Manager at Advanced Operations Technology, where he was responsible for identifying and developing new sales solutions and converting them into profitable new businesses. He also worked for KnowledgeNet as Sales Manager where he was responsible for setting sales strategies to penetrate the market, introducing the company Order Management System for the financial sector in the GCC. Abdul-Rahman holds a BSc in Computer Engineering from the Applied Science University in Jordan and an MBA from Manchester Business School.

Alex is the Managing Director of the EMEA region for Thought Machine, the leading technology company developing modern, cloud-native technology to address legacy infrastructure challenges in the banking industry. In this capacity, Alex is responsible for driving the strategy for both existing and new commercial engagements throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

With a career spanning over 20 years in the technology and financial services sectors, Alex has held prominent leadership roles at Sopra Banking Software, Temenos, Oracle and Thomson Reuters. His expertise has been pivotal in driving business growth and establishing strategic partnerships. Furthermore, Alex co-founded the Middle East Investor Relations Society, an organization dedicated to advancing best practices in capital markets and investor relations in the region.

Ben Harvey has over 20 years of experience building and transforming businesses in the UK, Europe and US. Ben is a senior product and commercial leader in consumer lending and banking. At Vemi, Ben is responsible for design and development of products, and overall proposition. Ben was previously in consumer lending and banking with a track record of successfully building and transforming businesses: He was a member of the executive team that successfully grew EnterCard from a start-up to a highly profitable scaled business. He was the Commercial Officer of Barclays UK Loans Business transforming it into the UK’s largest digital personal loan provider. Later he was the Head of Product for Loans and Cards in Barclays US where he built the digital personal loans business from MVP start-up to a scaled prime-market lender in two years.

Dr Fadlul Imansyah has been the CEO of the Indonesian Hajj Fund Management Agency (known as BPKH) since 2022. He holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Management from the University of Indonesia. He is also currently pursuing a PhD in Public Health. Dr Fadlul has been a Certified Islamic Financial Professional from INCEIF Malaysia since 2016 and has a remarkable career spanning over 24 years in the financial industry in both private and governmental sectors. He started his career in the financial industry in 1999 and later served as a Deputy Director of Treasury and Investment at the Government Social Security Agency in Healthcare from 2017 to 2019 continuing his career as the Director of Shariah and Fixed Income at Principal Asset Management Indonesia from 2019 to 2022. He also served as Chief Investment Officer at Avrist Asset Management in 2022 and is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia until present.

Fakrizzaki Ghazali is a Vice-President, Fixed Income Management at SNB Capital with mandates in global and GCC Sukuk markets. He has over 20 years of experience in debt advisory, fund management and credit analytics. Prior to this, Fakrizzaki was attached to RHB Investment Bank and CIMB Private Banking in Kuala Lumpur as a credit strategist, covering ASEAN and APAC bond markets. Fakrizzaki started his career as an auditor at KPMG and he is a member of Malaysian Institute of Accountants and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Geoff is a senior strategy professional with over 18 years of experience developing strategies for multinational financial services providers, challenger banks and fintech corporations. As Chief Strategy Officer, he is responsible for setting group-wide strategy, driving international growth and leading key projects.

Geoff held senior positions at Barclays, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Oliver Wyman. At First Abu Dhabi Bank and Barclays he led business strategy, customer and analytics functions. At Oliver Wyman he advised major banks, private equity businesses and governments across EMEA on key strategic issues.

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.

Husain is a vastly experienced banker who has been working within the Islamic financial marketplace for the past 30 years for various highly regarded regional and international financial institutions. Most recently, he held senior executive positions within MFAI (Jersey), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DMI Group. This followed his tenure as COO in the CMA-licensed Gulf Investors Asset Management Company.

Having started his career in banking in Bahrain, Husain was appointed the Regional Director and Head of GCC and Islamic banking at Societe Generale where he was based in Dubai. Prior to returning to Bahrain as CEO of Investment Dar Bank, Husain was the General Manager of ADNIF, the Islamic subsidiary of National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

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, D.C. 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.

Karim Wali is a Partner at Khoshaim & Associates in Riyadh, leading the Finance and Projects Practice. With over a decade of experience in Saudi Arabia and prior practice in London, Karim brings a unique blend of global and local expertise. He advises financial institutions and investors on a diverse range of Islamic and conventional finance transactions including ESG-linked financings as well as complex restructurings, financial rescheduling and turnarounds. Karim has a particular interest in the intersection of finance and technology, frequently counseling financial institutions and fintechs on compliance with cybersecurity, data protection and AI regulations. Recently, he contributed to discussions on foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia as a panelist at this year’s International Bar Association Annual Conference which was held in Mexico City. His deep understanding of both traditional and innovative financing mechanisms makes him a key voice in navigating the evolving landscape of Shariah compliant and sustainable investments in Saudi Arabia.

Maahir co-manages the full suite of Shariah and ESG active managed portfolios. He is the Strategy Lead in Old Mutual Investment Group’s Shariah capabilities. He specializes in listed local and global equity as well as Islamic fixed income. Prior to joining Old Mutual Investment Group, he worked at JPMorganChase Investment Bank and Riscura Consulting. Maahir has completed his Honours degree in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management and holds an MBA from UCT’s Graduate school of Business.

Mahmoud Mohamed Zoair is an Islamic Finance Phd researcher, holding an MBA in Islamic Finance Products. He is also a Certified Shariah Adviser and Auditor (CSAA), Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA) as recognized by AAOIFI and holds a higher Diploma in Islamic Studies and Executive Leadership Certification from Harvard University. Mahmoud brings more than 20 years of experience in the Islamic finance industry in many globally recognized Institutions, and possesses strong knowledge of financial analysis, credit, risk and jurisprudence of financial transactions, blockchain technology and Shariah rulings in general. Mahmoud was instrumental in developing a wide range of products including asset management, investment, corporate, retail, treasury, SME, Takaful as well as trade products, and has delivered specialized training courses in addition to being a Shariah committee member of a number of fintech firms. Mahmoud currently serves as Shariah Board Secretary and Head of Shariah Research at Jadwa Investment, Shariah Board member of Haqq Network, 21Shares and many other VCs. Previously, he was Senior Review and Control Manager at SAB, Senior Adviser in Shariah Compliant Product Development at Alinma Bank, KSA, Relationship Manager at Dar Al Shariah Legal and Financial (DIB subsidiary), providing Shariah services including structuring, coordination, Shariah supervisory and audit at many domestic and international financial institutions. He also served as Shariah Structuring Coordinator and Shariah Auditor and Adviser at Emirates Islamic and Emirates NBD Asset Management (ENBD Subsidiaries).

Marcin Zawadzki is a Senior Lawyer in the White & Case Capital Markets team in the Middle East. Marcin has an extensive track record advising corporates and investment banks on a variety of public and private capital markets transactions in Europe and the Middle East as well as public and private structured finance transactions. Marcin originally trained and practiced as a structured finance lawyer, advising originators, arrangers, servicers and cash managers on a wide range of structured finance transactions across multiple jurisdictions and multiple asset classes. Marcin’s clients are located across Europe, the US and the Middle East. His versatile skillset finds application across a wide range of capital markets products including Islamic finance. His most recent experience includes advising issuers and arrangers/joint lead managers in Europe and the Middle East on a range of wholesale conventional and Shariah compliant capital markets transactions, in both standalone as well as programmatic formats.

Mohamed Afzal is a seasoned risk management expert with 15 years of progressive experience in banking and finance. He had held multiple engagements with various financial institutions in Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka and has transformed the risk management landscape by improving the risk maturity framework with his expertise. Since 2020, as an active correspondent for IFN, he has contributed over 50 articles in risk management covering the global Islamic finance industry. He was commended as the Enterprise Risk Leader of the Year 2024 for his immense contribution in enterprise risk management. He is also the founder of a tech start-up named ‘mymech’ based in Sri Lanka which is digitally shaping the auto care industry, driving his passion towards digital transformation and entrepreneurship.

He holds an MBA from the University of West London. He is a Certified Member of the Institute of Risk Management UK, a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA-UK), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA – AICPA), Certified Practising Accountant (CPA-Australia) and a Certified Islamic Finance Expert (CIFE). During 2009-2014 as an active lecturer, he taught many students pursuing their studies in CIMA, ACCA, CA and AAT.

Dr Ishaq’s career journey which spans over 25 years, stands as a testament to his dedication and continuously evolving expertise in the field of capital markets. His proficiency lies in managing asset management business, advisory services and arranging functions. He specializes in research-driven investment management of funds and discretionary mandates across diverse asset classes and regions for institutional, governmental and high net worth clients. His career is characterized by the development and nurturing of robust relationships with clients, regulators, financial institutions and other stakeholders. Dr Ishaq is currently working as Head of Asset Management & Advisory Services at WinVeston Capital, Saudi Arabia. Prior to this role, he held pivotal leadership roles at prominent institutions such as Al Rajhi Capital, ANB Capital and Yaqeen Capital, among others showcasing his extensive expertise and capabilities. Furthermore, he is an accomplished author and speaker, sharing insights on topics related to the capital markets. He also serves as an Advisory Committee Member at the University of Business & Technology in Saudi Arabia. He holds a PhD in Business Management, an MBA in Finance & International Business and a B Com from Osmania University, India. He also possesses several global investment management certifications.

Mohammed Srhiri is a seasoned infrastructure investment professional with over 10 years of green and conventional project financing and investing experience. Throughout his career, Mohammed has been involved in several infrastructure transactions (extending across the capital structure) in the Middle East, Africa and Asia in sectors ranging from oil and gas, power and water as well as mobility/transportation. Based in Riyadh, Mohammed is Director of Financial Markets Advisory at BlackRock, specializing in infrastructure investments and advisory. Prior to joining BlackRock, Mohammed served as an Executive Manager at ACWA Power, leading the financial closing of water desalination and renewable energy assets in the KSA. Mohammed has a Master’s degree in Management and Corporate Finance from ESCP, Paris as well as a Master’s degree in Islamic Finance from IE Business School, Madrid.

Rami is a seasoned finance professional with over 20 years of experience leading complex structured finance, capital markets and PPP transactions. Rami is a currently employed in a high-impact role at Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Privatization & PPP. Having completed over 70 transactions in the region, Rami has a proven track record of driving strategic growth, optimizing risk management and implementing innovative financing solutions across corporate and project finance domains. Rami holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, an MBA and a Master of Science in Finance from Boston College.