Governors, Scholars, Regulators and Public Bodies
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Professor Njuguna Ndung’u
Governor
Central Bank of Kenya, Kenya
Professor Ndung’u has been Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya since March 2007. He is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Nairobi and holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Previously Professor Ndung’u was Director of Training at the African Economic Research Consortium, Regional Programme Specialist for the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office of the International Development Research Centre, Canada, and Head of the Macroeconomic and Economic Modeling Division of the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis. |
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Raed H. Charafeddine
First Vice-Governor
Banque du Liban, Lebanon
Raed H. Charafeddine is the First Vice-Governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank. He is also the Alternate Governor of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF). In addition to serving on the Bank’s Board and overseeing a number of departments, he chairs the Islamic Banking Regulatory Committee and is a member of the Bank’s Investment Committee. Mr Charafeddine is a member of the Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the Advisory and Technical Committees of the Islamic Financial Risk Management Programme and a Chairman of the Advisory Council for the Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ). Previously he held a number of senior banking positions with Fransabank and Byblos Bank in the Lebanon and with Mashreq Bank in the UAE. |
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Mohd Razif Abdul Kadir
Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM)
Deputy Governor Mohd Razif Abd Kadir oversees the development and regulation of the financial sector, including Islamic Finance and the Development Finance Institutions. Since joining BNM in 1976, he has held several senior positions including as Chief of the London Representative Office. He also served as Director General of the Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (LOFSA) from 1999 to 2001 and was also the first Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB). Mohd Razif sits on the boards of Cagamas Berhad (the National Mortgage Corporation) and the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) and is a member of the Advisory Council for the International Centre for Leadership in Finance (ICLIF). He has an Economics degree (Hons) from the Universiti Malaya and an MBA (Finance) from Syracuse University, New York. |
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Dr Hussein Hamid Hassan
Shariah Scholar
Dr Hassan is the Chairman of the Shariah Supervisory Board of Dubai Islamic Bank, Liquidity Management Centre, Islamic Bank of Sharjah, Dubai Islamic Insurance and Reinsurance Company and Tamweel and Amlak Finance Company. He is also a Member of the Sharia Council for AAOIFI and the Shariah Board for the Islamic Development Bank. During his distinguished career, he has contributed to the development of shariah laws in a range of countries including Egypt, Pakistan and Kuwait at the request of those governments, and has acted as legal and economic advisor to multiple Heads of State. He has held several senior academic positions and authored 21 books on Islamic law, Islamic finance, Islamic economics, art and social studies. |
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Sheikh Nizam Yaquby
Shariah Scholar |
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Dr Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani
Shariah Scholar
Muhammad Imran Usmani, Son of justice (Retd) Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, holds LLB, M. Phil, and Ph. D. in Islamic Finance and graduated as a scholar (Alimiyyah degree) and Takhassus (Specialization) in Islamic Fiqh and fatwa from Jamia Darul-Uloom, Karachi. He is the in-house Shariah Advisor and Head of Product Development and Shariah Compliance at Meezan Bank. Dr. Usmani also serves as an advisor/ member of Shariah Boards of the State Bank of Pakistan, HSBC Amanah Finance, Guidance Financial Group USA, Lloyds TSB Bank UK, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JABIC), Credit Suisse Switzerland, RBS Global, Future Growth Albarakah Equity Fund South Africa, AIG Takaful, ACR Retakaful Malaysia, Capitas Group USA, Bank of London And Middle East Kuwait, BMI Bank Bahrain, Al Khaliji Bank Qatar, Sarasin Bank Switzerland, DCD group Dubai and other Mutual and Property funds and international Sukuk. He is also an advisor of International Islamic Financial Market( IIFM) Bahrain and International Center for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) Malaysia. |
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Sheikh Essam Ishaq
Shariah Scholar |
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Dr Mohd Daud Bakar
Shariah Scholar
Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar is the Managing Director of Amanie Islamic Finance Consultancy and Education, based in Dubai. He is Chairman of the Shariah Advisory Council at the Central Bank of Malaysia and member of the Shariah Advisory Council at many financial institutions globally including the Securities Commission of Malaysia, AAOIFI, Dow Jones Islamic Market Index, Unicorn Investment Bank, Bank of London and Middle East, Islamic Bank of Asia, Noor Islamic Bank, Morgan Stanley and Dubai Bank. He has published more than 30 articles in academic journals and presented more than 200 papers at conferences. |
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Ijlal Alvi
CEO
International Islamic Financial Market
Ijlal Alvi is responsible for leading the development of a wide range of Islamic finance documentation, products and processes that support the enhancement of Islamic capital and money markets. Major achievements include launching the first ever standardised murabaha document internationally and concluding a major project in collaboration with the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) to provide a framework for Islamic hedging transactions. These initiatives are crucial steps towards the global unification of Islamic finance ideals. |
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Peter Casey
Director, Policy and Head of Islamic Finance
Dubai Financial Services Authority
Peter Casey is Director, Policy and Head of Islamic Finance for the DFSA, having previously been responsible for the supervision of banking and insurance firms. Previously, he was Head of the Non-Life Insurance Department of the UK Financial Services Authority and has held senior regulatory posts in the Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Office of Fair Trading. He has wide experience of UK Government, having also served in the Cabinet Office and Science Research Council. |
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Abdullqader Ammour Idrissi
Sharia Scholar, Chairman
Almaali for Training and Consultancy
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Senior Industry Practitioners
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Furqan Ahmad
Head of Product Development & Segmentation
ADCB Meethaq
Furqan Ahmad holds an MBA with major in International Business Finance from the George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA and BBA (Honors) in Marketing from IBA at University of Karachi, Pakistan. Currently he is the Head of Product Development & Segmentation at ADCB Meethaq. Mr. Ahmad is a senior Islamic Banking expert with 8+ years of experience in working with Islamic Financial Institutions and has been responsible for several successful Shari’ah compliant product launches at Guidance Financial Group (USA), Mashreq Bank (Dubai) and ADCB Bank (Abu Dhabi). Mr. Ahmad’s major contributions include assisting with the development of Islamic home finance industry in the USA while working for Guidance Financial Group where Mr. Ahmad as a senior member of National Distribution Team contributed towards the accomplishment of the historic milestone of the first USD 1 billion in Islamic Home Finance contracts in the USA. Mr. Ahmad’s professional expertise encompasses product development, strategic management of client segments and business management of Islamic Banking Liabilities and Investment products. Mr. Ahmad participates in Shariah Board discussions with renowned Islamic Finance Scholars. Mr. Ahmad is a regular conference speaker at international Islamic Finance Forums on Product Development as well as Islamic Finance Products Trainer for the Bank. |
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Haroon Ahmed
Head of Business Development
Emirates NBD Asset Management Limited
Haroon is the Head of Business Development at Emirates NBD Asset Management Limited. He has fourteen years of experience in the financial services industry specialising in Islamic finance. Prior to joining Emirates NBD Asset Management Limited, he spent seven years with HSBC in various roles including Head of Strategy for HSBC Amanah in Dubai and VP Investment Product Development in New York. |
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Harris Irfan
Head of Islamic Products
Barclays Capital and Barclays Wealth
Harris Irfan is Head of Islamic Products at Barclays Capital and Barclays Wealth. Based in Dubai, he is globally responsible for developing and running the firm’s Islamic finance business across asset classes and services including capital markets, leveraged finance, strategic equity, structured investment products, hedging and liquidity management products, and alternative investments.
He joined Barclays Capital in 2009 after running his own Islamic finance advisory firm. Prior to that, he spent 11 years at Deutsche Bank where he was responsible for co-founding and developing the Islamic structuring team.
He holds a BA and MA in Physics from Oxford University. |
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Ahsan Ali
Head of Islamic Origination
Standard Chartered SAADIQ
Ahsan is responsible for the Islamic Origination business at SCB Saadiq, which comprises all the Islamic structured transactions (including Sukuks, Syndications, Project Finance, Shipping & Aviation, Structured Trade Finance and Corporate Advisory) as well as sales of Islamic hedging and investment products. Since joining SCB Saadiq in 2004, Ahsan has built this business from inception. He has led several award-winning and industry-defining deals including the debut Sukuks for Govt of Indonesia, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Govt of Dubai-DCA , Govt of Ras Al Khaimah and the Govt of Pakistan domestic T-bill programme; the project financings for Ma’aden Phosphate Co in Saudi Arabia, Engro Chemicals in Pakistan and Doraleh Container Terminal in D’jibouti; the LNG ship financing for Brunei Gas Carriers and aircraft financings for Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways. He is also a regular speaker in industry conferences and seminars. Ahsan has over 16 years of experience in corporate and investment banking. Prior to joining SCB, he worked with Citigroup in Dubai. |
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Ismail Ali
Marketing Manager – Banking
ITS |
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Johan Bastin
CEO
CIMB Standard
CIMB Standard is a joint venture established by CIMB, one of Southeast Asia’s main universal banking groups and Standard Bank, a global emerging markets bank. CIMB Standard is the leading dedicated infrastructure private equity fund manager in Southeast Asia and has three funds under management with total commitments of USD 460 million—including the ADB and IDB sponsored Islamic Infrastructure Fund which had an initial closing at USD 262 million in July 2009 and has a target size of USD 500 million. Dr. Bastin has over 25 years of experience and wide-ranging expertise in principal investing in infrastructure, transportation and energy utilities in a variety of emerging and transition economies. |
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Adnan Chilwan
Chief of Retail and Business Banking
Dubai Islamic Bank |
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Mohammed Dawood
Director Capital Markets
HSBC Amanah
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Debashis Dey
Partner, Head of Capital Markets and Structured Finance Middle East
Clifford Chance
Debashis specialises in complex financings that access the domestic and international capital markets, including Islamic finance sukuk issues, conventional bond issues and securitisation. Debashis' recent high-profile work includes some of the largest, most complex and innovative sukuk structures done in the MENA region. These include sukuk issues by DP World, Sorouh Real Estate, TDIC and others. Debashis also led the capital markets team responsible for structuring the aircraft sukuk sponsored by GE, the largest international sukuk ever issued by a US corporate. The UAE offices of Clifford Chance have the largest dedicated Islamic and conventional capital markets practice in the GCC with 14 full time capital markets lawyers led by Debashis Dey. Clifford Chance's global capital markets practice comprises over 422 lawyers and partners who concentrate on securities transactions and other products sold into the capital markets. Clifford Chance's clients include issuers, originators, arrangers, managers, investors and other finance providers, trustees, rating agencies, monocline insurers and swap counter parties from a variety of industries including energy, transport, infrastructure projects, and real estate. |
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Mohamed Donia
CEO and co-founder
Ideal Ratings
Mr. Donia is the CEO and co-founder of Ideal Ratings, the market leader in screening Islamic equities. Prior to establishing Ideal Ratings, he was co-founder of Cogency software where he helped to develop the business into a leading IT solution provider for some of the world’s largest hedge funds and funds of funds. Prior to joining Cogency Software, Mr. Donia was Vice President of Applications at Ten Fold Corporation, held several management positions at PepsiCo, and started his career at Proctor and Gamble. |
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Richard Ellis
Partner
Amiri Capital
He has over 10 years' experience in strategy consulting and business development. Richard previously worked for Lloyds TSB's Strategic Ventures. He has developed opportunities in financial services, both within Lloyds TSB's Strategic Ventures department and on an independent basis. Richard began his career as a strategic management consultant at LEK consulting and worked as an associate at Morgan Stanley. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford and earned an MBA from INSEAD. |
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Dr Abdel Gadir Warsama Ghalib
Head of Legal Affairs
Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait |
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Dr Hussein A. Hassan
Head of Structuring MENA and Global Head of Islamic Finance
Deutsche Bank
Dr Hussein Hassan is Head of Structuring MENA and Global Head of Islamic Finance for Deutsche Bank. He has been actively engaged in MENA structuring and the Islamic Finance industry for a number of years. Dr Hassan is an expert in both English Commercial law and Shari'a having completed postgraduate studies in both. He has practised commercial law and taught both commercial law and Shari'a at Oxford University. |
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Muhsen Al Harbi
CEO
Sorooh Investment Company
Muhsen is the CEO of Sorooh Investment Company, a shariah compliant investment and business development company based in Kuwait. He currently manages US$140m of assets. Previously, he was CEO of Global Investment House (Qatar). Prior to these roles Muhsen was responsible for a number of start-ups and turnaround situations in the GCC. Muhsen is a Chartered Wealth Manager and has taken part in the Harvard Business School executive leadership programme. |
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Edward Hesson
Manager Corporate and Treasury
Abu Dhabi TDIC |
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Khalid Howladar
Vice President – Senior Credit Officer Asset Backed and Sukuk Finance
Moody’s
Khalid Howladar has worked on every publicly rated securitisation in the region and is a leading figure in the industry. Based in the DIFC, he has extensive experience of both structured products and MENA markets having specialised in these areas since he joined Moody’s in London in 2001. Prior experience includes four years at Credit Suisse as an analyst in the emerging markets fixed income group. |
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Hussain Ismail
Deputy Director
Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance
Hussain is currently the Deputy Director at the BIBF. His responsibilities include the promotion, development and direction of a planned programme of course offerings in professional education to meet the training and development needs of banks, financial institutions and other major organisations. Currently he is the President of Bahrain Society for Human Resources Development. He held various senior positions in Operations, Marketing and Administration with four banks before joining the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) in 1988. Prior to moving into the banking industry, Hussain worked for eleven years in various positions within Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA). Hussain Ismail received his Engineering Degree from University of Derby, and MBA in General Management from the University of Durham, UK. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, UK. |
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Sharada Iyer
Manager – CRM Development
Etihad Airways
Sharada has over fourteen years of marketing experience specialising in loyalty programmes, product and partnership development and direct marketing activities. She has worked with leading airlines to develop and launch their loyalty programmes including Jet Airways (Jet Privilege), Emirates (Skywards), Qatar Airwys (Privilefe Club) and now the award winning Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest), which launched in 2006. Sharada is responsible for the marketing and communications for the programme and is also responsible for securing the complete partnership portfolio including the co-brand card proposition. |
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Abdul Baset Al Janahi
CEO
Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development
Abdul Baset Al Janahi is currently the CEO of the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for SME development, which, under his leadership, has assisted over 9,000 entrepreneurs to establish their businesses. Al Janahi has become renowned for his support of young and aspiring entrepreneurs in the UAE. Several well-known UAE companies and brand names such as Freej, Brown Bag and House of Hannah Heritage were proudly supported and created by the Establishment. When the mandate of the establishment was expanded to include the Dubai SME sector, Al Janahi scored a first when the first-ever official definition of Small and Medium Enterprises in Dubai and the UAE was established to support the Dubai SME Development Roadmap. Prior to his appointment with the Establishment in 2002, Al Janahi held a number of senior managerial positions in leading organisations in the UAE. He was a founding member of both Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and Dubai Internet City (DIC). In recognition of his exceptional strategic and business development capabilities, Al Janahi was selected in 2001 to join a taskforce responsible for setting up the Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA), later renamed as Tatweer. |
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Omar Kalair
CEO
UM Financial
In 2004 Omar Kalair founded UM Financial which today is Canada’s premier Islamic Financial Institution, and member of the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and the Accounting & Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). UM secured a $120 million Shariah-compliant investment facility for the purpose of financing residential properties. In addition, UM has developed investment and deposit products with financial institutions in Canada and currently operates an investment fund (UM Real Estate Investment Inc.) and a real estate brokerage (UM Realty Services Inc.). In 2009, UM signed agreements with two public Canadian companies to launch an Islamic ETF and an Interest-free MasterCard targeting Canada’s 1 million-strong Muslim population. UM is in the process of submitting an application for a Canadian bank license and is also in discussions to launch other products such as Sukuks and Takaful insurance products. In 2009, Omar Kalair was presented by World Finance with the annual “Islamic Finance Business Leadership Award - North America 2009”. He was also awarded Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 by the Canadian Islamic Chamber of Commerce. |
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Omar Kassim
CEO
Al Bogari Holdings
Omar Kassim is the CEO of al bogari Holdings, a cutting edge trading and investment firm. Omar joined al bogari Holdings in 2006 and has spent the last four years in transforming the business from an owner driven enterprise to incorporating three core lines of business including physical commodities trading, principal capital investment and precious metals services. The firm's core principle is to be completely Sharia based. He holds a science degree from the University of Warwick in the UK. |
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Baljeet Kaur Grewal
Managing Director and Vice Chairman
Kuwait Finance House Research Ltd
Kuwait Finance House is also the only Islamic Bank worldwide with a notable investment banking research presence. Baljeet has a wealth of experience of investment banking gained through roles in credit structuring, origination and syndication and capital market research at Maybank Group Malaysia, ABN AMRO Bank and Deutsche Bank, and has participated in notable fund raising transactions in Asia & the Middle East. Under Baljeet’s leadership, KFH Research has won multiple awards for Islamic Finance Research. |
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Aris Kekedjian
CEO
GE Capital Middle East and Africa, and Managing Director, GE Strategic Development
Aris is Managing Director & CEO, GE Strategic Development & GE Capital, Middle East/Africa Ltd. He has global responsibility for company-wide strategic partnership development initiatives and leads business development and operating activities for GE’s financial services activities in Middle East & Africa. In this capacity, he was responsible for the development & launch of the comprehensive GE-Mubadala global partnership encompassing strategic investment in GE stock, commercial finance JV, co- investments in renewable energy R&D, aviation and leadership development. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer for GE Money – EMEA, with financial responsibility for operations across 25 countries with assets over $100B, revenues of $9.5B and net profit of $2.2B. Aris began his GE career in 1989 on the Financial Management Program before joining the Corporate Audit Staff. He moved from Executive Audit Manager, to playing a key role in the launch of Six Sigma at GE Capital, and finally to GE Fleet Services as the Business Development and Latin America Business Leader. After spending two years in the technology sector in management and business development roles, he rejoined GE Capital as Director of Business Development, where he has provided leadership of multi-business acquisitions and portfolio repositioning. He continued leading strategic portfolio management and M&A activities at GE Corporate, including the company’s exit from the insurance sector. As Managing Director – Investor Relations, he led the company’s global market development programs with the fixed-income investment community and GE’s ongoing efforts to increase investor understanding of its financial services segments. |
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Jarmo Kotilaine
Chief Economist
NCB Capital
Jarmo Kotilaine joined NCB Capital as Chief Economist in May 2008. He previously oversaw financial services consultancy at Control Risks Group (CRG), a London-based international business risk consultancy firm. Prior to that he headed the Financial Services practice area of Oxford Analytica, where much of his work focused of emerging capital markets. His main clientele has consisted of banks, stock exchanges and financial regulators, some of which he has further served as an external advisor. Jarmo studied economics and economic history at Oxford (BA/MA), Cambridge (MPhil), and Harvard (AM, PhD). He subsequently joined the faculty at Harvard where his primary focus was the long-term economic and institutional development of Eurasia as well as on international trade and finance. |
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Mohieddine Kronfol
Managing Director – Head of Fixed Income Asset Management
Algebra Capital
Mohieddine Kronfol sits on the Investment Committees of Algebra Capital’s funds, and is responsible for the management of fixed income assets in private and public markets across the MENASIA region. Prior to joining Algebra Capital, he was Head of Debt Asset Management, Fund Manager of The Arab Income Fund (TAIF) and Head of Capital Markets at SHUAA Capital. He has over thirteen years of experience in financial services. |
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Andrew Leamon
Director Trusts and Securities Services
Deutsche Bank
Andrew Leamon is a Director with Trust & Securities Services (TSS) part of Deutsche Bank’s Global Transaction Banking division. TSS is a leading provider of trust and administrative services for both the Islamic and conventional debt markets and specializes in providing cross-border cash and securities transaction solutions supported by the Bank’s global network to clients in the GCC region. Based at the DIFC in Dubai, Andrew manages the Global Debt Services and Structured Finance Services businesses in the GCC and has been covering the region for the past five years. Andrew has worked for Deutsche Bank for 12 years both in Dubai and London and before that was with JP Morgan. Prior to his relocation to Dubai Andrew was also a serving Justice of the Peace for England & Wales sitting on the Bench for the London Borough of Havering. |
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Wallace Long
CFO
Abu Dhabi TDIC |
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Ezzeldin El Massry
COO
Abu Dhabi National Islamic Finance (ADNIF)
Mr. Ezzeldin H. Elmassry is a veteran Banker and Financial Executive with over 25 years of local, regional, and international banking and finance experience.
He is currently occupying the role of Chief Operating Officer of the Islamic Banking Group at NBAD, comprising of the Islamic Finance Company ADNIF & The Islamic Banking Division of the Bank. Prior to that, he has served in various senior positions as SVP heading different businesses and divisions within reputable financial institutions in the UAE and the region. He headed teams in the areas of Islamic Banking, Corporate Banking, Credit Risk Management, Investment Banking Services, as well as Wealth Management, among others. He also served in other capacities such as Chairman of the BOD of a Financial Services subsidiary owned by one of the UAE based banks he worked for in other capacities as well. His earlier career was spent with international institutions such as Chase Manhattan, Bank of America, and American Express Bank, both internationally and regionally. His other regional exposure involves senior roles with leading financial institutions in KSA, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE. Mr. Elmassry holds a BA in Economics, and post graduate qualification from Harvard University. In addition to being a Fulbright Scholar, he is a recipient of various academic and professional awarded. |
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Salem Al Muhairy
Treasury Government Liaison Manager
Abu Dhabi TDIC |
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Moinuddin Malim
CEO
Mashreq Al-Islami
Moin is CEO of Mashreq Al-Islami, the Islamic banking arm of Mashreq Bank. Previously, he established the Asset Management and Capital Markets unit at Dubai Islamic Bank and has lead arranged some of the highest profile sukuk in history (including the first ever US$1 billion Sukuk Al Ijara, Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai) and created a full spectrum of shariah compliant investment products. Prior to joining DIB, he was a Senior Partner at The International Investor and headed the International Finance Division at Al Tawfeek Company for Investment Funds (Dallah Al Baraka Group). |
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Christophe Mariot
Regional Head of Structured Finance GCC
BNP Paribas
Mr Mariot coordinates BNP Paribas’s structured finance activities in the Gulf, including project finance and advisory. He also leads the local Energy & Commodities and Project Finance teams and has responsibility for Asset Finance activities. Mr. Mariot has been strategically involved in high profile projects in the Gulf over the past ten years, including Al Hidd II ECA/Islamic ($1bn), a $1bn Islamic tranche for Dolphin Energy and a $1bn refinery revamp financing for the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco). He is also a member of the bank’s Executive Committee for the Islamic Banking unit. |
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Dr. Shehab Marzban
Product Development Director and Head of Research
Ideal Ratings
Dr. Marzban is an expert in Islamic fund management services who joined Ideal Ratings in August 2008. Prior to joining Ideal Ratings he worked as consultant, researcher and project manager in a number of international projects and institutions in Egypt and Germany. He received his PhD magna cum laude entitled "Strategies, Paradigms and Systems for Shariah-compliant Portfolio Management" from the University of Cologne in Germany. His extensive research in Islamic Fund Management, Shariah Screening and Purification has been published in a number of highly ranked international journals and magazines. Dr. Marzban is a Visiting Fellow at Durham University in the UK and a guest speaker in various Islamic Finance programs such as at the University of Strasbourg and Cass Business School. |
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Kamal Mian
Head of Islamic Banking
Saudi Hollandi Bank
Kamal has over ten years diverse experience of Islamic Banking. He led the team that closed the first Tier II Capital Sukuk in the Middle East, for Saudi Hollandi Bank, a deal which has won two Equity Deal of the Year awards. He holds a Masters in Corporate and International Finance Law from Harvard Law School and is a regular contributor to industry think tanks and publications covering the development of the sukuk market. |
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Mian Muhammad Nazir
Senior Vice President
Dar Al Sharia (subsidiary of Dubai Islamic Bank)
Before joining Dubai Islamic Bank in 2005, Mian held the roles of Legal Advisor for Dallah Al Baraka Group, Saudi Arabia and Director, Law and Regulatory Affairs, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. Mian Nazir is an accomplished and renowned shariah lawyer in the field of Islamic banking and finance. In his current role, Mian is involved in the structuring and documentation of various shariah compliant financial products and transactions. |
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Khaled Hassan Rashed
CEO
CORECAP
Khaled Rashed is founder and CEO of CORECAP, a leading alternative investment firm. Previously, Mr. Rashed was CEO and Board Member of Amwal, Vice President of Abraaj Capital, Manager of Direct Equities in Dubai Islamic Bank and a corporate banker in Commercial International Bank. In 2009, he was awarded “Entrepreneur CEO of the Year” and selected in the “Gulf’s 50 Most Admired Executives”. Mr. Rashed holds an MBA from ESLSCA University in France. |
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Gilles Rollet
CEO
Mirabaud Middle East
Since April 2007, Gilles is leading Mirabaud’s operations in the Middle East and Subcontinent out of Dubai, UAE. Prior to joining Mirabaud, Gilles was at ABN AMRO Bank. There, he held a number of positions including Head of Investment Banking, Country Manager and more recently CEO of Middle East and Subcontinent for Private Banking. Gilles’ various roles have meant living and working in many different parts of the world from Johannesburg, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong to Geneva and San Francisco. Before ABN AMRO, Gilles worked for Goldman Sachs in New York and BCFE in Vietnam. |
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Ossama Salah El Din
EVP Retail Banking Group Head
Sharjah Islamic Bank
Ossama has over 22 years of multinational banking experience with two of the biggest financial institutions in the world: Citigroup and Credit Agricole group. His experience has spanned a range of key banking disciplines in both corporate and retail, including marketing, branding, product management, budgeting, strategic planning, sales, money market, bank’s reconciliation, accounting, placements. Ossama currently heads theRetail Banking Group at Sharjah Islamic Bank with growth plans for individuals, high net worth and SME segments as targets. He is accountable for all aspects of the bank’s retail activities including branches, marketing, business development, e-channels, direct sales, credit, SME and priority banking. |
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Ahmed Ali Siddiqui
EVP Product Development and Shariah Compliance
Meezan Bank
Mr Siddiqui is EVP Product Development & Shariah Compliance (PDSC) & Secretary, Shariah Supervisory Board at Meezan Bank. The job responsibilities include managing product development initiatives, formulation of policy guidelines, Islamic banking training, Shariah audit & review of bank activities along with the Shariah Advisory and managing external product development advisory services. Mr. Siddiqui is also a member of Advisory team for Center of Islamic Economics (CIE), Jamia Darul uloom Karachi and a visiting faculty member at IBA Karachi, IQRA University & Shaikh Zahid Islamic Center, University of Karachi. He is a member of several task forces at the Central Bank level related to Islamic banking products and Shariah Standards & Secretary of PBA Islamic banking Sub-committee. |
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Samad Sirohey
CEO
Citi Islamic
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Daniel Smaller
Managing Director – Head of Fixed Income Asset Management
Algebra Capital
With over 25 years of experience in financial services including over 20 years in the MENA region, Daniel Smaller is in charge of delivering fund solutions, discretionary mandates and structured products for a mix of institutional investors and high net worth individuals. Daniel’s career spans a range of senior international roles with Deutsche Bank, Citibank, Lehman Brothers and UBS and major achievements include setting up Deutsche Bank’s asset management business in MENA and being the first to introduce institutional investors to the MENA region while at Lehman Brothers in the early 1990s. |
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Issam Zaid Al Tawari
Chairman and Managing Director
Rasameel Structured Finance Company
Mr. Issam Al Tawari is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of Rasameel Structured Finance company, a capital markets focused investment company supervised by the Central Bank of Kuwait and Chairman of Rasameel Investment Bank, a DIFC regulated bank. His latest area of interest is the development of Islamic debt Capital Markets. Prior experience includes roles in loans and syndication for the European and GCC markets at Arab Banking Corporation and a period as Associate Director with responsibility for syndication and marketing for ABC Islamic Bank. He was formerly COO of The International Investor in Kuwait and has served on the board of directors of a number of companies and funds. |
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Jacques Tripon
CEO
BNP Paribas Najmah
A French National, Jacques Tripon received a PHD in Finance from the University Paris IX Dauphine in 1975. He joined Paribas in 1985 where he held positions successively in Japan, USA, Egypt, Gabon and France. He has been seconded to Bahrain in September 2005 as Global Head of Corporate and Financial Institution for the Middle East, also in charge of the development of the Islamic Banking activities of BNP Paribas. He was then Head of Corporate Finance and Global Head of Islamic Banking. Since June 2008 Jacques Tripon is the dedicated CEO of BNP Paribas Najmah, the Islamic arm of BNP Paribas. |
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Sohail Zubairi
CEO
Dar Al Sharia (a subsidiary of Dubai Islamic Bank)
Sohail Zubairi is the CEO of Dar Al Sharia Legal & Financial Consultancy, a subsidiary of Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) launched in July 2008). He previously served as SVP and Head of Sharia Structuring, Documentation and Product Development at Dubai Islamic Bank and has over twenty years experience of large corporate finance, risk management and syndication in the GCC and has been an active proponent of Islamic Finance since 2001. Sohail started his banking career with MCB Bank in Karachi in 1975. |
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Muneer Khan
Partner and Head of Islamic Finance
Simmons and Simmons
Muneer is a solicitor qualified in England and Wales and joined Simmons & Simmons as a partner in 2006. He heads the award winning international Islamic finance practice at Simmons & Simmons. Muneer has extensive experience of advising on Islamic financing structures, with a particular focus on Shariah compliant investment funds, Sukuk and structured products. He has many years of experience in advising some of the World's leading financial institutions in the area of Islamic finance and he has developed a close working relationship with several of the World's leading Islamic finance Shariah scholars. He has spoken internationally on Islamic finance issues. Muneer has also advised the UK Government on Islamic finance issues, sitting on HM Treasury’s Islamic Finance Technical Group since its inception. Muneer was described as 'a “highly recommended” Islamic finance specialist who has worked on most of the top deals' in the 2009 Edition of the Chambers & Partners Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers. He has also been recognised as an expert in Shariah-compliant financing in the 2009 Edition of the Legal 500, the International Financial Law Review 2008/2009, Who's Who Legal 2008, PLC Which Lawyer? 2008 and the Islamic Finance News Leading Lawyers poll of 2009.
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Attiq Ur Rehman
Head of Standard Islamic Assets & Liabilities
Mashreq Al Islami
Head of Standard Islamic Assets & Liabilities products and services for Mashreq Al Islami. Attiq, leads the Islamic Product House initiative that covers standardized product and services development and delivery platform for entire Retail and Corporate banking. He specializes in Trade Finance, Short-term Working Capital, Term Finance and other ancillary products. With an experience extending to over 16 years, Attiq has been with Mashreq bank for the last 15 years at various positions and departments, including Corporate Credit, Risk Analytics and Portfolio Management, Commercial Recoveries, Corporate Banking (across UAE & Pakistan). He has been one of the pioneering member of the Islamic Banking Division of Mashreq, heading its Islamic Commercial Banking Unit prior to taking the current position. Attiq has MBA degree with Specialization in Finance & MIS.
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Ahsen Waraich
Manager
Standard Asset Products, Mashreq Al Islami
Ahsen Waraich has been a practicing Islamic financing professional since 2005. Currently he is Manager Standard Islamic Asset products at Mashreq Al Islami. His area of expertise is development, delivery and management of off the shelf readily available Islamic asset products across various business segments. He has spearheaded development of standard asset product suites for short term, working capital, trade finance and standard term finance solutions at Mashreq Al Islami.
Prior to joining Mashreq group, Ahsen had been leading Transactional and SME product development at Al Rajhi Bank. He was a key player in establishing Al Rajhi’s SME and transactional business initiatives. Ahsen holds Master of Business Administration from The Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, Pakistan. | |