Professor Dr. Mohammed Kayed Abdel-Haq (Currently Professor)

Dr. Mohammed Kayed Abdel-Haq is the Founding Director of the Centre for Islamic Finance, University of Bolton. He has been the Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Developments and Executive Director of the Development Office at the University of Bolton. Professor Dr. Mohammed Kayed Abdel-Haq is also a Professor in Banking. He is the Founding CEO of Oakstone Merchant Bank, London, and the Executive Director of the Centre for Opposition Studies, University of Bolton. Professor Abdel-Haq is affiliated to institutions such as Principal Hume Institute for Postgraduate Studies, Lausanne, Switzerland, Kings College, London, and IDEAS, London School of Economics. He is also an Editor for Middle East Element Series, Cambridge University Press. Professor Abdel-Haq earned his PhD from School of Business, Oxford Brookes University in collaboration with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, St. Cross College, University of Oxford. Both his MA and BA are from Yarmouk University, Jordan, specialising in Economics and Islamic Economics.

Dr. Zahid Parvez

Dr. Zahid Parvez is the Rector of the Markfield Institute of Higher Education and Head of Quality. He has authored several academic papers published in peer-reviewed journals on e-democracy and problem-solving from an Islamic Perspective, and has written a book entitled, “Building a New Society: An Islamic Approach to Social Change.” His research interests include education and development, and understanding the social and political impacts of the information revolution. Dr. Parvez has been actively engaged in charity work and in organising and developing Muslim communities at the local and international levels. He is a trustee of many large Muslim charities in the UK, and a number of organisations such as Young Muslims UK (1988-1989), the Islamic Society of Britain (1996-1998), and UK Islamic Mission (2012-2015). He graduated with a PhD in E-Democracy from the University of Birmingham, an MBA (Business Administration) and MSc (Information Technology), and BSc (Chemical Engineering), all from Aston University. Dr. Parvez is a member of the Chartered Management Institute and a fellow for HE Academy Practitioner.

Datin Professor Dr. Rusni Hassan

Datin Professor Dr. Rusni Hassan is recently appointed as the Dean of Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in August 2021. She obtained her LL.B and LL.B (Shari’ah) from UIAM. Shortly thereafter, she successfully completed her Masters of Comparative Laws (MCL) and holds PhD in law on 2004 from the same university. She is also a member of Shari’ah Committee in Housing Development Financing Corporation Maldives and Shari’ah Advisory Council for IBFIM. In addition, she is a Shariah Advisory Council for Bank Negara Malaysia (2010- 2016) . She had served as a member of Shari’ah Committee at HSBC Amanah (M) Berhad and HSBC Amanah (Takaful) Berhad in the past. Currently, she serves as a member of Shari’ah Committee at Waqf An-Nur, Maruah Emas Sdn. Bhd. and Koperasi JCorp. Presently, she is a Board of Director of Darul Insyirah since 2021 and as Working Group Member of Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).

Prof. Dr. Muhamed Aslam Muhamed Haneef

Prof. Dr. Mohamed Aslam Mohamed Haneef is currently a Professor at Department of Economics, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He has published books and articles and conducted research in various areas of Economics, Development Studies and Islamic Economics. His current research interests are in socio-economic impact of awqaf and Islamic Economics and Finance Human Capital Development. He also teaches Economics and Islamic Economics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including to MBA students. His Ph.D thesis entitled “Intellectual Parameters of Contemporary Islamic Economic Thought” has won the Ismail Faruqi Award for Academic Excellence in IIUM (1996). He was Head of the Economics Department, IIUM from June 1996-September 1999, Fulbright visiting scholar at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, USA from September-October 1996 and held a Commonwealth Fellowship at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (1999-2000). He is also appointed as the Executive Committee Member, International Association for Islamic Economics (IAIE), 2012-2014. He has held other posts in IIUM which includes President and Academic Staff Association.

Dr. Mustafa Omar Mohammed

Dr. Mustafa Omar is currently a Director of Centre for Islamic Economics (CIE), KENMS at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) since 2020. He obtained his Bachelor in Economics at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 1994. Shortly thereafter, he continued his Master in Economics at the same institution in 1998 before he completing his PhD in Finance at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 2011. He has been a lecturer at Department of Economics, IIUM till 2011 before being appointed as Head, Department of Economics, IIUM in 2018. He had served as a member of committee in several activities at IIUM in the past. He also has done some community services and consultancies such as leading the International Federation of Islamic Economics and Finance Education (I-FIEFE) with its Secretariat based at the Centre for Islamic Economics, IIUM. He is also a Founder and advisor/Consultant since April 2018 of the i-Taajir Microfinance Entrepreneurship Program being managed jointly by the IIUM Center for Islamic Economics and the CIMB Islamic Berhad.

Prof. Dr. Aishath Muneeza

Professor Muneeza is a professor and the associate dean for students and internationalisation at INCEIF University in Malaysia, which is renowned as the global University of Islamic Finance. She has an extensive career, having served as the first female Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury in the Maldives, and Head of Islamic Finance at the Capital Market Development Authority of the Maldives. She has also been a member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy (National Fatawa Council of the Maldives), the first chairman of the Hajj pilgrimage fund at Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited, and the chairman of Maldives Center for Islamic Finance Limited. The government of the Maldives established the latter to position the country as the hub of Islamic finance in South Asia. Professor Muneeza has played key roles as an Islamic finance consultant, contributing to developing the first Shariah-compliant Islamic microfinance scheme in the Maldives. Furthermore, she has served as the Shariah Advisor for structuring all corporate sukuk offerings in the Maldives and private sukuk and Islamic treasury instruments for the Maldivian government. Professor Muneeza was a consultant involved in drafting the legal framework for the country’s Islamic capital market.

Dr. Nadia Naim

Nadia Naim is the Associate Dean International at Aston Law School, Aston University. She is also a Senior Lecturer in Law, specializing in international intellectual property law and Islamic finance. Dr. Naim has led the development of the Product, Intellectual Property, and Entrepreneurship (PIPE) module and secured significant research funding from UK-based organizations. Previously, she was the Associate Head of School, Global Engagement at Coventry University, where she managed international partnerships and global leadership strategies. As a Course Director and Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University, she led the LLM in International Business Law and Islamic Business Law, developing new academic pathways. Dr. Naim has a PhD from the University of Bradford, focusing on intellectual property regimes in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and holds an LLB (Honours) and Bar Vocational Course (BVC) from UK institutions. She has also provided consultancy services in judicial review, funding, and property law.

Dr. Rizwan Malik

Dr. Rizwan Malik is the Head, Standard Implementation and Strategic Developments for Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Finance Institution (AAOIFI), Bahrain. Dr. Malik has ten years of experience working for standard-setting organisation, sovereign owned investment firms and international strategic consultancies. He had also been the Head of Business Development and Strategy, Edbiz Consulting and an associate of BMB Islamic, London. His publications include articles in Islamic Finance review and periodic contributions in Islamic Finance News. Dr. Malik earned both his PhD in Islamic Finance and Masters from Kingston University, London, and a BA in Business and Finance from Heriot-Watt University, UK. He is also a Certified Accounting Technician (CAT), ACCA and has an Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) from Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

Tuan Haji Rustam Mohd Idris

Tuan Haji Rustam Mohd Idris is currently one of the Board of Directors of Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad, Kuala Lumpur. He also sits on Shariah Committee of Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad, Board of Directors of YaPEIM Smart Ventures Sdn. Bhd, IBFIM’s Panel of Subject Matter Experts and Association of Shariah Advisors (ASAS) Advisory Council, besides serving as Shariah Committee of YaPEIM and Evaluation Committee on Socio-Economy and Philanthropy. Tuan Haji Rustam has years of experience as the former Deputy Director of the Islamic Banking and Takaful Department, Bank Negara Malaysia, and was part of the team responsible in the development of Islamic Banking in BNM until 2018. He was involved in the introduction of the Islamic banking windows (1993), Financial Sector Master Plan (2001-2010), transformation of the Islamic windows into subsidiaries, Malaysia Islamic Financial Centre initiatives (2006) and formulation of several prudential policies. His area of expertise is financial infrastructure development, regulatory policy development and capacity building development.

Mr. Muhammad Shukri Abdullah

Currently, Mr. Muhammad Shukri is the Associate Director for Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA), Kuala Lumpur. He has years of experience in learning and development, and quality assurance, and has worked in senior positions in telecommunication, healthcare, manufacturing and construction industries. Among his past experience was as Vice President of Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) and as Senior Manager for TIME dotcom. Mr. Muhammad Shukri graduated with a Masters degree in Engineering Business Management, University of Warwick and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration. He earned his BBA from Ohio University, USA and his Diploma in Business Studies from MARA Institute of Technology. Among his professional certifications are JPK Assessor / Internal Verifier / Centre Manager Commissioning, Shariah Registered Financial Planner and Associate Qualification in Islamic Finance (AQIF). He has also contributed to numerous consultancy and activities.

Mr. Mohd Nazri Bin Chik

Mr. Mohd Nazri Chik holds a Bachelor of Shariah (Fiqh and Usul Fiqh) and Masters of Shariah from the University of Malaya. He started his career in Bank Islam was in June 2004 and served the Bank for five years as Head of Shariah Division. Currently he is a General Manager in Strategic Relations at Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) since early 2020 till present. He is also an Independent Director at Terengganu Incorporated Sdn Bhd since 2018 and Group Chief Shariah Officer at BIMB Holdings Berhad since 2015. He had served as a Member of Shariah Supervisory Council (SSC) at BIMB in 2009 until he became a Deputy Chairman of the SSC at Amana Bank PLC, Sri Lanka in 2010 till now. Besides, he is an Accredited Trainer for Islamic Banking and Finance Institute of Malaysia. In addition, he has also become a tutor at Academy of Islamic Studies & Lecturer, UM’s Centre for Continuous Education.

Mr Abdul Rahman Bin Mohd Yusoff

Mr Abdul Rahman is currently the Head, Islamic Product & Business Development in OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad (OABB). He joined OABB in the Commercial Banking Department in 2008 and subsequently headed the Shariah Department from 2013 to 2019 prior to his current position. He is also the Deputy President, Grand Council of Charted Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals (CIIF). He holds a Bachelor in Finance from Indiana State University, USA and a Master in Business Administration from Morehead State University, USA. He gained experience from various positions in CIMB Malaysia and Hong Kong, Infopro Sdn. Bhd., Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) and Cagamas Berhad. He has contributed actively in the Islamic Finance Industry as module writer, moderator, reviewer, trainer and guest speaker with IBFIM, KUIS, UPM, UiTM etc. at various seminars, workshops and trainings. He had also completed his Certified Shariah Practitioner (CSP) with Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance (ASAS) in March, 2021.

Mr. Makhtar Abdullah

Mr. Makhtar Abdullah is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance (ASAS), Malaysia, an affiliate of Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia). He has over three decades of extensive experience in Islamic finance, corporate restructuring, strategic management, and advisory roles across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Before joining ASAS in 2018, he served as Islamic Finance Corporate Advisor for the Amanie Group of Companies in Malaysia and Dubai, and as Chief Executive Officer and Restructuring Consultant at the Centre for Islamic Banking, Finance and Management (CIBFM) under the Ministry of Finance and Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD). His previous roles also include Chief Operating Officer at Amanie Islamic Finance Consultancy and Education LLC (Dubai), Special Project Director at Carrefour Malaysia, and various advisory and leadership positions with organizations such as Naber Corporation, M International Advisory, EM Consultant, and Turnaround Managers Incorporated (TMI). Mr. Makhtar holds an LLB (Hons.) from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), a Diploma in Accountancy from MARA Institute of Technology, and a Diploma in Translation (Media & Communication) from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

Ms. Ratna Sha’erah

Ms. Ratna Shaerah currently serves as the Executive Director of the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM). She joined AIBIM in March 2016 as Director and was appointed Executive Director in January 2020. Since joining AIBIM, she has played a key role in the Association’s strategic planning, communication, and operational management. Together with AIBIM’s team, she has successfully steered and positioned the Association in alignment with the mandate and strategic direction of the Islamic finance industry landscape. With over 20 years of experience in business reengineering, risk management, banking channels, and operations, Ms. Ratna currently sits on the Board of the Ombudsman for Financial Services (OFS). She has served in various banking and asset management institutions since 1996, including Mayban Finance Berhad, Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Berhad, CIMB Investment Bank Berhad, and Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. Ms. Ratna holds a Bachelor of Management (Hons) degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), majoring in Accounting and Finance with a minor in Economics.