His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
UAE Prime Minister, Vice President & Ruler of Dubai

His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Ruler of Dubai, is the third son of the late H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum's four sons. Born in 1949, H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum grew up under the care and guardianship of the Al Maktoum family, the ruling family of the emirate of Dubai. When he was four years old, his father, H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, started teaching him the basics of Arabic and the teachings of Islam. In 1955, at the age of seven, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed joined Al-Ahmadiya School, where he received his elementary education and went on to obtain a secondary school diploma with distinction in 1965.

In August 1966, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed joined Bell School of Languages in Cambridge, United Kingdom, one of Europe's most renowned language schools. Thereafter, he completed his military studies at the Mons Officer Cadet School in the United Kingdom.

After graduating from the Mons Officer Cadet School, H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum appointed H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to his first official post on November 1, 1968, as Chairman of the Police and General Security Department. In 1971, he was appointed Minister of Defense in the first federal government. During this period, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed was assigned the task of administering several large projects in Dubai, the most important of which were Dubai Drydocks, the largest in the Middle East region, and Dubai International Airport. He was also in charge of handling oil-related issues in Dubai.

In 1995, H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, appointed H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as Crown Prince of the emirate of Dubai. H.H. Sheikh Mohammed has been keen to transform Dubai into an international trade and tourist hub. To this end, he launched various pioneering initiatives and projects, consolidating his role as the leader of the emirate's development and modernization process. Among these projects are the following initiatives: the  Dubai Shopping Festival (1995); Dubai Internet City (2000); Dubai Media City (2001); Dubai Electronic Government (October 2001), the first of its kind in the world; the Palm Island Project (2001), the greatest tourist project; the Dubai International Financial Center and Dubai's Medical City (2002); Knowledge Village (2003); and the Dubailand project (2004). H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was chosen as one of the world's most influential business leaders in the 2004 Global Business Influentials, an index compiled by Time and CNN.

On January 4, 2006, H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum became the Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, after the passing away of his brother the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
On January 5, 2006, Their Highnesses, Members of the UAE Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates, elected H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as the Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates on the proposal of the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, became the Prime Minister in the Council of Ministers of a new government formed on February 9, 2006.

HE Dr Abdur Rahman Al Jarrar
Senior Scholar
Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf, Dubai

Dr al Jarrari is a leading Islamic scholar who originally comes from Jordan.  His previous post was that he served for five years as a special advisor to HM the late King Hussain of Jordan, he has participated at conferences throughout the world and authored many papers on Islam and Muslim issues. Currently Dr Jarrar is a Senior Scholar at The Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf Dubai, UAE.

Fahad Al-Sultan
Secretary General
Council of Saudi Chambers, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Fahad Saleh Al-Sultan; holder of Ph.D. in Development Administration and General Management from University of New York At Albany, currently serving as Secretary General for the Council of Saudi Chambers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His rich experience and extensive network in local and global community gives him an edge to foster the relationship for the organization. At the academic level he has published more than 41 referred articles and books. He is a prominent speaker at the forums in Western and well developed countries in the world.

He is a Board Member of the following committees/ organization including but not least: World Chambers Federation (WCF), King Abdul Aziz Higher Committees for Quality Award, Saudi Standards ad Quality Authority, Saudi Exports Development Center, Electricity Regulatory and Dual Production Authority, Prince Naif Prize Committee for Saudization, Health Charity for Patients(CARE), International Saudi/ Foreign Joint Business Councils.  He is also a Member of the following Scientific Associations:  American Management Society, American Society for Quality, WARIA, Saudi Society for Management, National Saudi Quality Society, Arabian Association for Administration Science. His succession follows from managing several designations as Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Municipality and Rural Affairs for Programming and Planning.

Saed Al Awadi
Chief Executive Officer
Dubai Export Development Corporation

Eng. Saed Mohamed Al Awadi, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Export Development Corporation (DEDC), which is the first export promotion agency in the UAE. He is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Export Credit Insurance Company of the Emirates which is the first company of its type in the country. Prior to this he was the Chief Operating Officer at the Environmental Health and Safety which is the regulatory arm of Dubai World. Saed is the Vice-Chairman of M’Sharie which is part of Dubai Investment the largest investment company listed on the Dubai Financial market. Saed is also on the Board of Directors of the Emirates Standardization and Metrology Authority which is the national reference pointy for the World Trade Organisation for technical regulations and standards.

Saed holds a degree in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, with a Masters in Environmental Engineering, and an Executive MBA from Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. His leadership skills have also resulted in several awards including the Dubai Government Excellence Programme Technical Employee Award, Distinguished Government Department Award amongst others. Saed has also presented papers in the area of Environmental and safety issues. His more recent research interests have been in the field of export promotion and credit insurance.

Dr. Hussain Hamed Hassan
Chairman – Fatwa and Sharia Supervisory Board
Dubai Islamic Bank & Dubai Financial Market

Dr. Hussain does not need any introduction in the field of Islamic finance. In his professional career, spanning over half a century, he has been a prominent scholar and teacher of universal dimensions, having established Islamic universities and Islamic faculties in various parts of the world including, Makkah, Islamabad, Kazakhstan and Libya etc. He has been Advisor to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (at whose request he prepared Civil Codes framework for Kazakhstan in 1992 and Islamic Banking Law in 2008), President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, President of the Islamic Conference of the Muslim World and General Secretary of the Muslim World League, Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Hussain is also the President of the US Muslim Jurists Association. Dr. Hussain is Chairman, Sharia Supervisory Board of numerous Islamic financial institutions, including Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Sharjah Islamic Bank, Amlak, Tamweel, National Bonds, Liquidity Management Centre, AMAN Takaful Company, and others besides being core member of the Sharia Board of Islamic Development Bank. He has converted conventional banks into Islamic besides conversion of DFM as the world's first Islamic stock exchange.

Dr. Hussain has given many landmark innovative products to the Islamic Finance industry, including World's First: Convertible Sukuk, Multiclass Sukuk, Securitisation Sukuk, Currency and Rate Swaps, Personal Finance, IPO Finance, and others. He has also supervised the grand plan of translating 200 Islamic books into different languages and himself is the author of 21 books on Islamic law, Islamic finance, Islamic economics, Islamic art, Islamic social studies, besides writing over 400 extensive articles on these subjects. He has been instrumental in translating Holy Quran into Russian language. Dr. Hussain frequently presides over Islamic finance conferences, seminars and workshops.

Sheikh Esam M Ishaq
Shariah scholar
Al Baraka Islamic, Bahrain

Born in Bahrain Sheikh Essam M. Ishaq graduated in Political Science from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Currently he is teaching Fiqh, Aqeeda and Tafseer courses in Bahrain. He holds the position of Shariah Advisor at Discover Islam Bahrain. He holds position of Director in a number of Business and Educational institutions, which include Al Baraka Islamic Bank, Bahrain, Bahrain Development Bank, Bahrain , Discover Islam, Bahrain, Middle East Traders, Bahrain, Zawaya Property Development, Bahrain, Al Iman Islamic School, Bahrain and Muslim Educational Society, Bahrain.

Dr. Aznan Hasan
Assistant Professor and Shariah Advisor
International Islamic University (IIUM) & Bank Negara, Malaysia

Dr. Aznan Hasan is an Assistant Professor in Islamic law and the former head of Islamic law Department, Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia. He taught subjects such as Islamic Legal Theory, Islamic Commercial Law and Islamic Banking and Finance at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has served as a Shariah advisor to various financial Institutions and corporate bodies. He was as a member of Shariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia, the Supreme Shariah Board that oversees the practice and implementation of Islamic principles in Malaysian Islamic banking and finance. 

Dr. Aznan has later become the Chairman, Shariah Advisory Board, ACR Retakaful Bahrain, Shariah Advisor, Dar Istithmar, London, ABSA Islamic Bank, South Africa, Amanahraya Berhad, RHB Islamic Bank, Amanah raya Investment Bank Labuan and some other financial institutions at both local and international level. He is also a registered Shariah Advisor for the Islamic Unit Trust Schemes and Islamic securities, Securities Commission of Malaysia. He is also a Member, National International Zakat Organisation (IZO) Coordination Committee, an advisory body established under the Prime Minister Department.

Dr. Aznan Hasan received his first Degree in Shariah from University of al-Azhar. He then successfully completed his Master degree in Shariah from Cairo University with distinction (mumtaz). He then obtained his Ph. D from University of Wales, Lampeter, United Kingdom. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Jurisprudence (External) at University of Malaya.

Dr. Mohamad Akram Laldin
Executive Director
International Shari'ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance (ISRA), Malaysia

To lead ISRA, Dr. Mohamad Akram Laldin has been appointed as its Executive Director. Dr. Akram, a well-known and highly respected scholar has been described in the Islamic Business & Finance magazine as, “… the leading lights of the industry, a progressive advocate of the globalisation of Islamic finance…”. Dr. Akram has successfully proven himself to be a new breed of Islamic finance scholar, one who is equally at home interacting and leading the masses in religious discussion in the mosque, just as he is equally at home interacting and solving problems with the leaders and professionals in the corporate financial world. He holds a B.A. Honours Degree in Islamic Jurisprudence and Legislation from the University of Jordan, Amman and a Ph.D. in Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Dr. Akram has extensive research experience in the area of Islamic finance and has presented many papers related to Islamic banking and finance at domestic and international level and has conducted many training sessions on Islamic Banking and Finance for different sectors. Prior to being entrusted to head ISRA, he was teaching and doing research at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), where at one time or another he was heading the Fiqh and Usul Department and assumed the post of the Deputy Dean for Academics Affairs at the same University. In addition, he also served as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.Dr. Akram is a member of Bank Negara Malaysia Shari’ah Advisory Council, HSBC Amanah’s Global Shari’ah Advisory Board, a member of Yassar Limited’s Shari’ah Advisory Board, Member of EAB (London) Shari’ah Advisory Board, a member of the Islamic Advisory Board of HSBC Insurance Singapore, Shari’ah adviser to ZI Syariah Advisory Malaysia and advisor to other Shari’ah boards. He is also an Associate Consultant of the International Institute of Islamic Finance (IIIF), Kuala Lumpur and was formerly the Chairman of HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad’s Shari’ah Committee and Chairman of HSBC Takaful Malaysia Berhad’s Shari’ah Committee.

Ahmad Abbas
Chief Executive Officer
Liquidity Management Centre, Bahrain

Abbas joined LMC upon LMC’s inception in 2003 contributing to LMC over 15 years of extensive treasury and capital markets experience. Prior to joining LMC, Mr. Abbas was Head of Proprietary Investments – Treasury & Marketable Securities - at Arab Banking Corporation, Bahrain. He also worked at the National Bank of Bahrain as Portfolio Manager in the Investment Unit of the Treasury & Capital Markets Division. Throughout his working career, Mr. Abbas has developed a number of conventional and Islamic market products from the wealth of his market knowledge. Abbas is a Bahrain national and holds a BSc in Business Administration, University of Bahrain. He holds an ISMA (International Securities Market Association) professional qualification in addition to various certificates in professional courses.

Dato’ Sri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan
Group Chief Executive Officer
Television Networks of Media Prima Berhad (Media Prima)

Dato’ Sri Farid Ridzuan is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Television Networks, Media Prima Berhad and the Chief Executive Officer of Media Prima International business division. Since his appointment as CEO of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad, or TV3, (Malaysia’s Number One free-to air television network) in 2002, he has been instrumental in leading the Group’s new management team and turning around TV3’s image and profitability. A student of international business, Farid has always maintained an inclination towards global markets and new market opportunities.

After obtaining a Diploma in Business from UITM , he completed his Bachelor’s Degree - Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Marketing (Major) / BBA Management (Minor) at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan – and later pursued his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in International Business at US International University, San Diego, California. Farid has in-depth experience in strategic marketing and business development. Prior to joining TV3, he was the Executive Director of Leo Burnett Advertising Sdn Bhd (LBKL) where he oversaw the expansion of the company’s business into three additional subsidiaries. During his tenure, LBKL charted the fastest new business growth in the region among the Leo Burnett network.

His earlier posts include serving as the Asia Pacific Managing Director of Acxiom Asia Limited, and he has held several strategic marketing and business development responsibilities in Celcom, Kodak, DHL and Land & General. As a leader, he is known for his support towards employee empowerment, recognition and development. Well-noted for his marketing achievements, Farid has spoken at several regional conferences in Hong Kong and Singapore. A dynamic sportsman and avid football fan, Farid plays golf, basketball and tennis. During his earlier UiTM days, he represented the college in basketball, hockey and cricket.

Prof. Bambang Permadi Brodjonegoro
Director-General
Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Saudi Arabia

Since April 2009, Prof. Bambang Permadi Brodjonegoro, Ph.D has been appointed as the Director General of the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), a member of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) group.  Prior to the current position, he was the full professor in economics and the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia.  He got his Ph.D from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in USA in 1997 with the field of regional science (economic geography).  He has written articles for various academic journals and edited books.  His interest varies from economic  geography, public finance, and Islamic Economics.  Aside from academic world, he also had some experience in corporate sector as independent commissioner in Indonesian Electricity Company and a private insurance company

Christine Miller
Founder Editor
ReSource Magazine, United Kingdom

Christine Miller is the visionary Founder Editor of ReSource, a leading global business and personal growth magazine established in 2004. A sought after Author, Speaker and Poet, Christine enjoys privileged role sharing thoughts and ideas with many world leaders in the fields of current affairs, business, social and personal education. This gives her unique access to cutting edge information, which she translates into accessible, penetrating insights for readers and clients. Amongst the many who have been featured are HH the Dalai Lama, Former President Bill Clinton, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Sir Bob Geldof.

Christine has lived in Europe, Scandinavia and Australia, travelling extensively and developing an understanding of gender and cultural difference, with awareness of the challenges posed by turbulence and frequent change. 25 years' business experience leading a family-owned consultancy, and research for major multi-nationals, ranging from telecoms and the motor trade to textiles and packaging, coupled with director-level roles in marketing, have given her both breadth and depth in her knowledge of many areas of business.

Based on experience and extensive research, Christine’s consultancy practice offers wisdom, training, mentoring and executive coaching in specially tailored programmes with an emphasis on developing leadership, self-management and communication skills, and preparation for the C-Suite. She has a particular interest in nurturing and educating women and young people and contributes to many events and causes, such as the UK Forum on Muslim women's visibility and leadership, of which she was a founding participant. She is dedicated to growth and potential, and to the development of the ultimate human resource, the whole person, for the betterment of society. All her activities are summarised by the phrase:A Passion for Potential – Yours.

The most recent project is The ReSource Foundation & Institute, which will launch formally late in 2009. This is a global humanitarian venture designed as an umbrella organisation to bring together the disparate elements of the transformation, education and personal growth worlds. This will operate as a social enterprise in a non-competitive environment to raise awareness, create peace, foster unity, consistency and transparency, and offer a platform for research into developmental methodologies.

Darhim Dali Hashim
Chief Executive Officer
Internatitional Halal Integrity Alliance, Malaysia

Darhim bin Dali Hashim, 36, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of International Halal Integrity Alliance Ltd (IHI Alliance). With extensive background over the last 15 years holding several senior management positions in the services and Halal sector, Darhim brings to IHI Alliance a vast corporate and Halal industry experience. His previous background has seen Darhim as the Head of Capacity Development at the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) and an Executive Director of MLC Industries Sdn Bhd (MLC) where he was in charge of the overall operations and trading of Halal meat.

A sound corporate and financial background coupled with Halal industry experience topped off by ingrained diplomacy skills, Darhim has been invited to give presentations on the Halal industry at various international events namely World Halal Forum Industry Dialogues in South Africa, China, Netherlands and Indonesia as well as at the “TUSKON Turkey‐Asia Pacific Foreign Trade Bridge conference in Istanbul, the Halal World Expo in Abu Dhabi and the World Food Market in London. He has also been invited as a guest on Halal Journal TV to share his knowledge and experience of the industry and was a moderator for the World Halal Forum from 2006 to 2008.

In the early part of his career, Darhim was an audit manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers after having completed his Chartered Accountancy qualification (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) with Kingston Smith in London. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Economics from the University of Bristol in England.

Jamal Zaidi
Chief Executive Officer
Islamic International Rating Agency, Bahrain

Jamal Abbas Zaidi is the Chief Executive Officer of IIRA. Mr. Zaidi has over thirty years experience in financial and general management in different countries. He has worked for a number of financial institutions including the World Bank. Prior to his appointment in IIRA, Zaidi was Executive Vice President and member of the rating committee of JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company, the largest credit rating agency in Pakistan.

Before joining JCR-VIS, Zaidi was Chief Executive of a Modaraba listed on Karachi Stock Exchange and prior to that, he was Senior Executive Vice President of Pakistan’s largest leasing company, which was established jointly by the International Finance Corporation, the Asian Development Bank and the private sector. Prior to that he worked on a large World Bank project in Nigeria. He has contributed a number of papers in seminars and workshops on different topics in different countries. He has B.Com degree from Karachi University and is a fellow member of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan. He has attended several advanced courses including one under U.S. AID program in USA.

Michael Thomas
Director General
Middle East Association, United Kingdom

Michael Thomas was born in India. On leaving school he joined Unilever from where he moved to British Oxygen. During this period he attended Cranfield University and completed successfully an MBA course. In 1975 he joined the Kuwait Shipping Company in Kuwait, he was responsible for developing the company's commercial interests at the highest Government level in the Middle East and opened offices throughout the Middle East region, appointing agents worldwide. This company later became the United Arab Shipping Company.

In 1995 Michael Thomas was invited to join the Committee for Middle East Trade (COMET) the British Government's area advisory group on trade and investment with the Middle East, Turkey, and Iran. In 2001 following restructuring of the British Government's trade promotion activities COMET was disbanded and he joined the MEA. Michael has acted as a consultant to UKTI on trade development with Iran. Michael is the Director General at The Middle East Association.

Muhammad Umar
Chairman
Ramadhan Foundation

Muhammad Umar is the Chairman of Ramadhan Foundation, he became the youngest person in history to be interviewed on the World’s renowned BBC HardTalk to discuss the July 7th terrorist attacks in London and the response from the Muslim community in the UK. With a high media profile focused on imparting Islamic knowledge to both Muslims and non Muslims alike. He has delivered lectures throughout the world on a variety of topics including the Muslim role in the west, interfaith and peaceful co-existence. One of his central messages is to promote tolerance and peaceful co-existence. His search for the truth has taken him to various places of the world from the deserts of Mauritania to Morocco, Egypt and Europe. As Chairman of the Ramadhan Foundation he has taken the message of unity around the globe. Currently he resides with his family in Greater Manchester UK

Tuan Haji Mohamad Hassan Esa
Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer
International Zakat Organization, Malaysia

Mohamad Hassan Esa is a well known figure in the Malaysian corporate scene. He has been entrusted to head several Government Link Companies (GLC’s) as CEO namely National Entrepreneur Development Corporation (PUNB) and National Corporation Agency (PNS). He has also served as a General Manager at National Equity Corporation (PNB), the largest asset management company in Malaysia. Due to his extensive experience and expertise in asset portfolio management of more than 20 years, he has  aslo been invited to sit on the Board as Director of several public listed companies in Malaysia. Based on these experiences, he has been given the task and confidence to be been appointed as the first Managing Director /CEO of IZO in June 2008 by Government of Malaysia.

Saargarika Rai
Chief People Officer
Reliance Entertainment, Aditya Birla Group of Companies, India

Saagarika is an international speaker, trainer and a practitioner with an impressive HR track record spanning twenty years in dynamic industries like airlines and telecom which includes companies like, Jet Airways, Bharti Airtel. In her special insides, Saagarika will share the transformation that the HR team has spearheaded, under her leadership, on the way to make Reliance BIG Entertainment a true Employer of Choice. She will candidly discuss the full story of just what was required including specifics on; the transitions needed, the HR processes they designed to address these as well as challenges faced and lessons learnt from the experience. Full of real-world anecdotes and solutions her exclusive thoughts will surely leave you with countless practical strategies and initiatives for implementation in organizations from all industries.

Syed Maqbul Quader
General Manager- Group Chief Risk Officer
Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar

Syed Maqbul is one of the senior most Risk Officers in the Arabian Gulf Region,  with many decades of hands-on risk and business management responsibilities, both in Conventional and Islamic Banks. He is currently working as Group Chief Risk Officer of Qatar Islamic Bank and its subsidiaries.  He also managed a number of start-up situations. Previously, he worked  in senior positions in Al Rajihi Bank, Saudi Arabia, National Bank of Bahrain, and the then Chase Manhattan  Bank in various locations around the world.

Tariq Hameed
Business and Economics Committee
Muslim Council of Britain, United Kingdom

Tariq Hameed is an Islamic finance lawyer at Simmons & Simmons in Dubai. He is a specialist in Islamic debt finance and structured product development.

Tariq graduated in Law from Kings College London and studied Chinese at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He was Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain's Business & Economics Committee (2005 to 2008) and was one of the co-organisers of the seminal Islamic Finance Trade Conference 2006 where the Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP, announced his intention to make Britain “the gateway for Islamic finance and trade.” He was also the project manager of the first ever Iftar held at the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London in 2006. He currently assists the MCB Business & Economics Committee in organising its delegations to the annual World Islamic Economic Forum.

Tariq was awarded the Professional Excellence Award at the inaugural Muslim Power 100 Awards in 2007 and was a member of the Islamic Finance Experts Group that advises HM Treasury on strategy in Islamic Finance.

Tony Wilson
Chief Executive Officer
Lifestyle Architecture, UnitedKingdom

Tony is the founder and Chief Executive of the MPD Group (Motivation & People Development) a group of companies; one of the companies is Lifestyle Architecture, the global people development company that is expanding and operating through four divisions - Europe, Africa & Middle East, Australasia and the Americas. There is one simple thread that runs through each of the companies.  “A PASSION FOR PEOPLE”

Starting out knocking on doors selling insurance to becoming one of the youngest directors of a FTSE 250 financial services company, Tony now can be found one day working strategically and tactically with the Board of a Fortune 500 or FTSE 250 developing a practical Executive Leadership Program. The next it may be a young professional golfer with a goal to get back on the major European and world tour. Then Tony might be off to New York or Dubai or Australia to inspire a group of national or regional salespeople or executives at one of his inspirational keynote addresses.

Dr. Ayoub Kazim
Executive Director– Dubai Knowledge Village & Dubai International Academic City
TECOM Investments

Dr. Ayoub Kazim is the Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), both part of TECOM Investments, a subsidiary of Dubai Holding. He is responsible for strategically steering the education clusters and further consolidating their status as leading centers of learning excellence in the region. Heading a proficient team of top-tier academic professionals, Dr Kazim has successfully ensured a consistent growth in the number of business partners at both the clusters.

Under his guidance, Dubai Knowledge Village has channeled its focus on human resource development, human resource management and business consultancy. During 2007, nearly 98 human resource development companies and consultancies made Dubai Knowledge Village their location of choice, bringing its total number of business partners to nearly 460.  Dr Kazim’s persistent endeavor has also paid rich dividends at Dubai International Academic City, the world’s only free zone dedicated to international higher education. Over 21 international universities of higher learning from Australia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Belgium, UK, France and USA have established their campuses at DIAC, serving more than 10,000 students.

With approximately 20 years of experience gained from working with Dubai Municipality and the UAE University in Al Ain, Dr. Kazim has an in-depth understanding of the technical, administrative and academic work environments. In addition, he is actively involved in research studies and has published numerous articles and technical papers on renewable energy, hydrogen energy, fuel cells, energy policy and economics. Dr. Ayoub Kazim holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama and a Master’s from the Polytechnic University in New York. He received a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami in 1998.

Mohammad Shaheed Khan
Senior Vice President & Head Product Development & Shari'ah
Islamic Finance Company

Mohammad Shaheed Khan is the Senior Vice President- Head of Corporate Finance and Products at the Islamic Finance Co. PJSC. IFC, headquartered in Dubai, is a specialist institution focused towards Private Equity, Corporate Finance and financial solutions for SME’s. Previously, Shaheed was the Senior Manager at Saudi Hollandi Bank where he managed the product and business development of the Islamic Corporate, Consumer and Structured Finance business. He also served as the Secretary to ABN AMRO banks Global Shariah Advisory Board. For ABN AMRO bank, Shaheed has worked with a number of countries (Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE) in developing and launching various Islamic banking businesses. Additionally he has also served at various large scale organizations, accumulating a diversified Islamic banking experience in the fields of treasury, corporate banking, structured finance, retail banking and wealth management. Shaheed has a BBA and an MBA in finance. He is a regular speaker at various International Islamic banking seminars, conferences and workshops.

Nik Norishky Thani
Executive Director – Islamic Finance
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)

Nik Norishky Thani is the Head, Capital Markets in Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. He was a Fulbright scholar at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. where he focused on Islamic banking and finance for his Master of Law (LL.M) and graduated with Distinction and Dean’s List. He is a fellow at the Center for International Environmental Law, a Geneva based international body that promotes sustainable economic development. He also underwent the Program of Instruction for Lawyers at Harvard Law School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Nik Norishky Thani has extensive experience in advising and structuring Islamic financial instruments for over ten years, in particular Islamic private debt securities. He was previously attached with Aseambankers Malaysia Berhad (“Aseambankers”) as an Assistant Vice President, Capital Markets and Structured Finance and was awarded Best Islamic Bondhouse by Euromoney. Prior to Aseambankers, he served with Commerce International Merchant Bankers (“CIMB”). Nik Norishky Thani was also a Petronas scholar and holds a law degree (LL.B) from the University of Cardiff, United Kingdom. He was a former student of Malay College Kuala Kangsar.

Ramakrishna Krovvidi
Vice President – Organisational Development & Planning
Emirates Integrated Telecommunication

Ramakrishna Krovvidi mostly addressed by his friends and colleagues as RK is Master degree holder in Engineering (Industrial Engineering) with MBA. He is currently Vice President HR OD at du, a young telecom company in UAE. RK’s expertise is in the filed of Strategic Consulting, Planning, Balanced Score Card & KPIs, OD, Compensation & Benefits, Performance Development, and Continuous Improvement. He has a cross industry exposure and worked in Telecommunications, Engineering, Aviation, Manufacturing and Mining sectors. RK has proven credentials in Corporate HR with large Multinational Corporations, Private and Public sectors companies. RK is an active speaker and presenter at many conferences in USA, Europe and Middle East and India.

Sameer Meralli
Managing Director
Dubai Commodity Asset Management

Sameer Meralli is the Managing Director at Dubai Commodities Asset Management (DCAM), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC). Sameer is responsible for heading global sales of the recent Nasdaq-listed Dubai Gold Securities product (GOLD); an initiative sponsored by the World Gold Council, as well as directing the strategy for DCAM’s portfolio of precious metals investment products in the region. Sameer worked previously at Goldman Sachs, following which he become involved as a partner in hedge fund Paradigm Capital.

Prior to heading up DCAM as the Managing Director, he worked as an Executive Director for a boutique asset management firm specializing in delivering real estate and commodity-based investment products for institutional clients in the Middle East and North Africa. Sameer holds extensive expertise in exchange traded commodity products, possesses a deep understanding of the Islamic asset management industry via his extensive involvement with the Harvard Islamic Finance forum, and has been featured as an expert guest on Bloomberg, CNBC, CNBC Arabia, and other media platforms. Sameer holds a Masters degree from Harvard University, a Masters in Finance from London Business School, and a bachelor in laws from the University of London (London School of Economics).

Suresh Menon
Senior Vice President – Human Resources
Atlantis -The Palms, Dubai

A proven senior Human Resources Professional with demonstrated expertise in all aspects of Human Resources and General Management in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and South-East Asia, Suresh has more than 25 years of experience both in the banking and hospitality industries.

As a senior Regional Director of Human Resources for Hyatt International for 17 years, he was responsible for all aspects of HR for the group, initially in South-East Asia and subsequently for the Pacific. His role included all aspects of human resources including training and developing all senior personnel for the hotels in his region, recruiting and selecting for the senior positions, developing and managing compensation and benefits programmes for all levels of staff, staff welfare and communications, industrial relations and being an advisor to senior management on all HR matters, to name some of the key functions. He has also been actively involved in designing and planning the delivery of various Training Programmes, covering Leadership, Management and Sales.

He has also successfully opened hotels in Asia and Australia, set up the HR function for various establishments, such as Charles Schwab Australia and effectively managed Training Centres. Completely familiar with Performance Management systems, he has successfully implemented and drove the implementation of the same in many organizations. Besides, he has also run his own HR Consulting business out of Australia working with a variety of organizations. In addition, he was also the adjunct faculty member of the Sydney Graduate Management School lecturing in Strategic Human Resources for MBA students both in Sydney and in Asia-Pacific.

Since joining TSA, as it’s Director of Operations, besides managing a team of 12 trainers and over seeing the quality of the delivery as well as the review and design of all our Training Programmes, he also conducts both Sales and Front Office programmes. Suresh was subsequently head hunted for the role of SVP, Human Resources to set up the HR function for the opening of Atlantis Palm Jumeirah, Dubai and is currently in this role managing the full spectrum of the function for 3000’s staff. With a team of 7 (seven) HR Directors, and a VP, Human Resources reporting directly into him and a full time of 40 HR personnel, he manages Talent Development, Learning & Development, Remuneration & Benefits, HR Administration, Health & Safety, Employee Residences & Government Relations. Suresh is a creative and entrepreneurial person with strong influencing, mentoring and inter-personal skills.