ifis trainers
Prof. Dato’ Dr. Aznan Hasan
AAOIFI Shari’ah Board Member & Member, Higher Shari’ah Authority, Central Bank of the UAE
Prof. Dato’ Dr. Aznan is a Professor in Shariah at Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF), IIUM. He was the Founding President, Association of Shariah Advisors in Islamic Finance (ASAS). He isthe Chairman, Shariah Advisory Council, Securities Commission of Malaysia (SC), Deputy Chairman, Shariah Advisory Committee, Employee Provident Fund (EPF), Shariah Committee, Association of Islamic Bank of Malaysia (AIBIM) and Shariah Board, Nizwa Bank (Oman). He is also a member, Shariah Council, AAOIFI (Bahrain), Higher Shariah Authority, Central Bank of UAE (UAE) and Shariah Board, International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM-Bahrain). He also serves as a member of Board of Directors, Maybank Islamic Berhad. CCurrently, he is the Chairman, Shariah Committee, Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad, Shariah Advisory Board, FNB Bank (South Africa), Chairman, Shariah Advisory Council, HSBC Amanah (Dubai), a member, Global Shariah Advisory Council, Standard Chartered (Global-DIFC-Dubai), Shariah Advisory Board, ABSA Islamic Bank (South Africa), Yasaar Limited (London), Khalij Islamic (UK) Limited (London), and Amanah Raya Asset Management, as well as other financial institutions and corporate bodies located locally and internationally. He also serves as Shariah consultant to Maybank Investment Bank. He is a registered Shariah Advisor for the Islamic Unit Trust Schemes and Islamic securities (Sukuk), Securities Commission of Malaysia. He is also a member, Shariah Supervisory Board, Waqaf Foundation, a corporate entity formed by the Government to oversee the application of Waqaf in Malaysia, and a member, Shariah Committee, Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS). Dr Aznan Hasan received his first Degree in Shariah from University of al-Azhar (1994). He then successfully completed his Master degree in Shariah from Cairo University with distinction (mumtaz) (1998) and his thesis was recommended for publication. He then obtained his Ph.D from University of Wales, Lampeter, United Kingdom (2003).
Prof. Dr. Engku Rabiah Adawiah Engku Ali
Deputy Chairman, Shariah Advisory Council, Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commission Malaysia
Dr. Engku Rabiah Adawiah Engku Ali is a Professor at IIUM’s Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). She serves as Deputy Chairman for the Shariah Advisory Council of both Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission Malaysia. With extensive experience in Islamic finance, she also advises organizations like Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (LOFSA) and the Employees Provident Fund. She’s active in waqf activism, serving on boards like AWQAF Holdings and Khadijah International Waqf Foundation. Dr. Engku Rabiah has received awards for her contributions to Islamic finance and is recognized as a pioneer in the field. She holds degrees from IIUM and a PhD from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Dato’ Dr. Zairulnizad Hj Shahrim
CEO, Asset Skylight Berhad
Dato’ Dr. Zairulnizad Shahrim brings over 25 years of experience in the Islamic capital market, investment banking, and Shariah-compliant funds management. His expertise spans a wide spectrum of Islamic financial services, including Sukuk structuring, private equity, venture capital, unit trust funds, Islamic REITs, derivatives, and other structured products. He has advised and executed transactions for corporate clients, government bodies, and government-linked companies (GLCs). He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of AmIslamic Funds Management Berhad, where he oversaw over RM10 billion in assets under management (AUM). Currently, he is the CEO of Asset Skylight Berhad, focused on Shariah compliant and ESG investments. He also holds various board and advisory positions across the financial services industry. Zairulnizad holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Investment from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. He is a recipient of the prestigious British Council Chevening Scholarship and the Securities Commission Malaysia Scholarship. He is licensed under the Capital Markets and Services Act to carry out fund management activities and is a certified Unit Trust Consultant, Certified Islamic Financial Planner (CIFP) and an HRDC accredited speaker.
Dr. Syed Adam Alhabshi
Partner, Islamic Finance, Raja, Darryl & Loh
Dr. Syed Adam began his legal career as a Judicial Officer (2007–2011), serving as a Magistrate and Senior Assistant Registrar in the Muamalat and Commercial Divisions of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. He also served as Special Officer to the Chief Justice of Malaysia. Prior to joining Raja, Darryl & Loh, he was the Manager of the Shariah Secretariat at a Malaysian financial institution and later a partner in another major Kuala Lumpur law firm (2018–2022). Holding a Ph.D. in Islamic Finance and a Fellow Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance (CPIF), his practice has consistently focused on Islamic finance, including banking and security documentation, regulatory compliance, Islamic capital markets, and Takaful. He has also advised awardees of digital banking licences issued by Bank Negara Malaysia under the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee and Associate Member of ASAS, and was formerly the Honorary Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance. He is also a member of the Shariah Committee of Bank Simpanan Nasional and Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council’s Islamic Finance Committee.
Dr. Syed Alwi Mohamed Sultan
Former President & CEO, Agrobank
Dr. Syed Alwi bin Mohamed Sultan is a seasoned C-Suite executive with over 27 years of cross industry experience spanning financial services, Islamic banking, fintech, consulting and government-linked institutions. He brings deep expertise in strategic financial management, corporate governance, and business model transformation, with a strong track record of converting underperforming entities into profitable, high-growth organizations. He is known for his focused leadership in driving revenue diversification, improving operational efficiency and enhancing sustainable value creation. Dr. Syed Alwi was formerly the Chief Executive Officer at HRD Corp, President and CEO of Agrobank, and Managing Director (Islamic Finance, Asia Pacific) at BNP Paribas. He brings a wealth of experience in Islamic finance and institutional
development, having previously held senior leadership positions at Bank Muamalat Malaysia Berhad, Standard Chartered Saadiq, and The Islamic Bank of Asia Ltd (Singapore). Dr. Syed Alwi has been heavily involved in advancing Islamic finance innovation, including structuring complex Sukuk transactions, establishing a Shariah compliant fintech start up and establishing and managing Islamic finance operations across Malaysia, Singapore and the broader Asia-Pacific ecosystem. He completed his PhD (Finance) from Universiti Malaya and his Degree (Accountancy) and MBA (Islamic finance) from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). He is a member of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB).
Mohd Zikri Mohd Shairy
Director, Social Finance Division, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad
Mohd Zikri Mohd Shairy served as the founding executor, contributing to the early design and implementation of Malaysia’s iTEKAD programme, which has benefited over 1,500 underbanked micro-entrepreneurs under Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. He is currently the Director of the Social Finance Division at Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. With 18 years of experience in Islamic finance, he focuses on integrating zakat, waqf, and sadaqah into the banking framework to promote financial inclusion. He leads Sadaqa House, Bank Islam’s flagship social finance catalyst, which mobilises philanthropic funds to support high-impact social projects. Zikri has a strong background in Shariah governance and advisory, including international consultancy work across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He is a Malaysia Acumen Fellow 2023.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ziyaad Mahomed
Head, Online Programs, INCEIF
Assistant Professor Dr Ziyaad Mahomed is the former Associate Dean of E-learning, and Director of Executive Education at INCEIF and is currently Lead Researcher (Shariah) for the Centre of Excellence in Social Finance at INCEIF. He also leads Micra, INCEIF’s e-learning platform. He serves as Chairman of several Shariah boards internationally including HSBC Amanah (Malaysia), Taj Bank (Nigeria) and Iman (Uzbekistan), a bespoke Islamic finance and lifestyle app. He is a respected Shariah advisor in Islamic finance, Islamic social finance and Islamic fintech solutions in Central Asia, the UK and South Africa. He holds a PhD and CIFP from INCEIF, an MBA (South Africa), a BA (Hons) in Business (Finance) (UK) and qualifications in the Islamic Sciences from South Africa and Jordan.
Jumadi Kadir
Chief Shariah Officer SME Bank
Jumadi Kadir serves as the Chief Shariah Officer at SME Bank Berhad, where he led the Bank’s journey towards becoming a full-fledged Islamic development financial institution. His work is at the intersection of Shariah strategy, institutional transformation, innovation and social impact. With over 15 years in Islamic banking and finance, Jumadi has steered initiatives that go beyond banking, embedding Shariah as a driver of innovation, governance, and sustainable growth. He has been instrumental in shaping frameworks and programmes that position Islamic finance as a catalyst for national development. A strong advocate of Islamic social finance, he has led various programme, integrating zakat, crowd in fund, strategic partnership and Islamic microfinance into a cohesive model that empowers asnaf entrepreneurs. This approach combines funding, capacity building , and market linkage, enabling beneficiaries to rebuild their livelihoods and chart their own way to become bankable in a long run. An alumnus of the Advanced Management Programme (AMP) at INSEAD, France, Jumadi has shared his thought at local and international forums, sharing practical strategies on Islamic banking transformation and the untapped potential of Islamic social finance to deliver sustanined and lasting economic empowerment.
Roslinda Ahmad
Head, Islamic Products & Services, Crowd Sense (CoFundr)
With more than a few decades of experience in the financial industry, Roslinda’s inclusion to the Cofundr’s team further expands the dynamics of the Company. Holding the portfolio of Head of Islamic Products and Services, Roslinda brings with her a wealth of experiences gained from her time working with the government and international organization spanning from Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, and Brunei; as an advisor in Islamic Finance matters. Prior to joining Cofundr, Roslinda was the Director and Head of Product Distribution & Strategies at CIMB Bank Group. Roslinda, holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pacific Stockton, California, and a Master of Business Administration from University of Miami, Florida, USA.