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SPEAKERS
UK Government Ministries and Agencies |
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Ian McCartney
UK Minister of Trade and Investment Mr Ian McCartney, Member of Parliament for Makerfield since 1987, was appointed Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs in May 2006. Mr McCartney was previously Minister without Portfolio and Party Chair (2003 – 2006); Minister of State for Pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions (2001-2003); Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (1999-2001) and Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) (1997-1999). Prior to that, Mr McCartney held a number of positions in Opposition - spokesperson on Health, Employment, Education and Social Services. Born in 1951, Mr McCartney had a number of jobs after leaving school, including working as a seaman and a local Government manual worker. He was a councillor for Wigan Borough from 1982-87. In his previous role at the Cabinet Office, Mr McCartney was responsible for modernising Government and E-Government. He was also responsible for the co-ordination of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, drugs policy and the Better Government for Older People initiative. This was launched in June 1998 to improve public services for older people by listening to their needs on wide ranging issues including, access to benefits, health, housing and transport. At the DTI, Mr McCartney was dealing with employment relations, the Post Office, Company Law and inward investment. During his time there, he succeeded in steering through legislation creating a national minimum wage, the fairness at work legislation and the Competition Act. |
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Michael Ainley
Head of International Firm Department, Financial Services Authority (FSA) Michael Ainley is Head of Wholesale Banks and Investment Firms Department with overall responsibility for supervising 350 foreign banks in London as well as over 2,500 investment firms, including asset managers, hedge funds and corporate finance and private equity firms. His previous career has been mainly at the Bank of England. From 1995-1998 he was a Senior Manager, supervising the Middle East banks in London. From 1988-1994 he was Assistant Chief Cashier in the Banking Department, with responsibility for the Bank’s banking business. Prior to that he was an Adviser (Middle East and OPEC) to the Overseas Director. The previous six years, 1980-1985, were spent at the IMF in Washington DC, working as Adviser to the UK Executive Director and then to the Executive Director for Saudi Arabia. Michael was educated at Harrow County School, Magdalen College, Oxford (MA in Modern History) and the University of Wales (M.Sc in Economics). He became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in 1993. He has published various academic papers and several articles in the field of international finance. Michael is 56 and his wife, formerly Headmistress of South Hampstead High School for Girls, is now studying for a Ph.D in Psychology at London University. They have two daughters and live in London. |
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Roy Leighton
Roy Leighton is Chairman of the Financial Services Sector Advisory Board of UKTI and a member of the Chancellor’s High Level Group. Roy was, until mid 2005, UK Chairman of CALYON SA the merged international bank of Credit Agricole SA and Credit Lyonnais SA. He also Chairs the FOA the EU Trade Association for the Derivatives Industry. He is Chairman of Nymex Europe the division of the New York Mercantile Exchange focussed on business in Europe and the Former Soviet Union. Roy was appointed Chairman of the Practitioner Panel in November 2005. This is the statutory body which monitors and advises the Financial Services Authority from the perspective of the UK’s financial institutions. He is Industry Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the APG on wholesale financial services at the Westminster Parliament. Roy is immediate past Chairman of the World Bank’s International Task Force for Commodities and is a Trustee of Alzheimers Research Trust. He is also a Council Member of British Expertise. Roy is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland; a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Scotland and an Honorary Professor of City University. |
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Phelan Hill
Corporate Taxation Department HM Tresuary Phelan Hill works in the Finance and Banking Branch of the Corporate Tax He leads on all tax policy issues relating to islamic finance and chairs |
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Governors and Regulators |
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H.E. Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar
Governor Bank Negara Malaysia Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz was appointed Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia in May 2000. Her career in the Central Bank began in 1985, spanning several senior positions covering monetary and financial policies and reserve management. During her term in office she presided over preparation of the Financial Sector Master Plan for the Malaysian financial system and is active in the development of Islamic finance and in regional financial co-operation. Dr. Zeti received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. |
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Etsuaki Yoshida
Deputy Director at Japan Bank for International Cooperation Etsuaki Yoshida is Deputy Director at Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Before moving to JBIC last April, he was a Bank of Japan economist in charge of Japan and foreign exchange markets. He covered Southeast Asian economies and financial markets during 2003-2006 when based in Singapore, and met Islamic Finance. His main works include “Islamic Finance in modern times and its implication to the Japanese financial industry” and “Policy measures on Islamic Finance in Singapore”, both in the journal, ‘International Finance’, in Japanese. He received B.A. in Business Administration from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, after attending Harvard University. |
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Per E. Larsson
Chief Executive officer of Dubai International Financial Exchange. Mr Larsson became Chief Executive Officer in July 2006. From 1996-2003 he was President and Chief Executive of the Sweden-based OMX (the former OM Group, owner and operator of several Nordic exchanges and clearing houses). At OMX he led successful mergers with the Stockholm Stock Exchange and Helsinki Exchanges. He was also Chairman of the Stockholm Stock Exchange from 1997-2003. Earlier he was President of OM Stockholm, the Group’s derivatives arm. Since leaving OMX, Mr Larsson has held a number of senior positions including Executive Chairman of Outsourced Supply Management AB and Executive Chairman of label specialist Nilorn AB. He has also been a Director of ORC Software AB and Acting Regional Director, Northern Europe of the communications management group Observer AB. |
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Ahmad Jachi
First Vice Governor , Banque Du Liban Dr Ahmad M.Jachi was appointed First vice governer of the central Bank of Lebanon in August 2003. Previously, Dr Jachi was the chairman of the center for Economic and Fninancial studies – Lebanon. He served in the capacity of professor of finance at the lebonese American University. He served in the capacity of financial and Economical Consultant for several leading international organisations including ESCWA (United Nations). He contributed to the fieldsof Economics and Financethrough research papers with a number of prominent publications and institutions including Harvard University. |
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Mohammad Tariq
Treasurer, Islamic Development Bank Mr Mohammad Tariq joined the Islamic Development Bank ( "IDB") as a Treasurer in Novemebr 2002. His responsibilities at the Bank are wide-ranging encompassing Treasury, resource mobilization, investment management etc. Mr Tariq represents the Bank on the Boards of some of financial institutions in which IDB is a shareholder. More recently he has been closely associated with the development of the Sukuk market. Before joining IDB he had worked in two financial institutions in Bahrain but most of his working experience has been in the investment banking field in leading institutions in the UK from 1972 to 1996 where he held senior roles involving capital markets, corporate finance and asset management. |
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Market Players |
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Badlisyah Abdul-Ghani
At 34 was appointed as an Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad on 28 February 2006. He joined Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad (CIMB) in 2002 and was attached to the Corporate Finance Division, prior to his appointment as the Group Head of CIMB Islamic. He is responsible for all Islamic banking and finance business of the CIMB Group. He sits on various group management committees of the CIMB Group. Under his leadership, CIMB Islamic has since its launch in June 2003 received numerous accolades awarded by local and international financial fraternities. “The Best Islamic Bank in Asia 2006” awarded by Euromoney and the “Global Islamic Investment Bank of The Year 2006” from the Banker is the latest testimony to CIMB Islamic’s expertise and excellence in Islamic finance and underlines its dominance in this field. Prior to CIMB Group, he was attached with an offshore banking subsidiary of a premier Malaysia Islamic financial group in Structured Finance, Capital Market and Syndications. As a thoroughbred Islamic Banker, he has been involved in more than USD10 billion Islamic financial deals locally and globally. Amongst his notable accomplishments is the creation and introduction of the world’s first sukuk al ijarah, the world’s first istisna’ sukuk, and the world’s first musyarakah ABS and RMBS. Badlisyah was named by Euromoney as one of the “Global Top 20 Pioneers in Islamic Finance” for his prominent contribution to the development of the Islamic financial sector in Malaysia and globally. |
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Issam Al Tawari
CEO / Vice Chairmain Rasameel Issam is currently the Vice Chairman and CEO of Rasameel Structured Finance Company, the Chairman of Ain Takaful Insurance and ex-Chairman of Bina wa Nama Investment company specialized in financing B.O.T. projects. In 1987 He started his career with Arab Banking Corporation (ABC), Bahrain working in the area of loans & syndication covering European market, then covered the GCC market at later stage. He has worked extensively on Corporate Finance issues with ABC’s newly incorporated subsidiary then in 1994 ABC Islamic Bank to become Associate Director with main responsibility on syndication and marketing.He joined at The International Investor (“TII”), Kuwait in 1998 on the Structured Finance area working on Project Finance , asset backed leases and broad range of Islamic investment products .Mr. Al Tawari has been involved in numerous Islamic finance and investment transactions in sourcing, negotiating and concluding transactions and providing investment advisory services to regional corporates in terms corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions . He lead the negotaion efforts on the merger & acquistion of 9 Al Baraka group banks on TII’s side. His last position with TII was the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) and a Partner with the structured Finance Group .He sits on the board of director a number of companies and funds. He constantly speaks in Islamic Banking industry conferences and seminars . He is currently a doctoral candidate with Henley Management College , England. Also he is both a Harvard Business School and Henley Management College Alumnus and has also received his MBA from University of Hull (Dist.), England in 1998 and his B.A. in Economics and Business Administration from Kuwait University in 1987. |
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Mohammed Amin
Partner, Tax, PricewaterhouseCoopers "Mohammed Amin is a tax partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and leads their Islamic finance taxation network in the UK." Mohammed Amin (known as “Amin”) has specialised in tax for over twenty five years. His principal subject matter speciality for over a decade has been the taxation of foreign exchange, derivatives and corporate debt, and for four years, until recently, he led the PwC UK Finance and Treasury Network. More recently, he has developed a special interest in Islamic Finance, and now leads PwC’s UK Islamic Finance Tax Network. Amin’s clients are primarily retail banks and insurance companies, but he also advises some multinational engineering companies, as well as some family companies. |
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Darshan Bijur
Director of Islamic Finance Advisory within the Debt Advisory team, KPMG Darshan Bijur is the Director of Islamic Finance Advisory within the Debt Advisory team of KPMG Corporate Finance. Darshan is a chartered accountant, based in London, and has been focused on this sector for the past few years. His team advises borrowers in both conventional and Islamic finance markets helping them understand their range of options and then in negotiations with their bankers. Prior to this role he has been the KPMG Global Executive Director for Private Equity and for Global Financial Advisory Services. He started his career with ANZ Grindlay’s Bank (now Standard Chartered) in India. KPMG is a leader in Islamic Finance and have worked closely with Islamic banks, investors, lenders and borrowers across the world and most notably in Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, USA and the UK. |
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Stella Cox
Stella Cox became a Managing Director with the Dawnay, Day Group in January 1998. Previously she was a Director of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson Limited (“KB”) where she had responsibility for Middle Eastern institutional relationships and product development for KB’s Islamic clients. Stella’s team managed assets aggregating over US$2bn and extended over US$250mn of finance to support the trade and commodity purchase requirements of their clients.
Whilst with the Bank, Stella was involved in structuring The Islamic Fund, the first Sharia’a compliant global equity product. The Fund was subsequently distributed by Gulf Bank, Kuwait and National Bank of Bahrain. Prior to leaving KB, Stella was a Director of the Al Meezan Commodity Fund plc, a joint venture initiative between KB and Islamic Investment Company of the Gulf (Bahrain), that invested in base metals traded on the London Metal Exchange. Stella and her team are now responsible for Dawnay, Day’s Middle Eastern relationships and, particularly, for transactions that DDCAP enters into with and on behalf of its Islamic clients. DDCAP represents a number of privately owned Middle Eastern organisationsin their Islamic financing and investment activity. DDCAP, through its subsidiary DDGI Limited (formerly Dawnay, Day Global Investment Limited) has also invested, for its own account, in a number of Islamic financial services initiatives. Stella represents the Group, where appropriate, at Board level. Stella has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the UK Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance and worked as a member or in support of the Islamic product and sector development committees formed by the Bahrain Monetary Agency (now Central Bank of Bahrain) and the Dubai International Financial Centre. Stella continues to serve as a member of the Islamic Financial Services Board Task Force on Markets and Instruments for Sharia’a Compliant Liquidity Management and is a non Executive Director of several Stella speaks regularly at global conferences and has co-authored several books on Islamic Finance. She has recently co-authored the Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ) jointly offered by the UK Securities and Investment Institute and the Ecole Superieure des Affaires |
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Mushtak Parker
Editor Islamic Banker Mushtak Parker is Editor of Islamic Banker Magazine, one of the foremost journals in the industry with a global circulation in the major Islamic Financial institutions |
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Fazlur Rahman Bin Kamsani
Executive Director of Middle East and Islamic Finance Fazlur Rahman Bin Kamsani is an Executive Director with Chesterton International, a leading global real estate services group. Over the last five years, he specialises on the Middle East market by bringing in Arab investors into Asia Pacific and vice-versa. Related to this business includes value-added service in real estate financing and indirect investment vehicles such as Property Fund and REITs; both conventional and Shariah-compliant. He is a member of Middle East Expert Panel under International Enterprise Singapore (IES), the government agency under Ministry of Trade and Industry, to promote more business engagement between Singapore and the Middle East. Chesterton International recently won the category for Best Real Estate Advisor in GCC Award bestowed by the Islamic Real Estate Finance Middle East (IREF ME) 2006. Prior to joining Chesterton, Fazlur was with DTZ from 2000 to 2005. Amongst his main task was to advise the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) in rejuvenating its portfolio of ‘Waqf’ (endowment) assets. Fazlur was also part of the team that advised MUIS in the issuance of the first Islamic Bond in Singapore through the Musharakah and Ijarah structure for investment acquisition of an office building, 11 Beach Road and subsequently, the development of Bencoolen mixed-use project. He was also advising OCBC Bank, one of the three largest local banks in managing the portfolio of non-performing loans in real estate. Fazlur started his career with Jurong Town Corporation (now known as JTC Corp), a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which spearheads the industrialisation initiatives in Singapore. He started off as a property valuer from 1993 to 1996 and subsequently was given the responsibility to develop, market and manage two Business Parks in Singapore; starting with the International Business Park and later the Changi Business Park. He pioneered the Build and Lease scheme to attract MNCs such as IBM, Honeywell and Ivensys to locate their Regional HQ in Changi Business Park. He was also part of the team, which introduced the first District Cooling System (DCS) in Singapore at Changi Business Park. Fazlur was educated in Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College. He graduated in Estate Management with Honours from the National University of Singapore in 1993. Besides juggling between career and family, he is also actively serving in several government committees and the local Muslim community. |
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Ayman Sejiny
Advisor to the Chairman, Dar Al-Arkan, Saudi Arabia Ayman Sejiny is both a Founding Investor in UIB and one of the founding members of the management team. Mr. Sejiny has more than twelve years of corporate and investment banking experience in the region, and prior to joining UIB, worked for Saudi American Bank (SAMBA) as Assistant General Manager in the Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking Group. He was responsible for handling credit relationships with total exposure in excess of US$1 billion. He also played an integral part in the successful merger of SAMBA with United Saudi Bank. As Manager of the Corporate Banking Group at Saudi Hollandi Bank, an affiliate of ABN AMRO, Mr. Sejiny acted as a relationship manager for private and public companies, in addition to handling corporate credit relationships with total exposure of US$400 million. Mr. Sejiny has a BA in Finance from Eastern Michigan University. |
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Dr Dominic Selwood
Director Head, of Islamic Finance Department - Trust & Securities Services, Deutsche Bank Dominic is an English-law qualified barrister who joined Deutsche Bank's Trust & Securities Services, part of the firm's Global Transaction Banking business, in 2002. In 2003, he created the Islamic finance group, which provides administrative services for these structures, and has overseen it ever since, also retaining responsibility for the project finance, syndicated loans, and escrow groups. In addition to managing the Islamic finance group, he advises on all aspects of law and shariah compliance in relation to Deutsche Bank AG’s Islamic finance administration services. Most deals have been market-leading firsts, such as Tabreed Financing Corporation, the first ever Gulf corporate sukuk to list on Luxembourg, and PCFC Development FXCO, Dubai Ports’ USD3.5 billion acquisition of P&O, widely hailed as one of the most complex Islamic financings yet to come to market. More generally, he also advises widely on Deutsche Bank AG’s range of trustee, agency, account bank, and escrow services. He is a Director of Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, the entity providing Deutsche Bank’s European trustee services. He is also a Director of a leading UK law firm’s pension scheme. Dominic joined Deutsche Bank AG from Allen & Overy LLP, where he was an in-house barrister specializing in banking and capital markets transactions, especially focusing on trustee and agency roles for complex structured international debt financings, notably securitizations, synthetic repackagings, and project finance. Before joining Allen & Overy LLP, he practised as a barrister from chambers in the Inner Temple, appearing in all courts, including the House of Lords. |
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David Testa
David Testa joined the WestLB group in 1997 and is an executive director in their Capital Markets Group heading the team focusing on the origination of Sharia-compliant structured financings. In particular, David is responsible for the origination of syndicated Islamic facilities and Sukuk issues throughout the GCC region, as well as in Turkey and Western Europe. The Islamic finance origination team works closely with WestLB’s sector teams, as well as the bank’s network of overseas offices, particularly Dubai, Singapore, Istanbul and New York. David has had extensive experience since 1999 of originating and arranging a wide variety of both conventional and Islamic transactions in the GCC. Recent highlights include the ground-breaking £225m Sharia-compliant leveraged buy-out in the UK of Aston Martin from the Ford Motor Company, as well as a string of high profile transactions in the GCC. These include the US$850m syndicated facility for Kuwait Finance House, the US$500m facility for Al Rajhi Bank and, in April 2007, the highly successful US$1.1bn syndicated commodity murabaha financing for Arcapita Bank in Bahrain. Recent capital market issues include the Sukuk al Musharaka deals for A’ayan Leasing and The Investment Dar, both closing in September 2006, as well as the innovative Sukuk al Ijara issue for Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company, which closed in March 2007 and was the first offshore Sukuk issue out of Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining WestLB David spent 9 years working as a solicitor in London and Tokyo with law firms Slaughter and May and Ashurst Morris Crisp. David holds an MA in Modern History from Oxford University. |
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Duncan Smith
SVP, Global Head, Islamic Financial Services, Arab Banking Corporation (B.S.C.), Bahrain In 1976, Duncan started his career in the construction industry before joining Barclays Bank in 1979 where he ended up as a Regional Manager with the International Project & Trade Division. From Barclays he moved to Saudi International Bank (now Gulf International Bank UK) where he established and developed SIB’s Sharia-compliant Investment business. Duncan spent 1991-1999 with the United Bank of Kuwait building up its Islamic finance business with $1 billion plus of managed client funds and setting up ground breaking ‘Islamic mortgage’ programmes in UK and USA. Duncan joined Arab Banking Corporation in 1999 where he set up ‘ABCIB Islamic Asset Management Ltd’ as a subsidiary of its London operation. In 2004, he moved to ABC’s head office in Bahrain to establish a global Islamic Financial Services division, encompassing ABC Group’s various Islamic Banking activities worldwide. |
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Richard Thomas
Managing Director, Global Securities House (UK) Richard Thomas has recently incorporated GSH (UK) Ltd in London on behalf of Global Securities House of Kuwait and Securities House KSCC. GSH is a leading provider of Islamic Finance solutions to a wide client base, and is currently involved in significant expansion into overseas markets. Richard is a member of the UKTI Financial Services Advisory Board (FSSAB) and chairs the sub committee on Islamic Financial Services. He is a member of the IIBI advisory team and has worked full time in Islamic Banking and Finance since 1980, initially at Saudi International Bank, forming the Islamic Trade Investments there. After 10 years with SIB, Richard joined The United Bank of Kuwait for a further 10 years and established their Islamic Banking capability, joining ABC International Bank, London, part of the Arab Banking Corporation Group, in January 2000 to start up its ‘Islamic Asset Management’ department. In 2004, Richard became CEO of ABCIB Islamic Asset Management and Head of Islamic Financial Services at ABC International Bank, London, a business incorporating ABCIB Islamic Asset Management and alburaq (UK Islamic Financial Services). |
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John Weguelin
Managing Director European Islamic Investment Bank (EIIB) European Islamic Investment Bank plc (EIIB) is the UK’s first independent Sharia’a compliant investment bank authorised and regulated by the FSA. It was established and incorporated in January 2005 and listed on London’s AIM market in May 2006. In June 2005, John Weguelin joined the Company as Managing Director and was appointed to the Board. John has over 30 years’ banking experience. Until 2003, he was Managing Director of Bank of America Securities Limited in London, and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Administration Officer of Bank of America NA for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He has extensive experience of capital markets, treasury and investment banking. |
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Shariah Scholars |
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Mufti Abdul Kadir Barkatullah Mufti Abdul Kadir Barkatulla is an Imam at the North London Finchley Mosque. He received an M Phil in Informatics from the University of Wales, U.K. He acquired a Mufti (diploma) in Islamic law and Fazil (Bachelor of Islamic Studies) from the Islamic University, India. Mufti Barkatulla also works as a supervisor at the Islamic helpline for Fatwa and as a presenter at Vectone Urdu. |
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Mufti Muhammad Nurullah Shikder Muhammad Nurullah Shikder is a non-practicing Barrister-at-Law and former Imam at Tunbridge Wells Mosque, Kent. He studied Sharia (Arabic and Islamic Studies) at Darul Uloom Al Arabiyya Al Islamiyya, Bury, UK and has degrees in law; LL.B (Hons) (London Guildhall), PGDip in Professional Studies (City University) and LL.M (Master of Laws) in Banking and Finance Law (University College London). He has been involved in advising individuals and businesses on Islamic finance and mortgages. He speaks Arabic, Urdu, Bengali and English. He presently sits on the Sharia Boards at Arab Banking Corporation (London), Lloyds TSB Bank (UK) Yasaar Ltd (UK) and Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP). He resides and works with prominent scholars in Dubai. |
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Sheikh Nizam Yaquby (Bahrain)
Sheikh Yaquby sits on the Islamic supervisory boards of several Islamic financial institutions and is an active scholar in Islamic finance. He received a BA degree in Economics and Comparative Religion from McGill University (Canada) and is currently completing his PhD in Islamic law at University of Wales (United Kingdom). He works as an independent Shariah consultant based in his home country, Bahrain. Amongst his other accomplishments, he is a Shariah advisor to HSBC Amanah, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Bahrain Islamic Bank, Citi Islamic Investment Bank and others. |
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Dr Daud Bakar (Malaysia)
He received his first degree in Shariah from University of Kuwait in 1988 and obtained his Ph.D. from University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom in 1993. In 2002, he completed his external Bachelor of Jurisprudence at University of Malaya. Dr Daud is member of the Central Shariah Advisory Council of the Central Bank of Malaysia and Securities Commission of Malaysia. He also serves as a member of Shariah board of Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), International Islamic Financial Market (Bahrain), Dow Jones Islamic Market Index, Unicorn Investment Bank (Bahrain) and BNP Paribas. |
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Lawyers |
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Andrew Coats
Partner, Clifford Chance Andrew Coats is a partner in Clifford Chance's Finance and Capital Markets group, specialising in structured capital markets products and derivatives. He regularly advises issuers and lead managers on a whole variety of products, including sukuk and other Islamic finance structures. Andrew has recently worked on a number of pioneering transactions involving issuers in the Middle East, including, in 2006, SABIC's SAR 3 billion Sukuk issue, the first non-equity securities transaction to be publicly offered in Saudi Arabia under the new Capital Market Law. Other recent significant transactions that Andrew has advised on include The Saudi British Bank's U.S.$1 billion Euro-Medium Term Note Programme, the first EMTN programme established by a Saudi Arabian issuer. |
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Abradat Kamalpour
Partner, Dechert LLP Abradat Kamalpour is a Partner in the Finance and Real Estate team of Dechert LLP. Abradat has extensive experience in securitisation, debt capital markets and structured finance transactions. He has been at the forefront of structuring Islamic-compliant capital markets and securitisation transactions, transforming non-compliant structures into instruments acceptable to Islamic investors. Abradat's experience encompasses a broad range of securitisation, capital markets and structured finance transactions, including:
Abradat qualified as a solicitor at leading Australian law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques. He joined Dechert as a partner in 2006 from an international law firm based in the city of London. He is qualified to practice as a solicitor in both Australia (Victoria) and England & Wales. |
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Neil Miller - Partner Norton Rose
Neil D. Miller is a Partner in the international law firm of Norton Rose and Global Head of the firm’s Islamic finance practice. He has been actively involved in the industry for over 12 years and is a regular speaker and writer on Islamic finance topics. |
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Mohammed Paracha
Executive Vice President & General Counsel Al Salam Bank A qualified Solicitor (English Law), Mr. Paracha holds a Bachelor of Law degree (LL.B. Hons.) from Brunel University, UK and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the College of Law, UK. Prior to joining Al Salam Bank, he was Partner Designate at the international law firm Norton Rose. He spent six years at the firm’s London headquarters before moving to the Bahrain office in 2004 to head up the regional Islamic Finance Team, covering the GCC, Iran, Syria and Kazakhstan. Notable career achievements by Mr. Paracha include being named as ‘Lawyer of the Year’ in 2004 by the prestigious legal publication, The Lawyer. He served as a member of the Bank of England Working Party on Islamic Finance, assisted in the formation of the Islamic Bank of Britain, and advised Lloyds TSB on the establishment of an Islamic banking window. He has also been involved in numerous groundbreaking Sharia-compliant deals and transactions in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. |
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Matthew Sapte
Partner and Head of Islamic Finance, Denton Wilde Sapte Matthew is a partner in the firm's Structured Finance group specialising in Capital Markets and Derivatives. Matthew advises lead managers and issuers on a wide range of matters, including conventional and Sharia compliant capital markets issues, asset backed securitisations, receivables financings and OTC derivatives transactions. |
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Muneer Khan
Partner, Simmons & Simmons Recent Work
General Experience Muneer has extensive experience of advising on Islamic financing structures, with a particular focus on Shariah compliant investment funds. He has spoken widely on the subject of Shariah compliant financing techniques and asset management. Muneer has also advised the UK Government on Islamic finance issues sitting on HM Treasury’s Islamic Finance Technical Group. |
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Rating Agencies |
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Raymond Hill
Financial Institutions, Fitch Ratings Raymond P. Hill has been with Fitch Ratings in London since 1998, where he has focused on telecommunications and emerging market corporate credits. Raymond brings to Fitch over 25 years of experience in the financial services sector. After spending the first 11 years of his career focusing on the UK markets with both Barclays and Hill Samuel, he then spent the next 11 years working in Corporate Banking at Bayerische Landesbank. |
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Khalid Howladar
Vice President Middle East and Islamic Structured Finance - Moody's Investors Service Khalid Howladar is Vice President in the Structured Finance Group in London. He joined in December 2001 and initially was an analyst responsible for rating cash, synthetic and structured finance CDOs. Currently he provides lead coverage for all asset backed and sukuk finance transactions in the Middle East and helps coordinate Moody’s efforts in the region. In 2006 he authored the “Shariah and sukuk: A Moody’s Primer” paper which was widely quoted in the international media. Previously Khalid spent four years at Credit Suisse First Boston in both the Market Risk Management group (covering Emerging Market Fixed Income Products) and the Information Technology Group. Khalid holds an MSc in Finance from London Business School, an MSc in Information Technology and an BEng in Computing Science both from the Imperial College of Science and Technology and Medicine. |
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