The Centre for Islamic Finance at The University of Bolton is delighted to announce the formation of its Advisory Board.
Amongst the highly acclaimed members of the Board are some of the most respected people in Islamic Finance throughout the world. The Centre will draw on the wide practical experience of its advisors in Islamic Finance, Accounting, Law, Education and Quality Assurance. Chairman of the Centre, Professor Mohammed Kayed Abdel-Haq, said: 'We are honoured that people of such high calibre share our vision for the Centre and we look forward to working with them as we build on our excellent start.’ The Centre will be adding to its Advisory Board over the coming months.
Lord Lamont of Lerwick
Norman Lamont was a Cabinet Minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and a member of the House of Commons for twenty-five years. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer at a particularly difficult time that included Britain’s exit from the ERM. The problems he faced were similar to those facing Britain today. He introduced tough measures to reduce Government borrowing and the deficit which led Sir Alan Walters, Economic Advisor to Lady Thatcher, to describe Norman Lamont "to be not only the most effective but also the bravest Chancellor since the War". Many economists have attributed the economic stability and growth enjoyed by Britain in the ‘90s and thereafter to the tough policies introduced by him. When he was Chancellor, Norman Lamont’s political advisor was David Cameron and his Parliamentary Private Secretary, William Hague. In 2008, David Cameron asked Norman Lamont with other former Chancellors to be part of a team to advise on Britain’s financial problems. Norman Lamont was Britain’s Chief Negotiator at the Maastricht Treaty and secured Britain’s non-participation in the euro, of which he remains a strong opponent and critic. As well as being a working Peer, he is a director of a number of financial companies.
Mr Musa A. Shihadeh
Holds a Master degree in Business Administration (MBA) from USA. Worked in conventional banks from 5 /1961 until 5 /1980. He then joined Jordan Islamic Bank on June 1, 1980 till now. He is currently the CEO& General Manager of Jordan Islamic bank in addition to being a board member of many Islamic banks.
Mr. Shihadeh is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the General Council for Islamic Banks, a Board Member of the Jordanian Businessmen Association and Chairman and Board Member of several public and private companies in various sectors (industrial, educational, investment and insurance sector). He was also a vice chairman of the Association of Banks in Jordan since 1983 and has been the association’s Vice-President for the period 1997 to 2005 and was elected as Vice Chairman of the Association of Banks in Jordan for a new term since 25/02/2015 and Chairman of the Association of Banks in Jordan From 11.10.2015-now.
A member of several investment, social, humanitarian and international organizations and committees. He participates and lectures in several seminars related to the banking sector and the Islamic financial institutions regionally and internationally. Former member of the Accounting and Auditing Standards Board for Islamic Financial Institutions and the Chairman of the Accounting Committee (1990 to 2002). A member of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Thought Forum and member of its financial committee, Advisory Board Member of the International Union of Arab Bankers and an honor-permanent member of the Society of Friends of Jordan Eye Bank and Prevention of Blindness.
Professor S Nazim Ali
Professor S. Nazim Ali Currently working at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar, as Research Professor and Director of the Center for Islamic Economics and Finance. Prior to joining HBKU he was the Executive Director (Acting) of the Islamic Legal Studies Program (2010-2013) at Harvard Law School and Founding Director of the Islamic Finance Project at Harvard since its establishment in 1995.
During the last thirty years he has spearheaded many landmark researches in the areas of Islamic finance and faith-based financial initiatives. He has paid special attention to lines of inquiry that seek to examine and interrogate the frontiers, facilitate research and encourage dialogue among various stakeholders and external discussants. He has played a lead role in organizing several conferences and seminars by observing global trends creating forums for highly intellectual debates.
Professor Ali has played a lead role in organizing several conferences, workshops and symposia in the field during his nearly two decades association with Harvard, including the internationally renowned, biennial Harvard University Forum on Islamic Finance, the proceedings of which are serially compiled and published under his supervision; and the annual workshop at the London School of Economics which brings together the sector’s leading economists, shari‘ah experts and practitioners in order to address key issues confronting the Islamic Finance sector. He led the effort that resulted in the publication of the world’s first academic software database covering the Islamic finance sector, the Online DataBank (originally published on CD-ROM in 1997 and available online since 2003).
Dr. Ali’s most recent publications include: Islamic Finance and Development, Building Bridges across Financial Communities: the Global Financial Crisis, Social Responsibility (Harvard Law School, 2014, 2012 respectively), and Shari‘a Compliant Microfinance (Routledge, 2012). He received his PhD from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, U.K.
Sheikh Nizam Muhammad Yaquby
Sheikh Nizam is a senior Shariah advisor in Islamic finance. Currently he sits on many Sharia Boards. He is a member of the highly esteemed Sharia council of AAIOFI . He holds a PhD is Islamic Studies and a bachelors from McGill University. He is Shariah Advisor to several international and Regional financial institutions and is author of several articles and publications on Islamic Law and related subjects.
Dr Omar Zuhair Hafiz
Dr Omar Hafiz is the Secretary General of CIBAFI, the General Council of Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions. Based in Bahrain, CIBAFI is one of the four International Islamic Infrastructure Institutions and is affiliated to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Prior to this role Dr Hafiz held a number of directorships and senior managerial positions in the banking, finance and insurance industries. He was an Associate Professor of Economics at the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah and was Director of the Institute of Research in Islamic Economics.
Dr Hafiz obtained his BAs in Economics and Islamic Finance from King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, his MA in Economics from California State University and his PhD from Indiana University.
Dr Hafiz is a Certified Economic Adviser, Financial Adviser, Shari'a Adviser and Arbitrator.
Professor Muhammad Anas Zarka
Professor Zarka is a highly respected Sharia scholar and economist. He is currently the senior advisor to the Shura Sharia Consultancy Company and was previously an advisor in Sharia Compliance for the International Investor Company, Kuwait. He was Professor of Economics at the King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah and a key member of the University's Islamic Economic Research Centre (now the Islamic Economics Institute). Professor Zarka has published many academic papers in English and Arabic and serves on the editorial board of several leading Islamic economic journals. In 1990, Professor Zarka was awarded the Islamic Development Bank Prize for his contribution to research in Islamic Economics.
Professor Zarka was tutored in fiqh by his late father, Sheikh Mustafa Al-Zarqa, a renowned Sharia scholar. He holds a Law degree from the University of Damascus, Syria and obtained his MA and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr Paul Druckman
Paul is Chief Executive Officer of the International Integrated Reporting Council Paul is well known and respected in business and in the accounting profession worldwide. Following an entrepreneurial career in the software industry, Paul operated as a non‐executive chairman and director for companies in a variety of sectors until taking over this post. Formerly a Director of the UK Financial Reporting Council; member of the City Takeover Panel; and President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Other interests have included chairing The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) Executive Board.
Professor Dr Normah Hj Omar
Professor Normah is currently the Director of the Accounting Research Institut (ARI), Universiti Teknologi MARA. Her current research interest is in the area of forensic accounting and financial criminology. Recently ARI has been recognised as a national center of excellence under the Ministry of Higher Education (HICoE). Her current research interest are in the areas of: Anti-Money Laundering & Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT); Fraud Risk Indicators; Corporate Integrity System; Fraud Prevention Mechanism and Islamic Micro financing.
Dr Bayan Abdulhaq
Dr Abdulhaq holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Kings College London KCL/University of London. Additionally she has an MSc in Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Control from the same university and a BSc in Pharmacy from the University of Jordan.She has worked as a Faculty member at the Faculty of Pharmacy/University of Jordan where she taught Drug Delivery Systems, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Analysis.
Dr Abdulhaq has extensive experience in Educational Quality Assurance where she acted as the quality assurance director at TAG Graduate School of Business, part of the German Jordanian University in Amman, which was accredited later by the German Accreditation Council, and in more recent years she was a board member and the executive director of the Arab Organization for Quality Assurance in Education AROQA.
She is a certified Manager for Organizational Excellence by the American Society for Quality ASQ
Iain Goldrein QC
Iain Goldrein is a barrister, sits as a Deputy High Court Judge and is a Panel Deemster in the Isle of Man. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1997.
A Visiting Professor in litigation at Nottingham Law School, Iain is a Council Member of the International Institute of Experts in Hong Kong, a Companion of the Academy of Experts and a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
Iain is the author of a number of books on commerce, medical negligence, procedural law, personal injury, family, human rights and genetics.
Iain is a qualified mediator in commerce and family matters and lectures in communication skills. Iain has a longstanding interest in international politics and the Middle East and is committed to equality and diversity.
Iain is a graduate of the University of Cambridge where he was a Pembroke College Exhibitioner.
Keir Gordon
Keir Gordon is the Deputy Senior Partner at Charles Russell LLP, a top 50 UK full service law firm with offices in Geneva and the Middle East.
From 2004 to 2011 Keir was head of Graduate Recruitment and head of the Sports and Media Sector Group from 2009 to 2013. Keir’s expertise includes advising clients in the alternative investment funds industry, establishing property funds, and in UK Financial Services regulation.
Keir holds a Law degree from the University of Aberdeen.
Professor Fikret Hadzic PhD
Professor Fikret Hadzic is Associate Professor for Banking and Assurance at the School of Economics and Business, the University of Sarajevo.
The author of books on the economy and Islamic Finance, Professor Hadzic has written extensively in a number of publications. He is the recipient of prizes and acknowledgments for his work and is a regular speaker at conferences and in the media.
Appointed by the Federation Government of Bosnia Herzegovina, Professor Hadzic served as a member of the Supervisory Board of the Development Bank of Federation BH d.d. Sarajevo, was a member of the Revision Board of the insurance company VGT Visoko and was a member of the Supervisory Board of SERDA, the Sarajevo Economic Regional Development Agency.
Before entering the academic world, Professor Hadzic worked in banking and investment and was, amongst other positions, Vice Director of the Bank of Reconstruction and Development, Sarajevo, Vice Director of the Agency for International Cooperation for the Reconstruction and Development of Bosnia Herzegovina.
Along with his qualifications in Islamic finance, Professor Hadzic has specific professional experience in consultation on the establishment of banks, support of foreign direct investment, support of SME development and local and regional economic development.
Professor Hadzic graduated as an economist and obtained his MA and PhD from the University of Sarajevo.
Ambassador Nawaf W. Tell
Ambassador Tell has an LLB in Law from the University of Jordan (1995), an LLM in International Law from the University of Exeter (1997), and PhD in Political Science also from the University of Exeter (2002). He worked as a Researcher and Senior Researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan focusing on issues of national politics, inter-Arab relations, the Middle East peace process, and security sector reform. In 2007 he joined the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Coordinator for Peace Negotiations and Director of the Negotiations Coordination Bureau and Special Files. In 2008 he returned to the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan as Director until 2011 when he returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Special Advisor to the Minister and Director of Policy Planning.
Dr. Nasir M. Ahmad
Dr. Ahmad is currently a Partner at Ernst and Young LLP in London and specialises in risk services to financial institutions. He has more than 15 years of international experience in financial risk management in banking, consulting, and academia, based out of Europe, Middle-East and Canada. Dr Ahmad has lead several risk and regulatory engagements, covering credit, market, operational and liquidity risks, including the implementation of Basel II and III programmes, Eurozone instability planning, stress testing, quantitative model development for complex derivatives, risk MI, internal control systems.
Dr. Ahmad has been involved extensively in training, including programmes to central banks and regulators in the ME, and has contributed to thought leadership in the areas of banking, risk and financial regulation. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and risk seminars. Dr. Ahmad holds an MSc in Theoretical Physics and a PhD in Mathematics, both from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.
Amer Bukvic
Amer Bukvic is CEO of Bosna Bank International (BBI), which, under his leadership, has been transformed from making a loss into one of the ten best performing banks in Bosnia Herzegovina. BBI has won awards for best image of a financial institution and best employer. Amer Bukvic was awarded ‘Best Manager’ in the banking industry in Bosnia Herzegovina and Southeast Europe and ‘Person of the Year’ in 2010 by the Daily Magazine ‘SAN’.
He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Summit 100 Business Leaders of Southeast Europe, member of the Business Council of the University of Sarajevo School of Economics and Business, a Board member of the Bled School of Business, Slovenia, Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the United Bank of Albania and Vice Chairman of the BBI Real Estate Company.
Previously a part-time lecturer in economics at the University of Sarajevo, the College of Business Administration in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Jeddah campus of the University of South Africa, Amer was also an underwriter at the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credits, and worked at the Islamic Development Bank. Prior to that Amer worked for the Bosnia Herzegovina Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Embassy in Malaysia and was Director of the Bosnian Information Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
Amer holds a BA in International Relations from the International Islamic University of Malaysia and an MA in International Relations from the International University of Japan. He is the author of a book on Japanese human resource management and author of a paper on ‘Evolution of Islamic Banking in Southeast Europe, published by Islamic Finance, Malaysia in November 2013.
Geoffrey Tantum CMG OBE MA MCIL
Following eight years service in the British army, both as an infantry officer and on attachment for three years to the Royal Marines 3rdCommando Brigade, Geoffrey read Oriental Studies (Classical Arabic) at St John’s College, Oxford graduating with an MA (BA 1st Class Honours) and representing the University at judo
He joined the British Foreign Service in 1969 and specialised in Arab affairs with postings to several Middle East embassies and also to Rome. On leaving government service in 1995, Geoffrey started his own consultancy company concentrating on Arabian Gulf affairs and working in partnership with a former Chief of Defence Staff. This has involved advising a number of UK corporate clients as well as acting as a consultant to the Governments of Bahrain and Oman. Geoffrey continues to act as a personal adviser to a senior Gulf client.
Geoffrey is a member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists in both Arabic and Italian, has broadcast on Arab TV and radio stations and published work on medieval Muslim warfare.
He was appointed OBE in 1981 and CMG on 1995. He holds the Order of the Star of Jordan.
E. Bruce Mumford
Bruce Mumford is a partner in Emerging Edge Group, a Chicago-based firm that works with alternative investment managers. With over thirty years of investment management and investment banking experience, he has been deeply involved in alternative investments since 2001, when he was instrumental in acquiring ING Barings prime brokerage business for ABN AMRO, and became a member of the Executive Committee of ABN AMRO Clearing and Execution Services.
In 2003, he became President and CEO of ABN AMRO’s U.S. broker dealer. His asset management experience includes advisory work in structuring and operating Sharia-compliant investment vehicles, and serving as Global Head of Marketing and Client Service for an affiliate of Old Mutual Asset Management.
Mr. Mumford earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, and his B.S. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Mohammad Tariq
Mohammad Tariq has a long experience of working in the financial markets, both in conventional and Islamic finance. In his last position at the Islamic Development Bank he served as the Treasurer and Head of Investments and latterly as the Senior Advisor to the President of the IDB Group. He has played a key role in the development of the Sukuk market over the years, advising sovereign and corporate issuers in several countries.
He worked for seven years for two financial institution in Bahrain and for 22 years in the City of London in prestigious investment banks and asset management companies.
Mohammad was the Chief Examiner over 5 years for the Securities Institute, UK for the subjects of Bonds and Fixed Interest Markets as well as Fund Management. He has been a member of the Institute of Actuaries, Securities Institute and the London Stock Exchange.
Mohammad has a B.Sc (Hons) and M.Sc in Pure Mathematics and published research papers in the field of Algebra during his 4-year postgraduate research work. He has lectured in the Management Development Programme at the City Business School, London.
Dr Han'a Mohammed Hilal Hunaiti
Dr Hunaiti is Dean of the Business and Finance College at the World Islamic Sciences and Education University, Amman, Jordan.
With a BS in Physics from the University of Jordan, Dr Hunaiti received her Masters and her PhD in Banking and Finance, specialising in Islamic Finance, from the Arabian Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences.
Dr Hunaiti was Head of Public Sector Reform at the Jordanian Ministry of Planning before entering academia. She held senior positions at the Amman Arab University, has been an Expert in the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of the Muslim World Association since 2009, has lectured on Islamic economics at the Royal Jordanian National Defence College and is a Member of the International Institute of Islamic Thought.
Dr Hunaiti has written many research papers on Islamic Finance for journals and conferences, including “the role of Islamic financial engineering in dealing with financial crises.”, "Contemporary Business Organizations from an Islamic perspective", "Contribution of Islamic banks in dealing with the global financial crisis" and "Analysis of the behavior of deposits with Islamic banks in the light of the global financial crisis".
Brenda Smith BA MBA ACA FRSA Doctor of Letters
Appointed to the Board September 2015.
A chartered accountant and a media business executive with experience in a FTSE 100 company at Executive Board level. Latterly worked as President EMEA for Ascent Media Group, a subsidiary of Liberty Media U.S. Previously was Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Granada Television and ITV Studios.
Has served in a number of NED roles in the private and public sectors. Is currently a member of the Investment Advisory Panel for North West Business Finance, a Governor of Manchester Metropolitan University and a member of the Advisory Boards for Manchester Business School and the Centre for Islamic Finance at the University of Bolton.
She continues to work as an advisor in the digital and media sector.