Islamic Finance and the New Normal

Khairul Nizam
Chief Executive Officer
Finance Accreditation Agency

Khairul Nizam is Chief Executive Officer of Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA), based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established and supported by Central Bank of Malaysia and Securities Commission Malaysia, FAA provides independent accreditation and quality assurance services on academic, learning and training programs relating to finance as well as accreditation and competency assessment services for finance professionals – to support human capital development for the international finance industry.

Khairul was previously Deputy Secretary General of Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), (AAOIFI) – the international organisation responsible for development and issuance of standards on Shariah, accounting, auditing, ethics and governance for the global Islamic finance industry. Khairul served AAOIFI, based in Manama, Bahrain, for over 10 years in various positions.

Prior to AAOIFI, Khairul was with Malaysia’s largest financial services group for over 10 years, and was Head of Islamic Banking in the group’s offshore banking arm. He also served in various areas of the group’s operations, including corporate banking, auditing, and international banking. Khairul Nizam graduated from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and is a Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA).

Abdulkader Thomas
President & CEO, SHAPE Knowledge Services | An International Expert in Islamic Finance

Based in Kuwait, Abdulkader has over 35 years of diversiFied Financial services experience in major markets including Bahrain, New York, London, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. He has served in senior positions of international banks and the CEO of regional banks and Financial service companies. His areas of activity have included trade Finance, real estate Finance, securities, and alternative Finance at various global and regional Financial institutions. Abdulkader works on projects that include regulation, launching denovo Islamic banks and Islamic banking windows, policies and procedures, Shariah compliance, product development and structuring. Clients include a diversiFied universe of Financial institutions from North America, the MENA region, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Abdulkader was the architect of three US regulatory rulings authorizing Islamic credit and depository instruments. He has also worked for the successful authorization of two Islamic home Finance instruments at Freddie Mac.

He is the co-author of Interest in Islamic Economics (Rutledge 2006), Structuring Islamic Finance Transactions (Euromoney 2005), Islamic Bonds (Euromoney 2004), Sukuk (Sweet & Maxwell 2009), and Managing Funds Flow Risks and Derivatives: Applications in Islamic Institutions (Sweet & Maxwell 2012) and Housing the Nation (Cagamas
2013).

Abdulkader serves as a director of Alkhhabeer Capital in Jeddah. He was chairman of Sanabel Investment Co. (formerly Alkhhabeer International) in Bahrain. He also served as chairman of Alkhabeer Capital (DIFC) Limited. He has acted as a member of the international
advisory board of the Securities Commission of Malaysia.

Abdulkader speaks English, Arabic, French and Spanish.

Amnah Shaari
CEO and Founder of Global Halal Data Pool, Verify Halal

Amnah Shaari is a multi-award-winning International Business Consultant & Entrepreneur.

She has established numerous successful businesses, foreign direct investments and brands in Malaysia and within the region.

With over 35 years of experience as a CEO and Business consultant, Amnah has played vital roles in bridging business and investment gaps between multinational blue-chip establishments and their presence in ASEAN.

To date, she has facilitated numerous mergers, acquisitions, advisory and studies that have resulted in various foreign direct investment into Malaysia.

She has been featured in numerous conferences and international media on her views on female entrepreneurship, business automation, FDI, public policy advocacy, SME development & her achievement in developing the world’s first Global Halal Data Pool (GHDP) through Serunai Commerce Sdn Bhd.

In 2017, with collaboration with JAKIM, Serunai Commerce launched Verify Halal App to empower consumers and retailers to instantly verify Halal products via barcode scan using their smartphone cameras.

Verify Halal was then awarded the Gold Medal Award in conjunction with the Prime Minister’s Department Innovation Awards 2018.

Amnah was a Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce (MICCI) Vice President. Not only that, she has also been a board member for other various chambers of commerce including Arab Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCC) for over 20 years.

With enormous passion in Halal and Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Development, the social enterprise advocator is also a huge supporter of United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, a pledge adopted by all UN member states in 2015 as a universal call to action.

Amnah is now set to pave the way further for global digital halal through Serunai Commerce’s Blockchain Traceability System and several other new halal technologies from real time data to GS1 and GDSN certified requirement that complete the whole Halal Ecosystem.

Norhizam Abdul Kadir
Vice President, Fintech & Islamic Digital Economy MDEC

Norhizam Abdul Kadir (or Hizam) brings with him 20 years’ experience in multi-market technology and energy industries in various markets across Asia Pacific. He was with Intel, Microsoft and Ballard Power System before joining MDEC as Vice President in 2015. He has wide experience in corporate marketing, end-customer sales, business development, communications and channel marketing and enablement.

At MDEC, currently, he is championing the growth of key verticals, Fintech and Islamic Digital Economy; looking at building and growing the community, setting platforms for participation of tech companies and further positioning Malaysia as the key market for Inclusive and Islamic Fintech.

Prior to this, Hizam managed the startup ecosystem in formulating policies that enhance the community and ecosystem better, making Malaysia the preferred choice for startups, global and local to set-up and grow in Malaysia.