Azeem Pirani is COO and Executive Director at EFU Life Assurance. Prior to this, he was the CEO at Pak-Qatar Family Takaful. Azeem is a Founding Trustee at Ihsaas Trust, a provider of microfinance, dedicated to developing sustainable livelihoods for the economically challenged, and providing social support. Azeem holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking & Finance from the Centre of Islamic Economics in Pakistan, an MBA in International Business from the University of New Brunswick in Canada, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston in the US. He is also a Certified Director, under the SECP’s Listed Companies Regulations, from the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants.

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.

Iffat Zehra Mankani is the Chief Executive Officer of JS Investments. She comes with globally diversified experience of over two decades in both public and private markets across multiple asset classes. During her work experiences in the capital markets in Pakistan, she held various senior strategy and research roles, both on the buy and sell-side of the industry, including the National Investment Trust, JS Investments and BMA Asset Management Company. Working as a sell side analyst, Iffat was often quoted in the financial press, and was well known for her accuracy as a strategist. In her buy-side roles as Chief Investment Officer at JS Investments (2005-2007) and BMA Asset Management (2007-2011), Iffat led the successful implementation of a disciplined asset and risk allocation process, resulting in consistent top quartile performance for funds under management. These included some pioneering products in the industry such as the asset allocation fund, capital protected fund, index fund, an offshore listed hedge fund and separately managed accounts. Prior to joining JS Investments, Iffat was working in the Deals Advisory team at PwC Canada, where she made significant contributions in the space of complex financial instruments and private debt valuations among others, helping to steer the business toward sustainable growth. Moreover, she has also held diversified roles in the risk management groups of leading Canadian Banks (Bank of Montreal and CIBC) associated with their quants and trading risk oversight teams. In addition to making numerous value additions in her role as a Risk Manager of Equity, Fixed Income and Structured Product, she also spearheaded bank wide regulatory and infrastructure projects and initiatives. Iffat holds a Master of Finance from Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto) and an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi.

Imtiaz Gadar is a seasoned finance professional with an award-winning career spanning over two decades. He has consistently delivered exceptional results across diverse areas of the financial industry including Portfolio Management, Investment Banking, Equity Brokerage, Research and Investor Relations. Prior to joining Al Meezan in August 2024, he was the Chief Executive Officer of JS Global Capital, where he orchestrated the firm’s ascent to a leadership position within the industry. His leadership was instrumental in securing multiple prestigious awards including a historic sweep of all five Brokerage Category Awards for FY24. Earlier, as Executive Vice-President and Head of Capital Markets at Bank Alfalah, he led teams across Public and Private Investment and Advisory functions. Under his guidance, the bank garnered consistent recognition as the Best in Investor Relations for eight consecutive years by the CFA Society Pakistan and secured awards in the category of Best Equity Corporate Finance House (Banks) on three separate occasions. His experience also includes key roles at JPMorgan Pakistan and the local affiliate of Bank of America – Merrill Lynch. He has executed complex transactions exceeding US$1.8 billion and is a CFA Charter holder and MBA Gold Medalist from IBA, Karachi.

Dr Irum Saba is a prominent figure in Islamic finance with over 21 years of experience in regulation, research, teaching and training. She currently serves as the Director of the Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi, and as an Associate Professor in the Department of Finance at IBA. She is also the Chairperson of the Islamic Capital Market Committee of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan as of July 2024.

Dr Irum has made history as the first female to join a Shariah board in Pakistan, serving on the board of Salam Takaful since January 2022. Internationally recognized for her leadership, she has conducted training programs in Pakistan, Malaysia, the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the UK. She holds the Chartered Islamic Finance Professional qualification with distinction and a PhD in Islamic Finance from INCEIF. In addition to her academic and regulatory roles, Dr Saba is a sub-editor of the Journal of Islamic Finance Accountancy published by AAOIFI, Bahrain and an active member of the FPCCI Standing Committee on Islamic Economics and Finance.

Jawad Hashmi brings nearly three decades of experience in capital markets and banking services, with strong expertise in financial markets, operations, and risk advisory. He holds an MBA in Finance and has recently completed an MS in Management at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi. He is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), UK. At Pakistan Stock Exchange, Jawad has led key modernization initiatives, including the implementation of a new trading system replacing over 20-year-old infrastructure. He has also played a pivotal role in Islamic finance development, leading the successful launch of Government of Pakistan Ijarah Sukuk issuance through PSX – a milestone for Shariah compliant capital market offerings. Previously, he held senior roles at Emirates NBD Group, UAE, including COO of Emirates NBD Securities and Head of Operations & Business Support, and served in the Group’s Operational Risk Control unit. Jawad has also worked with Emirates Islamic Bank, IGI Investment Bank, and the then Lahore Stock Exchange. Jawad currently represents PSX on the Board of the Institute of Financial Markets of Pakistan. His local and international experience, particularly in Islamic finance, positions him well to contribute to discussions on Pakistan’s potential as a center for Islamic Capital Markets.

With over 13 years of experience in global investment management and technology, spanning emerging and frontier markets, Muhammad stands as a respected figure in the investment realm. Muhammad spent most of his career at Tundra Fonder, a Sweden-based investment company, as a partner and investment manager for Asia and Africa. Since 2015, he has been ranked as the top 3 global investment managers by Citywire UK and his managed funds had a five star rating by Morningstar.

While at Tundra, Muhammad actively oversaw the company’s frontier and emerging markets across Asia, Africa and Latin America, encompassing approximately 15 countries. His stewardship included pivotal markets including Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Argentina.

He has played an instrumental role in the launch of the world’s pioneering sustainable fund for frontier markets in 2015, the Tundra Sustainable Frontier Fund, which operates actively across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Muhammad serves as Vice-President of the Swedish Business Council in Pakistan, fostering collaboration between Swedish enterprises and local markets. He holds a CFA charter (US) and studied data science & business analytics at London School of Economics. He is an FDP Charter holder, focusing on machine learning and AI for finance.

In 2022, recognizing the burgeoning potential for digital wealth management in Pakistan, he initiated dialogues with the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan. This pivotal engagement culminated in the introduction of Pakistan’s first digital asset management company, marking a groundbreaking shift in the nation’s financial landscape.

Muhammad is the Founder & CEO of Mahaana Wealth. Founded in 2022 in collaboration with Tundra Partners and IGI Holdings, Mahaana Wealth aims to revolutionize Pakistan’s financial sector by introducing digital wealth management.

Nadir Rahman has extensive, hands-on experience in capital markets in Pakistan and internationally, stretching over 34 years, of which 18 years have been in C-level positions, including board-level experience with listed, unlisted, and international companies. His core areas of expertise are business development, operations, investment management, M&A, and corporate restructuring. He has advised on numerous capital market transactions, including the largest de-listing in Pakistan’s history.

His last appointment was with the Pakistan Stock Exchange for 3 years as COO. Prior to that, he has served as CEO of BMA Capital Management for 3 years, Group CEO in Mega & Forbes, and CEO at KASB Securities, JS Global Capital, and Mashreq Asset Management. He was the founder and first CEO of Foundation Securities. In addition, he has been associated with Bukhatir Investments, Fauji Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank, ABN AMRO/Rothschild, and Citibank in various junior, middle, and senior management roles. In terms of geography, Nadir has travelled to and done business in over 20 countries.

Academically, Nadir holds dual Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania – The Wharton School and The College of Arts and Sciences.

Sarwat Ahson is Executive Director at CFA Society Pakistan. Sarwat brings with her 25 years of blended experience in corporate banking, consulting, teaching, training and project management. In her last assignment she was engaged in establishing the Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance at IBA funded by the Central Bank. Ahson has authored chapters in various books and writes for DAWN and BR. She holds a BBA (Hons.) and an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi. She is also a CFA level III candidate.

One of the forerunners in modern day consulting in Pakistan, Faraz is well-recognized for his contribution notably in the world of digital and financial services. He consistently spearheads thought leadership initiatives, actively participates in economic and regulatory reform agenda as well as initiatives pertaining to financial sector policy making and acts as a catalyst, influencer and enabler to stakeholders on key market developments, challenges and macroeconomic trends. Recently, Faraz has worked extensively with many stakeholders in Islamic banking conversion, digital, fintech, e-commerce and start-up spaces and spearheaded many industry capacity building initiatives. He speaks at various platforms, delivers knowledge sharing sessions and authors research publications relating to the evolving Islamic banking and digital landscape.

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.

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.

Azeem Pirani is COO and Executive Director at EFU Life Assurance. Prior to this, he was the CEO at Pak-Qatar Family Takaful. Azeem is a Founding Trustee at Ihsaas Trust, a provider of microfinance, dedicated to developing sustainable livelihoods for the economically challenged, and providing social support. Azeem holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking & Finance from the Centre of Islamic Economics in Pakistan, an MBA in International Business from the University of New Brunswick in Canada, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston in the US. He is also a Certified Director, under the SECP’s Listed Companies Regulations, from the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants.

With over 23 years of professional experience, Faisal Islam is a recognized leader in digital finance, product innovation, and financial inclusion. He currently serves as the Head of Islamic Digital Finance at Kifiya Financial Technologies, where he spearheaded the development and launch of HalalGebeya — the world’s first fully digital, Shariah-compliant Murabaha financing and embedded e-commerce ecosystem.

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 Irum Saba is a prominent figure in Islamic finance with over 21 years of experience in regulation, research, teaching and training. She currently serves as the Director of the Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi, and as an Associate Professor in the Department of Finance at IBA. She is also the Chairperson of the Islamic Capital Market Committee of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan as of July 2024.

Dr Irum has made history as the first female to join a Shariah board in Pakistan, serving on the board of Salam Takaful since January 2022. Internationally recognized for her leadership, she has conducted training programs in Pakistan, Malaysia, the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the UK. She holds the Chartered Islamic Finance Professional qualification with distinction and a PhD in Islamic Finance from INCEIF. In addition to her academic and regulatory roles, Dr Saba is a sub-editor of the Journal of Islamic Finance Accountancy published by AAOIFI, Bahrain and an active member of the FPCCI Standing Committee on Islamic Economics and Finance.

Muhammad Faisal Shaikh is the Head, Shariah Compliance & Advisory at Faysal Bank Limited. Faysal Bank Limited recently completed conversion of its entire conventional banking business into a full-fledged Islamic Bank. Islamic International Rating Agency (IIRA) recognized this conversion as ‘First of its scale’ conversion in the domain of Islamic Banking, globally. As Head of Islamic Banking at Faysal Bank Limited, he played key role in the conversion process and ensured smooth conversion of the bank’s business. A graduate of Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, he has almost 24 years of experience in the field of Shariah Structuring, Compliance and Product Development. Prior to joining Faysal Bank he was associated with BankIslami Pakistan Limited and Meezan Bank Limited as part of founding teams. He has been instrumental in development of various pioneering Islamic Corporate & Consumer Banking Products and Sukuks structures in Pakistan including Islamic Export Refinance Scheme of State Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan’s inaugural sovereign International Sukuk. He led the team which converted conventional assets and liabilities of KASB Bank Limited after its acquisition by BankIslami Pakistan Limited. Prior to this, his team structured acquisition and conversion of Citibank Pakistan’s conventional housing finance portfolio by BankIslami Pakistan Limited. He was part of Meezan Bank’s founding team and was an active member of the team responsible for conversion and merger of Pakistan operations of Societe Generale into Meezan Bank Limited. He also played an important role in development of pioneering Commercial Banking products under Islamic modes of Finance. Given his experience in Conversion process, SBP has nominated him as member of multiple Working Groups of Committee for Transformation of Conventional Banking into Islamic.

Dr Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani graduated with specialisation in Islamic Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) from Jamia Darul-Uloom, Karachi, where he has been teaching Fiqh since 1990. He also holds an L.L.B and Ph.D. in Islamic finance. Dr. Imran Usmani is the Group Head and Vice Chairman of Shariah Supervisory board at Meezan Bank Ltd. He is also the Resident Sharia Board Member at Meezan Bank and is responsible for Research and Product Development of Islamic banking products, advisory for Sharia-compliant banking and supervision of Sharia Audit & Compliance. He is also the President and CEO of Usmani & Co. Pvt. Ltd that provides full suite of Islamic finance consultancy, Shariah advisory and related ancillary services to local and international clients across all legal jurisdictions and financial and non-financial sectors. Dr. Imran Usmani has been involved with the Government of Pakistan in various initiatives and is also a member of the Steering Committee and implementation committee for promotion of Islamic Banking since 2013.

Muhammad Shoaib Ibrahim is the CEO of First Habib Modaraba, a 30 year old entity that has successfully maintained its leading position within Modaraba sector of Pakistan. Under his leadership FHM has positioned itself in the Islamic financial market with a strong equity base, sound assets size and profitability. FHM holds a strong credit rating scale of AA+ in long term and A1+ in short term. Moreover, FHM has secured several awards/accolades from reputable bodies such as NBFI and Modaraba Association, ICAP and ICMAP, Management Association of Pakistan, and SAFA an apex body of SAARC during his tenor as CEO of FHM. With more than two decades’ experience in non-bank Islamic financial institutions and Modarabas, he is a senior expert on this topic in Pakistan. This experience has given him insight into the financial and technical aspects of the non-banking Islamic financial activities covering financial services, equity market and asset management. Mr. Shoaib holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in banking and finance from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA). He has also completed a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Islamic Banking from the Centre of Islamic Economics (Darul Ulum), Karachi Pakistan.

Muhammad Zeeshan Farrukh has rich combination of qualification i.e. commerce, business administration, Islamic Finance & Islamic Studies and diversified experience of more than 18 years in the field of Islamic Banking & Finance with respect to Product Development, Shariah Compliance, Research, Teaching, Training, Advisory etc.

He has served various financial institutions i.e. BankIslami Pakistan Limited, United Bank Limited, Al Baraka Bank Pakistan Limited, National Bank of Pakistan and Bank Makramah Limited. Currently, he is working as Head Shariah Compliance Department & Secretary Shariah Board at Bank Makramah Limited. Besides banking experience, he also holds a position as Director – Research, Learning & Advisory Management at Global Institute of Shariah Research & Advisory Services (GISRAS) and serving as Adjunct Faculty at Institute of Business Management, Karachi

Mustafa Adil is the Head of Islamic Finance for the London Stock Exchange Group. He is responsible for leading the Islamic finance business for the organization, providing knowledge solutions and bespoke services to support the continued growth of the Islamic finance industry. He works in collaboration with government entities, multilateral organizations and financial institutions to support them in fulfilling their aspirations and executing their strategies in the Islamic finance space. These include the delivery of content solutions, research, consulting services and market engagement. He also spearheads the development of new initiatives or services that meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of the industry across markets

Tariq is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan. He also holds a Chartered Islamic Finance Professional degree from INCEIF, Malaysia and an MS in Islamic Banking and Finance from International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI). He is currently perusing his PhD in Islamic Banking and Finance from IIUI.

Tariq has extensive experience of more than 24 years in the field of capital market. He is currently serving as Head of Islamic Finance Department and Registrar Modaraba at SECP. Previously he has served in various departments in the SECP including the International Relations Department, Chairman’s Secretariat and Policy, Regulations and Development Department of the Securities Market Division. Before joining SECP in 2007, he worked with a leading stock brokerage house of the Islamabad Stock Exchange for a period of more than nine years.

He has attended several national and international trainings, conferences and seminars on capital markets besides delivering lectures and presentations for different audiences throughout Pakistan.

Tayyaba Rasheed is Investment Specialist, Private Sector Operations Department at Asian Development Bank. Previously, she held the position of executive vice-president/head of the Investment Banking Group at Faysal Bank. She is highly qualified with more than 20 years of diversified corporate and investment banking experience, and a proven successful career in investment banking, corporate banking and corporate finance with profound skills in project financing, infrastructure financing, Sukuk issuance, syndication, capital markets, credit risk and Islamic finance. She is a well-known corporate and investment banker with an exceptional track record of closing large-ticket complex deals and is focused on delivering results across the board. She has closed and led several key mandates in the infrastructure financing area, in particular the renewable energy space. She has worked in senior positions at CIBG NBP and Bank Alfalah where she started her career as a management trainee officer. Tayyaba holds an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration and is a CFA and FRM charter holder. She holds a junior associateship from the Institute of Bankers Pakistan. She successfully completed the National Institute of Banking and Finance certification program and underwent a thorough Islamic finance training program. She has also completed the Directors Training Program and is now a certified independent director. Tayyaba also serves as an independent board director on the boards of several listed companies.