Amir Hamzah Azizan was appointed as the Finance Minister II effective 11 December 2023. Prior to assuming the role of Finance Minister II, he had helmed the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) as Chief Executive Officer since March 2021.

With a corporate experience spanning more than 27 years, Amir Hamzah began his career with a decade-long tenure at the Shell Group of Companies. During this period, he held diverse roles in Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Subsequently, he joined MISC Berhad in 2000 and held several senior management portfolios before being appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2009.

Following his tenure at MISC Berhad, Amir Hamzah took on the role of Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad in June 2010. In August 2012, Amir Hamzah joined PETRONAS Lubricants International as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, concurrently serving as the Vice-President for Downstream Marketing, and subsequently as Vice-President of Lubricants for the PETRONAS Group. In March 2016, Amir Hamzah joined Ekuiti Nasional Berhad (Ekuinas) to steer its investee company Icon Offshore Berhad as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Subsequently, he took on the role of Group Chief Executive Officer at Themed Attractions Resorts and Hotel Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad. In April 2019, he further showcased his versatility across industries by taking on the role of President/Chief Executive Officer at Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

Amir Hamzah has also contributed to various organisations in non-executive capacities. He formerly served as the Non-Executive Chairman of Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and held directorial positions on the boards of Sime Darby Plantation Berhad and Sime Darby Oils International Limited. Amir Hamzah holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management (majoring in Finance and Economics) from Syracuse University, New York. He has also attended the Stanford Executive Programme at Stanford University, and the Corporate Finance Evening Programme at London Business School. .

Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour is the 10th Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. He was appointed for a five-year term effective 1 July 2023. In his role as Governor, Rasheed also serves as the chair of the Bank’s Board of Directors, Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Executive Committee.

Rasheed joined the Bank in 1988 and has helmed various positions across the breadth of the Bank’s primary functions. These include monetary policy and economics, international reserves management and financial markets, financial sector development, and banking regulations. In 2016, he assumed the role of Deputy Governor.

Rasheed has also played a leading role in driving the Bank’s advocacy efforts on economic affairs, including in the areas of social protection and labour market reforms. This includes to support and advise the Government on issues relating to the management of the pandemic. He also played key roles in the development and implementation of the Financial Sector Masterplan and Financial Sector Blueprints.

At the international level, Rasheed has served and been a member of various international platforms, such as the Islamic Financial Services Board and Bank for International Settlements. He has also championed various efforts to strengthen regional financial integration and cooperation, such as the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework. Previously, he also served as the Alternate Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Voting Group Office of the International Monetary Fund.

Rasheed attended St. John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur, prior to obtaining his Bachelor of Economics from Universiti Malaya. Rasheed also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Amanie Group. One of its flagship companies namely Amanie Advisors, is operating in a few cities globally. He serves as the Chairman of Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), Kazakhstan, the First Abu Dhabi Bank (UAE), Madina Takaful (Oman), and Salama Insurance (UAE). He was the former Chairman of the Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) at the Central Bank of Malaysia, and former Chairman of the SAC at the Securities Commission of Malaysia for more than 2 decades. He was also the former Chairman of Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (MAIWP).

Tan Sri Dr Daud is also a Shariah board member of various global financial institutions, including the Amundi Asset Management (France), BNP Paribas Najma (Bahrain), Sedco Capital (Saudi and Luxembourg) and Dow Jones Islamic Market Index (New York) amongst many others.

In the corporate world, he was a member of the PNB Investment Committee. Previously, he served as a Board Director at Sime Darby Property Berhad and Chairman to Malaysia Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM). In addition, he is the co-founder of Experts Analytics Centre Sdn Bhd and MyFinB Sdn. Bhd. He also serves as the Chairman of Berry Pay Sdn. Bhd. (digital remittance), Data Sukan Consulting Sdn. Bhd. (Sport Data), Bio Fluid Sdn. Bhd., KAB Gold Dynamics Sdn. Bhd., Bio-Angle Vacs Sdn. Bhd. (vaccine for ruminants), Tulus Digital Sdn. Bhd. (payment gateway), and AmanieAfra Halal Capital Co (Bangkok). He was the former 8th President of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM).

In July 2023, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Daud has received the conferment of the New Islamic Year (Maal Hijrah) Special Prominent Figure award by the State Government of Kedah, Malaysia in conjunction with the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration. Tan Sri has received the “Royal Award for Islamic Finance 2022” by His Majesty, the King of Malaysia. While in 2014, he received the “Most Outstanding Individual” award by His Majesty, the King of Malaysia, in conjunction with the national-level Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. Under his leadership, Amanie Advisors received the “Islamic Economy Knowledge Infrastructure Award” at the Global Islamic Economy Summit, Dubai 2015, by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Oct 2015. On 13 November 2021, he was conferred the Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown (Panglima Setia Mahkota P.S.M.) by His Majesty the King of Malaysia which carries the title of “Tan Sri”.

He received his first degree in Shariah from University of Kuwait in 1988 and obtained his PhD from University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom in 1993. In 2002, he completed his external Bachelor of Jurisprudence at University of Malaya.

Tan Sri’s first book entitled “Shariah Minds in Islamic Finance: An Inside Story of A Shariah Scholar” has won the “Islamic Finance Book of the Year 2016” by the Global Islamic Finance Award (GIFA) 2016. Then, his book on sukuk entitled “An Insightful Journey to Emirates Airline Sukuk: Pushing The Boundaries of Islamic Finance” has also won the “Best Islamic Finance Case 2017” by the GIFA 2017 in Kazakhstan. To date, Tan Sri has been authoring more than 40 books with different genre. His recent publication was entitled “Maqasid Shariah : The Face and Voice of Shariah”

Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser served as an Advisor at the General Secretariat of the Saudi Council of Ministers and Chairman of the General Authority for Competition from 2016 to 2021. He also served as the Minister of Economy and Planning and Governor and Board Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), the Saudi Central Bank. In addition, he was a member of several ministerial councils, boards, and committees, including the Council for Economic Affairs and Development, the Supreme Council for Civil Defense, the Board of Directors of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the Board of Directors of the Public Investment Fund, the Higher Committee for Hajj (Pilgrimage) Affairs and the Ministerial Environmental Committee, among many others.

Academic Life

Dr. Al Jasser obtained his M.A. (1981) and Ph.D. (1986) in Economics from the University of California. Earlier, he received his B.A. in Economics with honors from San Diego State University in 1979. Dr. Al Jasser gained a wide range of leadership experiences in the public and private sectors, having held senior positions in several institutions.

Other Previous Positions

He served as the Alternate Governor for Saudi Arabia at the IMF, the World Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank, as well as Vice Governor and Vice Chairman of the Board of SAMA, Deputy Minister of Finance and National Economy, IMF Executive Director, Chairman of the GCC Monetary Council, Member of the Governing Body of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Saudi Telecom Co. (STC), Chairman of the Board of the Arab Investment Company and Chairman of the Council of Islamic Financial Services Board.

Dr. Al Jasser participated in the G20 summits and meetings at the ministerial, governors, and deputies levels. Moreover, he participated in the monthly and annual meetings of the Bank for International Settlements over the period 1997-2011. In addition, Dr. Al Jasser took part in several local and international symposia and gave lectures on economic and monetary policy.

Medals & Awards

Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser received several medals and awards, most notably the King Abdul Aziz Medal of the First Order in 2001.

Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood is a medical professional with more than two decades of experience managing crises in health, disasters and conflict settings and has held senior management positions in global organisations overseeing strategy, policy, innovation and partnerships. She is currently Professor and Executive Director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University in Malaysia. She is currently a member of the Climate Action Council led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability in Malaysia

Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah is also the sustainability advisor at Air Asia Group and the national advisorof the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. Globally, she is a member of the board of Roche in Switzerland and the Norwegian Refugee Council

In 2023, she was appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council of Responsible Resource Use as well as the Co-Chair of the Climate and Health Group at the World Economic Forum. She is also one of three Global Ambassadors for the Grand Bargain in Humanitarian Efficiency and Effectiveness based in Geneva, Switzerland. She also sits of several editorial boards including the World Health Organisation’s Special Report on the Commercial Determinants of Health and a member of the jury of the Frontier Prize. In 2023, she was appointed as a Special Advisor to the Internasional Criminal Court at the Hague. She is a strong advocate of planetary health and sustainability and actively advises on Environment, Social and Governance in the advisory and board roles she holds.

Her previous appointments include the Under Secretary General for Partnerships at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Chief of the World Humanitarian Summit secretariat at the United Nations, and Chief of the Humanitarian ResponseBranch at United National Popularion Fund in New York. She was the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia on Public Health and member of the Government of Malaysia’s Economic Action Council from April 2020-September 2021 . Previously she also held advisory roles at the Consultative Council for Foreign Policy Malaysia and was a member of the Health White Paper Advisory Council at the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Dr Mahmood was the first Pro Chancellor of Heriot Watt University Malaysia until the end of 2023. She is well known as the founder of MERCY Malaysia, a southern-based international humanitarian organisation renowned globally.

She isthe recipient of numerous national and international awardsincluding the most prestigious Malaysian Merdeka Award in 2015 and theASEAN Prize in 2019, for her contribution to peace, community development and humanitarian work. She also received the inaugural IsaAward for Humanity in 2013 from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Gandhi- King-Ikeda Award for community development and peace building from Morehouse College, USA. More recently, she was awarded the Wu Lien-Teh Award for Leadership in Public Health 2023.

Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah graduated as a Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the National University of Malaysia, has a Masters in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the same university and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists United Kingdom. She also completed executive education at the International Management and Development Center, IMD Lausanne and University California Barkeley Law.

Tan Sri Andrew is a former central banker and financial regulator in Asia and a commentator on global finance. Tan Sri Andrew is the Chief Adviser to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, a member of the international advisory council of the China Investment Corporation, the China Development Bank, and China Securities Regulatory Commission. Given his extensive experience in finance, he is also recently appointed as the Member of the MIFC Leadership Council (MLC).

He is currently the Pro-Chancellor of Bristol University and Distinguished Fellow, Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong, as well as Chairman, George Town Institute of Open and Advanced Studies, Wawasan Open University, Malaysia.

He previously served as Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank Negara Malaysia. He also worked with the World Bank andd chaired the Technical Committee of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). He was a Board Member of Khazanah Nasional Berhad.

Ha-Joon Chang is a Distinguished Research Professor of economics at SOAS University of London. Previously he taught at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Cambridge (1990-2022). In addition to numerous journal articles and book chapters, he has published 17 authored books (five co-authored) and 11 edited books (seven co-edited). His main books include The Political Economy of Industrial Policy (1994), Kicking Away the Ladder (2002), Bad Samaritans (2007), 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism (2010), Economics: The User’s Guide (2014), and Edible Economics (2022). His writings have been translated and published in 45 languages and 46 countries. Worldwide, his books have sold around 2.5 million copies. Chang has advised numerous international organizations, national governments, civil society organizations, and corporations (both private-sector and public). He is currently a member of CDP (Committee for Development Policy), the highest advisory body of the United Nations on development issues, as well as committees overseeing or advising other international organizations (e.g., UNRISD, AIIB) and academic bodies (e.g., IDS, Sussex). Chang is the winner of the 2003 Gunnar Myrdal Prize and the 2005 Wassily Leontief Prize.

Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi was appointed Trustee of Khazanah Research Institute on 26 December 2023.

Dr. Nungsari is an economist and is presently a trustee of Yayasan Rahimah Yusof, a private charitable foundation. He also sits on the board of Bank Negara Malaysia and is a member of the Advisory Committee to the Finance Minister (ACFIN).

He has been an academic, a Member of Parliament, a consultant, and has sat on various corporate and statutory boards and served in executive positions in various Minister of Finance, Incorporated companies including Khazanah Nasional, Prokhas, Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional, Syarikat Jaminan Pinjaman Perniagaan and DanaInfra Nasional.

His interests revolves around the microeconomics of policy making and has been a contributing columnist for The Edge since 2000.

Khurram is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Saadiq – the Global Islamic Banking business of Standard Chartered Bank.

As a career Islamic Banker, Khurram has close to 25 years of core Islamic banking experience across Consumer, Wealth Management, Private Banking, Transaction Banking and Financial Markets. He has led the development and roll out of the bank's Islamic banking proposition across SCB footprint in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and North America. Khurram is proud to have learnt from and worked alongside some of the top scholars in Islamic finance industry.

He is an active contributor to the Islamic banking industry and regularly provides advice to regulators and industry bodies. Khurram is also serving as a member of the Board of Director of Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad, Malaysia and International Islamic Financial Markets (IIFM), Bahrain.

Standard Chartered Saadiq offers a wide suite of product capabilities and award-winning solutions to our Corporate, Institutional, Consumer, Business and Private Banking clients across the Standard Chartered network. Since inception the business has won over 400+ internationally recognized industry awards.

Khurram holds an MBA from Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Pakistan and successfully passed CFA examination from CFA Institute, Charlottesville, USA. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in classical Islamic jurisprudence.

With a career that spans medical research, leadership roles in higher education and then banking, Dame Susan chairs the Global Steering Group of GEFI (Global Ethical Finance Initiative) which, in partnership with the DIFC, delivered the Path to COP28 (the first and largest finance-focused campaign for COP28). She also chairs the boards of Scottish Water, Business Stream, and the North American Income Trust.

The first woman to head a UK or European clearing bank as Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland plc, she was also a director of the Bank of England, Senior Independent Director of both J Sainsbury's plc and SSE plc and lay member of Court at Edinburgh University. She was founding chair of Scotland's Fiscal Commission, the country’s official, independent economic and fiscal forecaster and recently became a non-executive director on the board of the UK's Office for Budget Responsibility.

Focused on the creation of long-term value in business and enterprise, she works with the UK’s Place-based Climate Action Network and previously led a business-focused collaboration on carbon reduction and a sustainable Scottish economy. A leading voice on ethics in finance, she chaired the Financial Services Culture Board and supported the Chartered Banker Institute by leading her industry to support the creation of professional standards for bankers. Susan also helped develop numerous social finance and impact investing entities in the US and the UK. 

Alongside several honorary degrees and professional fellowships, Dame Susan is a Freeman of the City of London.

Mehmet Asutay is a Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Political Economy & Finance at the Durham University Business School and the Director of the Durham Centre in Islamic Economics and Finance.

Mehmet’s teaching, research, publication, and supervision of research is all in Islamic moral economy/Islamic economics, Islamic political economy, Islamic finance and banking, Islamic governance and management, Islamic social welfare institutions, and the Middle Eastern political economies.

His articles on his research interests have appeared in various international academic journals and professional magazines. He has also published manuscripts and edited books on aspects of Islamic moral economy and Islamic finance, the latest of which are A Model for Islamic Development: An Approach in Islamic Moral Economy (with S. Jan, 2019), Mapping the Risks and Risk Management Practices in Islamic Banking (with W. Eid, 2019).

Mehmet's recent research includes the construction of the Islamic moral economy and political economy and their articulation in sustainable development. In addition, his research focused on locating Islamic banking and finance within the expressed ideals of Islamic moral economy by essentialising the sharing and collaborative economy nature of Islamic finance. Mehmet is also involved in empirical research in various aspects and dynamics of Islamic banking and finance, as well as examining the political economy determinants and consequences of various Islamic finance industry development models.

Mehmet has acted as a consultant to COMCEC (part of OIC), CIBAFI and UNDP-IICPSD on various projects and was also a member of the Board of Directors of Albaraka Turk Islamic Bank from 2018-2020.

Mehmet has recently been engaged in a project (The Invisible Ceiling: Muslim Immigrant Entrepreneurs Navigate Norway’s Financial Environment – funded by the Norwegian Research Council) - aiming to develop entrepreneurship culture among Muslim refugees and immigrants through various instruments of Islamic finance. The project proposes blended financing involving Islamic commercial finance as well as Islamic social finance in empowering Muslim refugees and immigrants. Mehmet has been involved in a UNDP project to develop Islamic microfinance instruments in Afghanistan. He completed projects for CIBAFI in developing the Sustainable Development Guide for Islamic Financial Institutions and for UNDP in developing a MOOC training programme in Islamic Finance for SDGs.

Mehmet is the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Islam and Society, the International Journal of Islamic Economics and Finance Studies, and the Review of Islamic Economics. Mehmet is also a Board Member of the International Association for Islamic Economics.

Mehmet is the 2024 Laureate of IsDB Prize for Impactful Achievement in Islamic Economics for recognition of his novel work on Islamic moral economy and the articulation of Islamic finance to be supportive of sustainable development and the welfare of human beings.

He has a diverse experience for more than 30 years in different areas including macroeconomic policy, monetary policy, financial stability, international economic relations, and financial supervision and regulations. During this period, he was exposed and participated in the formation of very critical international and national decisions that dealt with international crisis and key national development initiatives.

In 2008, he was part of the Saudi Arabia G20 team to represent Saudi Arabia in the discussions of G20 response to the GFC, which took place during London Summit in 2009, Pittsburg summit 2009, Canada summit and Seoul Summit in 2010.

In 2011, he joined the IMF Executive Board in which he was involved in the discussions that shaped the IMF response to the European sovereign debt crisis as well as the IMF response to the Arab Spring crisis. He was also involved in the discussions for policies that shaped the international financial seen including the IMF “institutional view on capital flow management”.

In 2016, he joined the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) as a Deputy Governor of Research and International Affairs where he was responsible about macroeconomic research, monetary policy and financial stability, development of the financial sector, and international affairs. In addition, he also participated actively in launching the Financial Sector Development Program, which is one of most important Vision 2030 realization programs.

In June 2018, he was appointed to the position of Deputy Governor for Supervision at the Saudi Central Bank, where his main responsibilities included ensuring a sound and efficient financial system through effective regulation of the banks, insurance, finance companies, and the payment sector. One of the key achievements during this period was the contribution to the launch of the Fintech sector and its supporting initiatives, which led to the licensing of more than 200 companies, now including 3 digital banks. In addition, he led SAMA’s response to the Covid-19 crisis in which SAMA established many programs to support the private sector during the crisis, one of which is the Deferred Payment Program and the Guaranteed Lending Program.

Since July 2022, he moved back to the position of Deputy Governor for Research and International Affairs. He is focusing on uplifting the Research Agenda to serve the Central Bank mandate and enhancing the technical capabilities in the stress testing and economic modeling to support policy decision making. The work was concluded on establishing the stress-testing framework in collaboration with BlackRock and continuously working on enhancing the economic modeling capabilities in SAMA.

He was engaged in the development of the strategies for many institutions in addition to SAMA’s strategy, among them the Financial Academy, the Social Development Banks, the Kafalah program, where he was the Chair of its Board, and most recently, the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development. He also participates actively in the foundation of many institutions in Saudi Arabia, such as the Financial Academy, where he served as the Vice Chair of the Founding Board, Saudi Payment Company as a Board member and Chair of its Nomination and Remuneration Committee, SMEs Bank, Mortgage Guarantees Company

He is currently a member of many high-level committees inside SAMA, including the Monetary Policy Committee, the Financial Stability Committee, and the Investment Committee. He also currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Financial Academy and the Chair of its Nominations and Remunerations Committee, Member of the Board of the Social Development Bank and Chair of its Audit Committee, and Member of the Board of the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development and the Chair of its Audit Committee.

He is an economist by training and expertise and he hold a Ph.D. in Economics from Lehigh University

Dato’ Khairussaleh is currently President and Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Maybank. He serves as Chairman of the Group Executive Committee and is a member of the Board Credit Review Committee, Board Sustainability Committee and Board Technology Committee.

Within the Maybank Group, Dato’ Khairussaleh is President Commissioner of PT Bank Maybank Indonesia Tbk (Maybank Indonesia) and is a member of the board of Maybank Singapore Limited. He has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services and capital markets industry.

Previously, Dato’ Khairussaleh was the Group Managing Director of RHB Banking Group. Prior to that, he was with Maybank, having served as the Group Chief Financial Officer and subsequently, President Director and Chief Executive Officer of Maybank Indonesia.

In previous roles, Dato’ Khairussaleh was the Group Chief Strategy Officer of Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Chief Executive Officer of TM Ventures and Chief Financial Officer of Bursa Malaysia Berhad, where he led the listing of the company on its own exchange in 2005. He also spent eight years at Public Bank Group in the Corporate Banking and Stockbroking/Futures broking divisions.

Dato’ Khairussaleh holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Washington University, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School. He is also a Fellow Chartered Banker with the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB)

Dato’ Khairussaleh serves on the boards of Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Financial Industry Collective Outreach. He is also Chairman of The Association of Banks in Malaysia, Vice Chairman of AICB and Co-Chairman of the Emerging Markets Advisory Council of Institute of International Finance.

Dr. Kenan Bağcı received his MSc degree with a focus on Applied Economics from the University of Magdeburg in Germany and his Ph.D. with a focus on International Trade and Development from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. He published in scholarly journals and magazines and contributed to numerous books and reports in various fields related to socio-economic development of developing countries. He led and contributed to numerous research studies and projects owned by various international organizations, including the Islamic Development Bank, Organization of Turkic States, Asian Development Bank, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. His main areas of interest include international trade and trade policies, digital economy, industrial development, private sector development, labour markets as well as disaster management. His extensive research experience in these areas make him an excellent fit for a discussion on private sector’s development of halal goods and services within the context of technology and digital transformation, trade connectivity, skills development and talent capability, and climate transition. He also took active role in the organization of several international conferences and seminars in various themes including Islamic finance and financing for development. Dr. Bağcı is currently working as a Senior Researcher at the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) based in Ankara, Türkiye.

Hairol Ariffein Sahari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC), an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Investment Trade and Industry Malaysia (MITI), established to serve as the custodian of Malaysia’s Halal economy and to spearhead the development of Malaysia’s integrated and comprehensive Halal ecosystem and infrastructure.

Hairol Ariffein hails from the royal state of Johor in the south and holds a Degree in Biotechnology from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), a leading research university in Malaysia. He holds a Master of Business Administration under the Asia School of Business (ASB) collaboration programme between the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) and prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management, United States of America.

He is also an Associate Fellow of Malaysia’s eminent management university, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) (2021) and a Corporate Affiliate of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia (CILTI) (2021 - 2022).

His career and experience spanning two decades is dedicated to serving in industry development initiatives lead by the Government, commencing with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) in 2003, as an Assistant Director responsible for investment promotional activities and industrial support services. In 2005, he served with Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation (BiotechCorp), a Government agency responsible for implementing initiatives under the National Biotechnology Policy 2005 - 2020 to develop and promote Malaysia’s biotechnology industry. Hairol Ariffein’s success in BiotechCorp paved the way for his next career, as a pioneer team member in the Northern Corridor Implementation Agency (NCIA) to establish, oversee and promote the economic and social development of Malaysia’s Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) initiative.

Hairol Ariffein commenced his service with HDC in 2010 and was Vice President of the Strategic Planning and Monitoring Division, specializing in project planning and monitoring of Government developmental programmes for the Halal industry. He helmed the position of Acting CEO in 2019, which saw the beginning of his leadership and vision for HDC through the HDC Business Transformation Plan 2020 - 2025 exercise to evolve HDC from a programme-based agency into a core institution with commercial-driven initiatives, thus becoming an entity that is competitive and financially sustainable with the aim to minimize Government funding support. He also championed the development of Malaysia’s digital Halal network marketspace powered by HDC, known as the Halal Integrated Platform (HIP). Hairol Ariffein’s unwavering commitment and accomplishments in 2 | P a g e HDC, as well as his passion to further advance the country’s Halal industry led to his rise as CEO in 2021.

In his tenure, key strategic initiatives by HDC were achieved which included Malaysia’s Halal Industry Master Plan 2030 (HIMP 2030) launch and establishment of Malaysia’s Halal Industry Development Council (MPIH) chaired by the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. Hairol Ariffein has also toiled hard to achieve awareness, visibility, and prominence of HDC and Malaysia’s role in linking with the global Halal ecosystems through Halal diplomacy which includes bridging Halal Malaysia with the Halal ecosystems of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries through the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) and Halal Products Development Company (HPDC) of Saudi Arabia. Hairol Ariffein continues to champion HDC in progressing Malaysia’s Halal industry socio-economic development through the National Halal Digital Platform (NHDP) initiative, in support of the Government’s commitment for an end-to-end, seamless, efficient, and streamlined facilitation of Malaysia’s Halal certification for businesses and industries.

In addition to this, Hairol Ariffein champions the Greater Islamic Economy (GIE) initiative which is the application of Islamic economy concepts such as Islamic Finance, Zakat, Waqf, Ar-Rahnu and Takaful to help build, progress, and sustain businesses in the Halal economy. A programme through the waqf economic model to assist Malaysia’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, known as the “Program Wakaf Halal PKS” was developed with Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia (YWM) which received funding by the Government as a Special Initiative Budget 2022.

Hairol Ariffein has also dedicated his time to support and assist other Government agencies and bodies in a supervisory capacity. He sits in the Halal Research and Development (R&D) Commercialization Fund Approval Committee managed by the Government agency, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) and serves as mentor, facilitator and advisor to university students and residents in UPM’s CEO@PTJ Program from 2021 - 2023. In 2021, Majlis Ugama Islam Sabah (MUIS) appointed him as a Committee Member of MUIS Halal Hub, to spearhead the development of Shariah Compliant Guideline for the local MSMEs in the Halal industry, a post which he continues to hold to this very day.

Since 2022, Hairol Ariffein has served as an Advisory Council Member of the Malaysia Institute of Transport (MITRANS) UiTM. As of 2023, he is a a Member of MITI’s Development Action Council and Committee Member of the Other Skills Qualification Recognition Committee (JPPKL) under the Skills Department (JPK) of the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia (MOHR).

Hairol Ariffein was awarded the prestigious Pengurniaan Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara bersempena Hari Keputeraan Rasmi KDYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong at the Istana Negara on 04 January 2024 and recently recognized as Visionary Leader of the Year by Malaysia Top Achievers 2023 on 28 February 2024.

A Chartered Accountant by profession, he specialises in ethical/responsible finance, Islamic finance and private equity. He has extensive experience in financial services and has advised multiple governments and regulators as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance. His background includes working with EY London where he was former Head of Islamic finance.

Through his work he has established a number of initiatives including: Global Taskforce of Islamic Finance and the UN SDGs launched with UK Government and IsDB; finance for nature project and SDG Financial products platform with UNDP which creates innovative financing structures for the SDGs; and the award winning interfaith Edinburgh Finance Declaration the world’s first shared values approach to finance between Islamic finance and the Church.

Omar received a BAcc from the University of Glasgow and holds select board advisory roles including the UK Islamic Finance Council.

Dr. Moorty is currently the Regional Director for East Asia and Pacific in the Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI) Practice Group of the World Bank. Prior to this, she was the Regional Director for EFI in Europe and Central Asia. In her previous roles, she has been the Practice Manager for the European Union/Turkey and Manager in-charge for raising Funds for IDA. Dr.  Moorty joined the World Bank in the year 2000 and has worked in several regions – including East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia and Southern Africa. She holds a Doctorate in Economics, with a thesis on Risks and Costs associated with Real-time and Net Payments Systems in the United States.

Datin Seri Sunita Rajakumar is the Founder and Chairperson of Climate Governance Malaysia, the country chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative, the second in the world and first in Asia-Pacific. Under her leadership, it has grown to be a significant advocate for an increase climate ambition and has been behind what is arguably the largest private sector mobilisation, for climate action.

Sunita is a professional independent director who is a strong advocate of the importance of governance in general and risk management in particular. She is Chairman of Bursa-listed Dutch Lady Milk Industries, independent non-executive director at Bursa-listed Petronas Chemicals, HSBC Malaysia, MCIS Insurance (a member of the Sanlam group) and Zurich General Insurance, as well as trustee of 6 charitable foundations.

She is also Adjunct Professor in Climate Governance and Sustainability at Unitar International University, Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia, sits on the External Advisory Committee for Sunway University’s Master in Sustainable Development Management and is the workstream lead for government policy for the CEO Action Network, an industry-led sustainability initiative.

Dr. Zeti, a career Central Banker, was Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia from 2000 to 2016. She had an important role in managing the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis and its strong consequent economic recovery in Malaysia. She was instrumental in transforming the Malaysian financial system and building its robust resilience. This period also saw the enactment of ten major pieces of fundamental legislation for the financial sector. She was active in strengthening regional cooperation and was unrelenting in working for ASEAN and East-Asian regional financial integration. She was also a voice for the emerging world concerning many global issues. She also had an extensive role in the global development of Islamic finance, and was active in the global financial inclusion agenda. She is currently the Co-chair of the Board of Governors of the Asia School of Business established in collaboration with MIT Sloan. Over 2018-2021, she also served as Group Chairman of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PNB). Dr. Zeti received her undergraduate education from the University of Malaya and PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ghiath Shabsigh is an economist with broad experience in financial sector issues. Prior to his recent appointment as the Secretary General of the IFSB, he served as Assistant Director at the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets Department where he had broad responsibilities covering IMF’s work on central banking and fintech. He led the IMF’s work on Islamic Banking for the past 25 years helping to build international institutions, developing policies and standards for the sector, leading relevant analytical work, and providing technical assistance on Islamic banking regulatory frameworks, central banking operations, and sukuk markets for large number of IMF member countries. His previous responsibilities at the IMF included working on economic reform programs, financial sector development and capacity building, and financial stability assessments, in a wide range of countries from low-income to advanced economies. His previous work experience includes working as a financial analyst and university lecturer. Dr. Ghiath Shabsigh holds a Ph.D. degree in Monetary and International Economics, a M.A. in Economic Development, a B.Sc. in Economics and Business, and several professional qualifications in banking and securities market operations.

Dato Paduka Iqbal Khan is a Founding Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of Fajr Capital, an Islamic investment firm focused on the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Cravia Group, Jadwa Investment and MENA Infrastructure.

Prior to Fajr Capital, Dato Paduka Iqbal was the founding CEO of HSBC Amanah, where he built the business and team over eight years into one of the fastest growing and most successful emerging businesses in the HSBC Group. He was simultaneously a member of the Board of Directors of HSBC Bank Middle East, The Saudi British Bank, and HSBC Investment Bank (Saudi Arabia).

Dato Paduka Iqbal has played a prominent role in developing and promoting Islamic finance and investment on the international stage, serving as an advisor to government initiatives in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. He is currently a Member of the Global Development Council at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development.

Dato Paduka Iqbal holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and chemistry and a master’s degree in political science and international Relations, both from Aligarh Muslim University. He is also the recipient of several industry and global accolades, including:

• The Royal Award for Islamic Finance (2012), a biannual award jointly organized by Securities Commission Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia, and presented by His Majesty the King of Malaysia;
• The State Award of “The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei” (2014), presented by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam; an
• A Lifetime Achievement Award (2015), presented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Mohd Azmi Omar is the President and Chief Executive Officer of INCEIF University - The Global University of Islamic Finance. Prior to his current position, he was the Director-General, Islamic Research and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank Group, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He has previously worked at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), as Deputy Rector (Academic & Research), Dean of Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF) and Dean of Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences. Concurrently, he is a member of the Shariah Advisory Committee at Securities Commission Malaysia, Bank Rakyat Malaysia, Etiqa Takaful Malaysia and MUFG Bank Malaysia and was formerly an Islamic Finance Expert Advisor to the Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (Brunei Monetary Authority).

He also holds the post of Vice President of the International Association for Islamic Economics, a member of the Board of Trustees of RFI Foundation and formerly a member of the External Advisory Group for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Interdepartmental Working Committee on Islamic Finance. Prof Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Azmi was awarded “The Most Outstanding Individual Contribution to Islamic Finance” in the KLIFF Islamic Finance Awards 2015 and “Lifetime Achievement Award in Islamic Economics and Finance” at the 3rd World Islamic Economics and Finance Conference Pakistan in 2020.

Prof Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Azmi holds a PhD in Finance from Bangor University, Wales, United Kingdom. He is also a holder of Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance qualification. Recently, he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus during the 39th International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Convocation Ceremony in November 2023

Professor Jasser Auda is a scholar of Islam. His latest contribution is a New Maqasid Methodology that focuses on the Quran with an aim to bring about a restructuring of Islamic scholarship around a network of the higher objectives/Maqasid. He is the President of Maqasid Institute Global, a think tank registered and building research and educational projects in a number of countries, a Visiting Distinguished Professor at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC-IIUM), Malaysia, Al-Shatibi Chair for Maqasid Studies at the International Peace University, South Africa, a Founding and Board Member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, Qatar, an Executive Member of the Fiqh Council of North America in the United States, a Member of the European Council for Fatwa and Research in Ireland. Professor Auda lectured on Islam and Islamic law in dozens of countries, and wrote 25 books in Arabic and English, some of which were translated to 25 languages.

Farhan Nizami CBE (D.Phil.Oxon) is the Prince of Wales Fellow in the study of the Islamic World, Magdalen College, Oxford; Founder Director of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies; and Emeritus Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford.

He read Modern History at Wadham College. He is a member of the Faculty of History and Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford. He is Founder Editor of the Journal of Islamic Studies (OUP, 1990-); Series Editor, Makers of Islamic Civilization (OUP, 2004-). He specializes in Muslim social and intellectual history.

Dr Ashraf bin Md Hashim is an independent Shariah adviser.

He currently serves as the Chairman of the Central Bank of Malaysia's Shariah Advisory Council (SAC BNM) and member of the Shariah Advisory Council Securities Commission of Malaysia (SAC SC). He is also, a member of Shari’ah Committee for International Islamic Liquidity Management Cooperation (IILM) and the Chairman of Shariah Committee of Bursa Malaysia (Malaysia Exchange House). In addition, he also serves as member of National Fatwa Council of Malaysia (Muzakarah Kebangsaan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam), Member of Selangor Religious Council, a Shariah committee member of Yayasan Waqf Malaysia (Malaysia Waqf Foundation), State Development Cooperation of Kelantan (SEDC), National Farmers Organisation, Employee Provident Fund (EPF), Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) and a committee member for Waqf Committee for Kelantan Religious.

He is also a member of Board of Directors for Tabung Haji (Pilgrimage Fund) and its Chairman of Shariah Board. He also serves as Board member for Express Rail Link (ERL), Tabung Haji Travel and Services (Chairman) and Halal Development Cooperation (HDC, 2021-2024)

He is actively involved in many consultancy works related to Islamic finance abroad, among others, member of Shariah Board for Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) and Standard Chartered Bank in the United Arab Emirates, the Islamic Bank of Australia (Project), Noor Takaful Nigeria (Chairman of Advisory Council of Experts), IMON International, Tajikistan, Amanat Advisory, Kygryz Republic, Shariah Supervisory Board, BARRMM, Philippine and a few REIT companies, particularly in Saudi Arabia and Singapore. He is also a member of Shariah Board, Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), Bahrain.

He is, among others, the team leader in the following consultancy projects: Drafting Islamic Banking and Takaful Acts for the Republic of Maldives (2012), developing Islamic banking regulatory framework for National Bank of Tajikistan (2018-2020) and National Bank of Algeria (2022 – ongoing), developing regulatory framework for Sovereign Sukuk Issuance for the Ministry of Finance, Afghanistan (2019-2021), Cash Waqf Sukuk project for Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the development of regulatory framework for Nigeria Exchange (NEX).

He was formerly the CEO of ISRA International Consulting (2012-2022), the Executive Director, International Shariah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA RMC) and Deputy President Research (2023-2024), at INCEIF University

He served as the Shariah Committee for Alliance Bank (2005-2007), Al-Rajhi Bank Malaysia (2007-2011), Takaful Malaysia (2005-2008), ACR Retakaful Malaysia & Bahrain (2008-2011), and the Association of Islamic Banking Association Malaysia (AIBIM) between 2005 and 2011. (2009-2020). He was also a member of the Technical Committee on Retakaful for the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB). He was the President of the Association of Shariah Advisers in Islamic Finance (ASAS).

Dr Ashraf previously held the following academic administrative positions at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM): Deputy Dean, Student Affairs and Development Division (1999-2000), Deputy Dean, Admission and Records (2000-2003), and Director, International Students Office (2003-2006). He also served (on secondment from IIUM) as Deputy Rector Academic at Al Madinah International University Malaysia from 2007 to 2009

Dr Ashraf obtained his PhD (Islamic Law) from University of Birmingham, United Kingdom (1999), his Masters in Fiqh and Usul Fiqh from University of Jordan (1995) and his BA in Shariah from Islamic University in Medina, Saudi Arabia (1991). He is also a holder of Postgraduate Diploma in Shariah Law and Practice (DSLP) from International Islamic University Malaysia (2000).

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.

Prior to joining LSEG, Mustafa was a leading consultant in the Islamic Financial Services team at Ernst & Young, providing advisory services to some of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the GCC and globally. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales and holds a Bachelors degree in Mathematics from Imperial College in London.

Mr. Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid joins the IILM after spending 13 years at CIMB (the Bank) where he had served the Bank in various capacities including as a Deputy CEO at CIMB Islamic and as a Senior Managing Director at the Bank’s Public Sector, Group Wholesale Banking.

Mr. Safri brings with him almost 30 years of experience in the banking and financial sector including over 20 years of meaningful experience as a pioneer, structurer, transactor and renowned leader in Islamic finance locally and internationally. Mr Safri has played an instrumental role in bringing some of the world’s first, ground breaking and award-winning Islamic transactions to the market and is well regarded as one of the pioneers of the Islamic capital market globally.

Mr. Safri has a strong credit background having served as one of the Group Credit Committee members at CIMB for about eight years between 2012 and 2020 as well as well as a Senior Analyst at the Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad from 2000 – 2003.

Mr. Safri holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the International Islamic University Malaysia and an MBA (Globalisation) from Maastricht School, the Netherlands. He is a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysian Institute of Accounts (MIA).

Mr Safri is a renowned speaker at many local and international Islamic conferences and events.

Having embarked on his journey in the development sector by living and working for several years among remote forest based tribal communities in the southern Indian district of Mysuru, Dr. R Balasubramaniam (Balu) is a widely respected development activist, leadership trainer, thinker and writer.

He is the Member-HR in the Capacity Building Commission of the Government of India. He is also a visiting professor at Cornell University, USA and at IIT-Delhi, India where he teaches courses on Leadership and Human Development. He is the Chairman of the Social Stock Exchange Advisory Committee set up by SEBI.

Dr Balu embodies a rare blend of grassroots and macro perspectives and policy through his multi-faceted experience of more than three decades. He is a Tata Scholar, a Mason Fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School and a Fellow at the Hauser Center for Civil Society, Harvard University. He was the Head and Visiting Professor of the Vivekananda Chair, University of Mysore twice.

Raja Amir is the CEO of HSBC Amanah and has over 18 years’ experience in corporate financing, advisory and sustainability, in particular Islamic Banking and the International and Malaysian sukuk market. He is responsible for executing the HSBC Group’s strategy for Islamic Banking in Malaysia, driving sustainability and Value-Based Intermediation (VBI) efforts. Raja Amir serves as a counsel member of the Association of Islamic Banks Malaysia (AIBIM) and Chairman of SC4, Joint Committee on Climate Change (JC3), a regulator – industry collaborative actions platform, wherein the SC4 is tasked with spearheading engagement and capacity building. Raja Amir is also one of HSBC Group’s representative on the Green Sukuk High Level Working Group with a mandate to promote the adaptation of Green, Social and Sustainable Sukuk globally

Under his guidance, HSBC Amanah had established a Tripple Bottom Line Framework, aiming to align and classify the bank’s financing with value-based intermediation. The organisation has achieved exceptional recognition, solidifying its position as a global leader in Islamic banking, amongst others Being recognised asthe "World's Best International Islamic Bank" by Euromoney in 2023 Islamic ESG Bank of the Year for the 4th consecutive years by The Asset Tripple A 2023, reflecting the Bank’s strong leadership in fostering a culture of sustainability and responsible banking practices.

Prior to his appointment, Raja Amir was the Country Head of Debt Capital Markets. During his tenor, he has made many material contributions to the development of the international and Malaysian capital markets, having originated, structured, and executed multiple first to market landmark bond/sukuk transactions across Asia for both corporates, financial institutions, and the public sector.

He started his career in London in the tech industry and moved to a local investment bank in 2006. Thereafter, he joined HSBC Amanah in 2010 and held various roles within the Business Units and Debt Capital Markets team

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar is currently the Chairman of Bursa Malaysia Berhad. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished corporate leaders in Malaysia having successfully led as CEO three major organisations in infrastructure development (UEM Group 2001 - 2004), telecommunications (Telekom Malaysia 2004 - 2008) and financial services (Maybank 2008 - 2013). He served as Group Chairman of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Malaysia's largest fund management company, from August 2016 to June 2018 following completion of his term as a Senator and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Economic Planning from June 2013 to June 2016.

Prior to his cabinet appointment, Tan Sri Abdul Wahid was the President and CEO of Maybank, Malaysia’s largest public listed company and one of the leading banking groups in Southeast Asia. He was credited with transforming Maybank into a regional banking group and a global leader in Islamic finance. He also currently serves as the Chairman of WWF-Malaysia and MySDG Foundation, Professor of Practice at INCEIF (the Global University for Islamic Finance), as the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, UK, Chairman of the International Advisory Council of the Economic Club Kuala Lumpur and Advisory Council member of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong & Macau)

Tan Sri Abdul Wahid is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA)

Christian de Guzman is a Senior Vice President/Manager with Moody’s Sovereign and Sub-Sovereign Risk Group. Based in Singapore, he covers a portfolio of sovereigns and government-related issuers in Asia Pacific, including Japan, India and a number of Southeast Asian credits. He also manages the team responsible for sub-sovereign credit ratings in Asia Pacific ex-China.

Christian joined Moody’s in 2009, after working as a Senior Economist for the Monetary Authority of Singapore, covering ASEAN economies, and has also held various positions with the Research Department at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C., and Procter & Gamble in Singapore.

Christian was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in Economics and Political Science at the University of Georgia and received his M.A. in International Economics and Southeast Asian Studies from the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Farzana is an expert advisor in strategic planning encompassing policy making, legislation, governance, corporate social responsibility, and  international affairs. Her career spans roles as a minister of state in Pakistan, as well as a consultant across government affairs, development and business internationally. She has set up multiple research centers that have served the private and public sector. Farzana’s experience and career initiated at PWC as a finance professional and transformed into a broader set of expertise in strategic leadership and governance. She has been a member of Young Global Leader Advisory Group at World Economic Forum and is an Eisenhower Fellow. As a National Consultant for International Trade Center (ITC), Pakistan a joint agency of WTO and UNCTAD and the only development agency that is fully dedicated to supporting the internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – Farzana Yaqoob is responsible for conducting research-based capacity building. She is also an associate partner with RMK and associates that has provided family offices, investors and multiple ministries with strategic planning, governance and investment solutions. Yaqoob is a board member of Azad Jammu Kashmir Rural Support Program (AJKRSP), Aiming Change for Tomorrow (ACT) and Pakistan Alliance for girls Education(PAGE). Secretary General, Eisenhower Fellowship, Pakistan. She holds a masters in mass communication, and is an alumnus of National Defence University and Naval War College.

Alina is an educator and the co-founder of Arus Academy, an education social enterprise focusing on providing meaningful and relevant education, particularly for marginalized communities. Through her work with Arus, she leads nationwide programs in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to work with teachers and students in public schools, including a financial literacy program that empowers young people to develop personal financial plans, fostering economic empowerment and financial inclusion. Arus also currently runs a community school in Chow Kit for students with no access to public schools. Alina is deeply committed to working towards closing the achievement and opportunity gap and creating more inclusive opportunities for women and youth. 

Dato’ Mohd Muazzam Mohamed is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. He joined Bank Islam on May 11, 2015 as its Chief Financial Officer before being appointed to his current position on December 5, 2018. He was formerly a Partner with KPMG in Malaysia and was also an Executive Director with KPMG Management Consulting. He is a Chartered Accountant with Malaysian Institute of Accountants; a Council Member of The Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants; a Chartered Islamic Finance Professional of Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals; and a Chartered Public Finance Accountant of Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. He currently serves as the President of Association of Islamic Banking & Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) as well as a Board Member of Islamic Banking & Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) and Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO). Dato’ Muazzam has over 25 years of experience in the field of finance, consulting and audit and holds a Bachelor of Accounting from International Islamic University Malaysia and is also a graduate of the Advanced Management & Leadership Programme from University of Oxford’s Said Business School.

Fachmy Achmad obtained approval from the Financial Services Authority based on the Decision of the Board of Commissioners of the Financial Services Authority Number KEP-58/D-03/2020 dated 27 May 2020 and became effective as Director on 27 May 2020. He was reappointed as Director in PT Bank BTPN Syariah Tbk (BTPN Syariah) in accordance with the resolutions of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders dated 12 April 2023 with a term of office until the closing of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be convened in 2026.

Prior to his appointment as Director in BTPN Syariah, Fachmy Achmad had served as Finance and Investor Relations Head since October 2017 in BTPN Syariah.

Throughout his professional career, he held various positions including in Public Accounting Firm, Wibisana & Partners (PwC Indonesia) Tanudiredja as Associate (2004-2006), Senior Associate (2006-2009), was assigned to PwC Sydney (JulySeptember 2009), Manager and Assistant Manager (2009- 2012) and Senior Manager (2013-2017) and in Standard Chartered Indonesia as Head of Finance Project and Performances (2012-2013).

He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Economics (Accounting) from Padjadjaran University, Bandung.

He currently holds Level 5 Risk Management Certification as well as a Treasury Certification, a Public Accountant Certification, namely Certified Public Accountant, Risk Management Certification level 1, 2, 3, 4 by the Banking Professional Certification Institute (LSPP) and the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP).

Fachmy Achmad has participated in various training programs including refresher programs on Banking Risk Management (Executive Class); training on the Foundational Principles of Sharia Banking by Karim Consulting, Certification of Sharia Treasury Dealers by LSPP; and Certified Public Accountant. Other training and refresher programs attended were conducted by IIGMA, the Banking Professional Certification Institute (LSPP) and the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP), Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) Singapore, Effective Pro, PwC Indonesia, Infobank-Jamsyar and PT Gagas Prima Solusi. He also has participated in professional programs organized by Michael Weichert, Creco Consultant Group, Indonesian Banking Development Institute (LPPI), McKinsey, Asian Leadership Center, the Landmark Forum and Harvard Kennedy – Executive Education. He has attended various professional programs on AI Bank, Information Security Awareness, Executive Coaching, Sustainable Finance Action, National Economic Recovery Program, Leadership Series, and Strategic Seminars within the financial group of SMBC Group on Macro Economy, Economic Outlook, Strategic Plan and APAC ESG Strategy.

With regards to organizations, he currently serves as a Member of the Indonesian Sharia Accounting Standards Board (DSAS) in the Indonesian Institute of Accountants (term of office 2024-2028).

In addition to his position as member of the Board of Directors, he is currently appointed to responsibly overseeing the Bank's participation in the subsidiary company, PT BTPN Syariah Ventura, as President Commissioner

In addition to his position as member of the Board of Directors, he is currently appointed to responsibly overseeing the Bank's participation in the subsidiary company, PT BTPN Syariah Ventura, as President Commissioner

Career Banker with more than three decades (38 years) of experience in Banking and Finance including in Investment Banking, Micro Finance, Corporate Banking, financing of all segments including Small Medium Enterprises and micro SMEs, Retail. Last six years in Board of the leading commercial Bank in the Nepal.

Raja Teh Maimunah was appointed CEO of AEON Bank (M) Berhad in December 2022. She has over 30 years of financial services experience covering Investment, Wholesale, Islamic, and Digital Banking.

Prior to this, she was the Managing Director of Wholesale Banking at the AmBank Group and CEO of AmInvestment Bank. Raja Teh was previously the CEO of Hong Leong Islamic Bank and COO of Digital Innovation and Transaction Banking for the Hong Leong Group. She had also served at Bank AlKhair and Kuwait Finance House, both of which are GCC based Islamic banks. She was awarded Islamic Finance Personality in 2016 by Global Islamic Finance Awards. She is at present a board member of Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP) and a Trustee on the Board of Amanah Warisan Negara. Raja Teh graduated from the University of East London with an LLB (Hons) and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the same university.

Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar is currently the Chairman of the Malaysia International Islamic Finance Centre (MIFC) Leadership Council, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the Chairman of INCEIF University (The International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance). Between June 2004 and July 2018, he was the Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Malaysia's strategic investment fund with AUM then of ~ USD40bn. Between December 2021 and December 2023, he was the Chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji Malaysia (Hajj Pilgrims Fund Board with AUM of ~ USD20bn)

Other current affiliations include as a member of the Global Future Council on Investing of the World Economic Forum, a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI), a Development Leadership Dialogue Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London, a member of the Investment Advisory Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and a board member of the international humanitarian relief organization, MERCY Malaysia.

Azman obtained an M.Phil in Development Studies from Darwin College, Cambridge University, as a Chevening scholar, and a Diploma in Islamic Studies from International Islamic University Malaysia. He is also a CFA Charter Holder and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants (ACCA). Between 2019 and 2022, Azman was a Bye-Fellow of Darwin College, Cambridge and the Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge.

Dr. Ndiamé Diop, from Senegal, is the World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand since July 2020. In this capacity, he leads the bank’s high-level strategic dialogue and the institution’s financial and technical/advisory programs in Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Diop was for 4 years the head of the Bank’s Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment unit for East Asia and the Pacific, based in Jakarta and Bangkok. In this role, he oversaw the bank’s 30-plus country economists working in East Asia and Pacific region and provided advisory and technical support to high-level officials on key macro, fiscal, trade and growth-enhancing reforms mainly in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, PNG and the Pacific Island countries.   

Dr. Diop was also for 4 years the World Bank Lead Economist for Indonesia. In this role, he led the overall economic policy dialogue, advisory and development policy lending work in Indonesia. Prior to relocating to Jakarta in 2012, Dr. Diop held lead economist roles for Jordan and Lebanon, country economist roles in the Middle East and North Africa and was the Bank’s Resident Representative for Tunisia in 2007-2010. He joined the World Bank in Washington DC as a Young Professional in 2000.

As economist, Dr. Diop has published in peer reviewed Journals and books on fiscal policy and growth, monetary policy and inflation, macro policies and resilience to sudden stops in capital inflows, the impacts of trade liberalization in developing countries, natural resource abundance, Dutch disease, and diversification.

Issa Faye currently holds the position of Director-General, for Global Practices and Partnerships at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). His role consists in strategically steering the development of the GPP Directorate’s work program to contribute to the effective implementation of the IsDB’s strategy. In this leadership role, he provides guidance and oversight to teams of experts providing technical thematic/sectoral expertise to inform the development of Member Country Partnership Strategy (MCPS), to support programs and projects during preparation, implementation and completion stages. In addition to economic and social infrastructure sectors, thematic issues under the GPP’s purview includes climate finance, E&S, fragility and resilience, women and youth empowerment, food security, digitization, capacity development and south-south cooperation. His role also consists in providing thought leadership by stimulating knowledge generation and dissemination, as well as incubating and implementing innovative solutions/programs/initiatives for the benefit of IsDB member countries. As part of his role, Issa leads the Bank’s partnership and global advocacy agenda geared towards positioning IsDB as a credible development partner worldwide. He also provides leadership for the development and implementation of the Bank’s resource mobilization and co-financing strategy.

Before joining IsDB, Issa was the Senior Economic Advisor to the Vice President of Global Industries and serves as the Head of the Global Industries Economics Unit at IFC. In this capacity, he worked with various Global Industry departments to design and create innovative analytical tools and knowledge products to inform sector investment strategies, enhance business development, optimize portfolio management and substantiate policy and sector reforms for prioritization within the World Bank Group. Previously, Issa served as the Director of the Sector Economics and Development Impact Department at IFC. During his tenure, he spearheaded the development and implementation of IFC's Anticipated Impact Measurement and Monitoring system (AIMM) and delivered rigorous sector economic and data analytics to inform IFC’s operations. Issa also played a key role in establishing IFC at the core of development finance, through its leadership role in impact measurement and management within DFIs and Impact Investing communities. Prior to joining IFC, Issa worked for the African Development Bank for almost a decade, where he held several positions including Manager of the Research Division. Before that, Issa worked as an Economist at the World Bank.

Qualifications:

• Master of Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
• Master of Science in Global Market Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom
• Bachelor of Science in Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom

Key Appointments & Directorships:

• Member, Executive Committee of Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)
• Member, Board Executive Committee of the International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM)
• Member, Board of Directors of Retirement Fund (Incorporated)
• Member, Board of Directors of International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) University
• Adjunct Professor, University Malaysia Terengganu

Past Experience:

• Assistant Governor, Bank Negara Malaysia
• Member, Investment Panel of Employees Provident Fund
• Member, Board of Directors of Credit Guarantee Corporation
• Authority Member, Labuan Financial Services Authority
• Member, Board of Directors of Maybank Venture Capital Company Sdn Bhd

I am a highly experienced professional with a diverse background in leadership, media, journalism, education, and social initiatives across of the Arab world, particularly in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Roles included

• President for the Federation of Arab Women Leaders in Jordan
• Member of the Forum of Specialized Federation and Organizations under the umbrella of the Arab League
• Media Advisor for the Arab Federation for Digital Empowermen
• Journalist and writer for various newspapers and news outlets in Jordan and the Arab region.
• Editor for the website o Ainf Al-Dar newspaper in Diyar Al-Naqab (currently
• Various educational roles and leadership positions in Saudi Arabia

Dyota Marsudi is the President Director of PT Bank Aladin Syariah Tbk. (“Bank Aladin Syariah”), the first sharia digital bank in Indonesia. Under his leadership, Bank Aladin Syariah is steered towards reaching the vision of making digital-based financial solutions more accessible to all levels of societies in the country.

Dyota started his career as a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group. During his tenure at BCG, he has had the opportunity to serve the region’s largest banks, TMT and private equity firms crafting their strategy, executing organizational restructuring and their M&A initiatives. Dyota’s entrepreneurial drive was subsequently manifested through Happy5, a Software-as-a-Service company focused on performance management which he built together with his co founders to profitability.

Prior to Bank Aladin Syariah, Dyota was the Senior Executive Director for Vertex Ventures, a global venture capital firm with USD 5bn assets under management with offices in 6 countries. At Vertex, Dyota was responsible for investments in SEA with an Indonesia focus. During his time at Vertex Dyota supported and led investments in Sunday Insurance, Binance Singapore, Tanihub, RateS, RPG Ventures and Daily Co.

Dyota obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Indonesia and MBA from INSEAD

Göksel Aşan was born on July 24, 1966, in İstanbul. He completed his undergraduate degree in Finance Department of İstanbul University in 1987. In 1991, he received his master's degree from the Finance Department of İstanbul University. In 1998, he completed his Ph.D. in Public Finance at İstanbul University.

Göksel Aşan worked as a Research Assistant at İstanbul University between 1988 and 1998. After working as an Assistant Professor at Istanbul Bilgi University since 1998, he became Assoc. Prof. Dr. in 2008 and received his tenure in 2017.

After working many years at İstanbul Bilgi University in several different positions, Göksel Aşan served as a Vice-Rector at İstanbul Aydın University between July 2018 and October 2018.

On October 16, 2018, he was appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as President of Finance Office of Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye.

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Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek Hussin was appointed the Executive Chairman of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) on 1 June 2022.

Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek currently chairs the Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF) and is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). He is also a member of the Financial Stability Executive Committee of the Central Bank Malaysia and Chairman of the Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC).

Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the SC, Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek served as Malaysia’s Ambassador to the United States of America from 2014 to 2016 and Chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) from 2017 to 2018.

Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek has wide experience in economics and finance, having spent over 30 years in government and public service. He served as Deputy Minister of Finance from 2006 to 2013.

Prior to that he served in the Central Bank Malaysia for 17 years from 1985 until 2001, holding several positions including the role of Assistant Governor. He had also served on the boards of directors of several financial institutions and organisations including the SC, the first Director General of the Labuan Financial Services Authority (LFSA), Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Chairman of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), and Chairman of Perbadanan Nasional Berhad (PERNAS).

Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek received his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics from Drew University, and his Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Yin Shao Loong is the Deputy Director of Research at the Khazanah Research Institute. He focuses on industrial policy and climate change. Shao Loong holds a BSc in Chemistry and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London and an MA in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths College, London.

He spent a decade working in federal and state government, and another decade in civil society and academia. In federal government, he served in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) as a trade negotiator and in the Ministry of Economy as a policy officer, while at state level he worked in the Selangor State Government on environment, freedom of information, and strategic communications. He recently served as a member of Malaysia's New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) task force. Recent publications include a joint project between KRI, Khazanah Nasional and the World Economic Forum on Mobilizing Investments for Clean Energy in Malaysia and a paper on National Climate Strategy: A Balanced Approach.

Loi Tuan Ee has spent over 20 years in the food packaging industry, served as Director & Deputy Managing Director of Century Bond. He founded Farm Fresh in 2010 and is the Group Managing Director, Group Chief Executive Officer of Farm Fresh Berhad. He is responsible for the business development and direction, strategic corporate planning and total operations including ESG initiatives and management of the Group.

He scaled the brand & company leaps and bounds to where it is today making the brand a market leader in the fresh milk category in Malaysia, winning multiple awards along the way; the 1st Dairy Company in Asia to be awarded the Internationally recognized Certified Humane® certification, Putra Enterprising Brand of the Year award in 2021 and Platinum in the Beverage (Dairy) category for three consecutive years in 2021, 2022 & 2023. These achievements are testament from the love and support from Malaysian consumers who have trusted and placed faith in a home grown brand.

1990 — graduated with honors from the Faculty of History of Mikhail Lomonosov Moscow State University; 1992-1993 — language and diplomatic internship at the Japanese Center in Tokyo (Japan); 1993 — graduated with honors from the Diplomatic Academy of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs/of Russia; 2002-2003 — participant of 17th International courses for NATO member countries and countries participating in the Partnership for Peace program at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (Switzerland). Professional activity: 1990-1991 — Lecturer at the Department of Political History of the Issyk-Kul Pedagogical Institute named after K. Tynystanov in Karakol; 1993-1994 — Third, Second Secretary of the Asia and Pacific Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 1994-1997 — Third, Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN (New York); 1997 — Second Secretary of the Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 1997-1998 — First Secretary of the Department of Eastern Countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 1998-1999 — Assistant Minister — Secretary of the Board of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 1999-2000 — Head of the Eastern Countries Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2000-2001 — Counsellor at the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in India; 2001-2002 — Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2003-2004 — Advisor at the Department of Foreign Policy Planning and MEA of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2004-2005 — Head of the CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2005-2008 — Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva; 2008-2015 — Deputy Head, Head of TIR Relations at the Secretariat of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) in Geneva; 2015-2016 — Head of the Secretariat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2016-2017 — Director of the Third Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2017-2019 — Director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2019 — Director of the Fourth Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic; 2019-2021 — Senior Expert of the Department of Economic and Humanitarian Affairs of the SCO Secretariat; 2021-2022 — Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Since May 14, 2022 — Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of the Kyrgyz Republic. Has the Diplomatic Title of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic Has the State Title of State Adviser of the State Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, 3rd degree (General). Married and has four children.