Senior Advisor at Bryan Cave Leighton Pasner

Chartered Islamic Finance Professional (CIFP)

I was Chief Executive, Global Corporate Banking Unit at Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi (BTM). I also was the chairman of their Malaysian subsidiary bank. I was convinced that the Bank should have realized the Malaysian central bank policy to develop the Islamic Finance for their clients in Malaysia and also outside the country.

The question was lack of expert knowledge of Islamic Finance and human resources at the Bank to establish the Finance as a new business area. I had an advice from the Deputy Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia to utilize the newly established INCEIF to develop human resources. As an initiator of the Finance at BTM and as a senior executive I should have understood what the Finance is.

The deeper understanding of the finance based on the religion have helped my current role in the education. I am pleased that there are many followers to study Islamic Finance at the Bank to play important role in Asia.

Yoshihiro Watanabe

Head of Islamic Markets Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad

Chartered Islamic Finance Professional (CIFP)

I was a practising lawyer specialising in Islamic banking legal documentation way back in 2006-2007 at Messrs Zaid Ibrahim & Co., a law firm based in Kuala Lumpur. I was then looking for an opportunity to advance my career on a global stage and was fortunate to find INCEIF providing me with the ticket i.e. strong Islamic finance fundamentals striking a balance between credible academic foundation and wealth of industry exposures, cultural diversity with foreign students’ participation plus an endorsement from Bank Negara Malaysia.

Also driven by the era of huge petro-dollars floating globally for investments and strong preference for Shariah compliant instruments and structures. Kuwait Finance House and Al-Rajhi just started their operations here and everyone want to be part of the hype.

INCEIF provided me with a clear understanding on the noble philosophy behind Islamic finance agenda. Equipped with strong technical knowledge and noble vision, as an INCEIF graduate, we can bring more Shariah compliant innovations in the financial industry while at the same time attaining career advancement and satisfaction. The question was lack of expert knowledge of Islamic Finance and human resources at the Bank to establish the Finance as a new business area. I had an advice from the Deputy Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia to utilize the newly established INCEIF to develop human resources. As an initiator of the Finance at BTM and as a senior executive I should have understood what the Finance is.

The deeper understanding of the finance based on the religion have helped my current role in the education. I am pleased that there are many followers to study Islamic Finance at the Bank to play important role in Asia.

Mr. Iqbal Jusoh

Senior Internal Shariah Audit Manager HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad

Masters in Islamic Finance Practice (MIFP)

I always have curiosity about Islamic finance particularly on how it can integrate ethics and finance; how it could withstand the financial crisis with minimum impacts as compared to the conventional finance, the risk management aspect, etc. I have many unanswered questions and the best way for me to seek out the truth is to study Islamic Finance.

A few of friends have recommended INCEIF as the best university to pursue a postgraduate qualification in Islamic Finance. I have done some research, interviews and on-site observations in 2014. I found out that INCEIF has a very strong faculty consisting of outstanding academicians and industry players, great programmes with fantastic course structures delivered via various methods e.g. mini case study, group project, video, briefing by industry players, inter-varsity debate, etc. The frequent industry talks provide an avenue for students to have a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges in Islamic Finance, latest industry trends, update research works, regulatory expectation and exchanges of ideas. I visited the KMC and I really love its huge physical and online collections of resources.

The diversity of students provide a good mix of cultures, respect, integrity and most of all we are united by our passion for Islamic Finance. I end up learning ton from others. I have met some of my good friends here that I will have for the rest of my life.

Foo Toon Yin

Associate Publisher and Business Development Manager, REDMoney Group, Malaysia

Chartered Islamic Finance Professional (CIFP)

Mr. Stubss is an experienced Business Development Manager and Associate Publisher with an excellent track record of retaining and developing client relationships with Islamic and conventional financial institutions, fund and asset managers, service providers, regulators and financial intermediaries to help them boost their awareness and market exposure within the rapidly growing Islamic finance industry. He currently manages clients based predominantly the Asian markets for REDMoney, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Sri Lanka, as well as other key developing markets such as Turkey and Kazakhstan. He also manages a number of ad hoc clients around the world.

His substantial knowledge and understanding of the Islamic Finance markets, as well as more technical knowledge of the various Shariah compliant contracts proves that he is well placed to advise and discuss with C-Level Executives and Senior Management on strategies that help them meet their business objectives.

Steven Matthew Stubbs

Managing Director Stellar Consulting Group

PhD in Islamic Finance

Being an engineer for 10 years, I embarked on entrepreneurship by starting my own consulting firm, StellarCG. One of the weaknesses I had at that time was my knowledge in finance, and so I decided to get an MSc in Finance on a part-time basis, going to classes in the evenings and weekends. However, after going through the process, I realized that there were aspects in the conventional financial system that did not sit well with my values. Some sectors of the industry evolved to be solely profit-driven without regard for other considerations, like social justice, sustainability, etc. I am quite certain I wasn’t the only one feeling like this, especially after the catastrophic crises of 2008, which put the finance industry in the spotlight.

I saw Islamic Finance as the promise of what finance could achieve, with its particular emphasis on ethical considerations towards all transactions through strict adherence to the Shariah – Divine laws that were prescribed to mankind to enable us to maximize utility (happiness, satisfaction, productivity, etc.) on Earth and maximize rewards in the Hereafter.

I chose INCEIF because I thought they had very capable instructors and the best program based on my assessment at that time, and I wanted to be mentored and supervised by the eminent Prof. Dr. Abbas Mirakhor after seeing him speak at GIFF2012.

Dr. Hazik Mohamed

Chief Executive Officer Investment Account Platform (IAP)

Masters in Islamic Finance Practice (MIFP)

Ms Joann Enriquez was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Investment Account Platform (IAP) in Oct 2018. Prior joining IAP, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Raeed Holdings Sdn Bhd. And Chief Operations Officer at Ethis Crowd. IAP is the first bank-intermediated fintech platform combining the expertise of Islamic Banking and efficiency of technology to channel funds from investors to viable economic ventures Fintech. The portal facilitates efficient intermediation by the Sponsoring Banks matching financing requirement of ventures with investment from retail and institutional investors via Investment Account (IA).

The iaplatform.com aims to be the leading multibank platform for Shariah compliant capital mobilisation, supported by a conducive ecosystem. Ms Joann brings to the position over 20 years of experience in Financial Technology having worked in various S&P 500 companies in the Silicon Valley in California. She was Chief Operating Officer of Ethis Ventures for 2 1Ž2 years and was instrumental in developing the start-up’s operations until it grew to become a key player in the global Islamic Crowdfunding space having strong presence in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Ms. Joann obtained a Masters in Islamic Finance Practice at INCEIF in 2016. She also has a Double Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and International Studies from De La Salle University, Manila; MBA and DBA (candidate) from the University of Phoenix, Arizona, US.

Joann Marie Tansinsin Enriquez