Managing Director, GEFI

Omar Shaikh

Omar is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and Board Member of the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC)

A Chartered Accountant by profession, he specialises in ethical/responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. He has extensive experience in financial services and has advised multiple governments and regulators on ecosystem building as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance. His background includes working with EY London, where he qualified as a CA and was the former Head of Islamic finance.

Through his GEFI work, Omar has established a number of initiatives, including the Path to COP, the SDG Financial Products platform with UNDP, which promotes innovative financing structures for the SDGs, the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce launched with the UK Government and IsDB, and the award-winning interfaith Edinburgh Finance Declaration—the world’s first shared values approach to finance between Islamic finance and the Church. He also served on the Board of the University of Oxford Faith-Aligned Impact Finance Project

Omar received a BAcc and a PhD from the University of Glasgow along with an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University conferred for his work in developing ethical finance. Beyond finance, he is actively involved with Colourful Heritage which works with Glasgow Museums to preserve and celebrate South Asian heritage in Scotland, The King’s Trust Scotland and Olivewood Primary School.

Simon Thompson

Simon Thompson was recently appointed as Managing Director of the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC) that brings together some of the world’s leading climate finance organizations to enhance collaboration and respond to growing requests for capacity building support from financial institutions in EMDEs.

Previously, Simon served as Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute from 2007 after working for a number of international professional bodies and standard-setters.  He is a Fellow of the Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.  

Simon is the author of Green & Sustainable Finance: Principles and Practice, published by Kogan Page. 

He chairs the UK’s Sustainable Finance Education Charter on behalf of the Department for Net Zero and Energy Security and is a Board member of the UK’s Financial Services Skills Commission (FSSC). Simon is a former Vice President of the European Bank Training Network.  

Simon was awarded Honorary Doctorates by Bangor University (2022) and BPP University (2015) for his contribution to banking, business and education.  

Chief Operating Officer, DIFC Authority

Alya Al Zarouni

As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the DIFC Authority (DIFCA), Alya is responsible for setting the strategic direction of DIFCA’s operations and client experience. She brings more than 20 years of experience in developing and delivering technology-driven business services and solutions, providing outstanding client service, and driving internal efficiency through policy, process and digital transformation. Prior to her appointment as the COO, Alya assumed multiple roles across different functions in DIFCA and has led the transformation of DIFC services since 2010.

Alya was appointed as Board Member of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC) in 2023, an association registered in Belgium representing 19 leading international financial centres across four continents.

She has also been serving as a board member of Hawkamah: The Institute for Corporate Governance for over three years and led the DIFC Academy since its inception until 2022.
In terms of her education, Alya was at the top of her class and earned both her BSc in Computer Science and MBA from the American University of Sharjah. She has an LLM in International Business Law from the University of Paris II Pantheon Assas (Magna Cum Laude). She is a graduate of the prestigious Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development, completing both the Young Leaders Programme and the Dubai Leaders Programme.

Director General, UAE Banks Federation

Jamal Saleh

Jamal Saleh joined UBF (UAE Banks Federation) in July 2018 and became UBF’s Director General on 1st January 2019. Prior to joining UBF, his last role was Head of Credit & Risk and Acting Regional Chief Risk Officer with a leading GCC bank.

Jamal Saleh spent 29 years in banking (Conventional and Islamic) and covered Credit and Enterprise Risk Management (Credit, Market, Operational, Liquidity, and IT Risks).

His first 10 years were in the USA (in Private Banking and Credit) and the last 19 were in the UAE in Corporate Banking, Credit, and Risk Management with three leading UAE banks.

He served as PRMIA’s UAE Director General for 7 years (2007-2014) and was concurrently Member on British University’s Advisory Board.

Jamal Saleh graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude, from New Jersey (USA) in Finance and Banking, and held 6 professional certifications in credit, finance, investment, and risk management.

He was a frequent TV quest on local and international business channels and newspapers, as well as a key speaker at tens of regional and international forums in UAE, MENA, Singapore, Europe, USA, etc., including 11 years at the renowned RiskMinds of Geneva/Amsterdam from 2006-2016, and the Commonwealth of Nations at Westminster Palace’s Central Hall in London.

Director – Middle East, Africa, Responsible Investment Ecosystems, PRI

Luma Saqqaf

Luma Saqqaf is the Director for the Middle East, Africa, and India at the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), where she leads initiatives to promote sustainable and responsible investment practices across these regions.

With over three decades of experience at the forefront of finance, Islamic finance, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe, Luma is a recognized thought leader in sustainable finance.

Prior to joining UNPRI, Luma was the CEO of Ajyal Sustainability Consulting, advising corporates, financial institutions, funds, and asset managers on sustainable finance and transition strategies.

Her work focused on creating a sustainable finance ecosystem in the MENA region through close collaboration with regulators, financial markets, and other stakeholders on sustainable finance initiatives and regulations, including the UAE Green and Sustainability-linked Bonds and Sukuk Regulations of 2023.

A former finance partner and global head of the Islamic Finance Group at Linklaters, Luma is a pioneer in the development of capital markets and groundbreaking financial transactions globally, particularly in Islamic finance.

She is a regular speaker on sustainability and Islamic sustainable finance topics and contributes to finance and sustainability sector publications.

Managing Director, GEFI

Omar Shaikh

Omar is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and Board Member of the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC)

A Chartered Accountant by profession, he specialises in ethical/responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. He has extensive experience in financial services and has advised multiple governments and regulators on ecosystem building as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance. His background includes working with EY London, where he qualified as a CA and was the former Head of Islamic finance.

Through his GEFI work, Omar has established a number of initiatives, including the Path to COP, the SDG Financial Products platform with UNDP, which promotes innovative financing structures for the SDGs, the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce launched with the UK Government and IsDB, and the award-winning interfaith Edinburgh Finance Declaration—the world’s first shared values approach to finance between Islamic finance and the Church. He also served on the Board of the University of Oxford Faith-Aligned Impact Finance Project

Omar received a BAcc and a PhD from the University of Glasgow along with an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University conferred for his work in developing ethical finance. Beyond finance, he is actively involved with Colourful Heritage which works with Glasgow Museums to preserve and celebrate South Asian heritage in Scotland, The King’s Trust Scotland and Olivewood Primary School.

Senior ESG and Investor Relations Specialist, Islamic Development Bank

Mohsin Sharif

Mohsin Sharif is the Senior ESG and Investor Relations Specialist in the Treasury Department of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), which is a AAA-rated supranational and multilateral development financial institution with 57 member countries from around the world. Mohsin is part of the Capital Markets Division where he undertakes all tasks related to the Annual Funding Program of IsDB through the issuance of public and private placement Sukuk (Islamic bonds). He has been a core team member for 25+ issuances, raising US$ 25 billion from the capital markets to date, including more than US$ 5 billion of Green and Sustainability Sukuk issuances.

Mohsin is IsDB’s focal point for Green, Social and Sustainability (GSS) Sukuk and the Convener of the IsDB Sustainable Finance Task Force. He was the lead from Treasury Department for the establishment of IsDB’s Sustainable Finance Framework, which laid the foundation for IsDB’s Green Sukuk and Sustainability Sukuk issuances.

Mohsin holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree specializing in Islamic banking and finance from the International Islamic University, Malaysia. He was selected for a merit scholarship by IsDB for a diploma in “Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Development” that was offered by Boğaziçi University, Türkiye, in 2016. He was also part of the Primary Market Certificate (PMC) batch of November 2020, the inaugural Primary Market Financial Technology (PMFT) batch of June 2021 and the ICMA Sustainable Bonds Certificate batch of November 2024, all convened by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA)

Managing Director - Head of Sustainability MENAT, Global Sustainability, HSBC Bank Middle East

Sabrin Rahman

Based in the UAE, Sabrin is the Managing Director of Sustainability for EMEA at HSBC, where she is responsible for the sustainable finance agenda across Europe and Middle East and with a focus on innovation in products, strategic advisory and thought leadership on a range of topics including ESG integration and the just & inclusive transition. Sabrin was also the Director of Domestic and Reginal Engagement for COP28, as a part of the UAE Climate Change Special Envoy.

HSBC was named the Middle East’s Best Bank for Sustainable Finance in 2019-2022 by Euromoney in addition to for Western Europe in 2020.

Sabrin also has experience in implementing large complex sustainability projects across borders in partnership with think tanks, non-profits and academia.

She is also a contributor for the Sustainable Finance course at the University of Cambridge.

Sabrin was named as one of Australia’s Brightest Young Minds in 2008, awarded the Distinguished Alumni Service award from Macquarie University in 2011 and nominated for Young Australian of the Year in 2015.

She holds a Masters in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge and a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney specializing in peace and business. She is also a certified UK Chartered Banker Green and Sustainable Finance Professional.

Chief Investment Officer - Fixed Income, Franklin Templeton Dubai

Mohieddine (Dino) Kronfol

Mohieddine (Dino) Kronfol is the chief investment officer for Franklin Templeton Fixed Income in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dino is responsible for managing the investment process, research, and performance of the Global Sukuk and MENA Fixed Income teams, and leads portfolio management for FTSF Global Sukuk and FTIF Gulf Wealth Bond strategies.

Dino is a pioneer in Arab capital markets where he has committed the past 25 years to the development of MENA debt markets and Shariah compliant finance across the globe. He has one of the longest track records managing global Sukuk assets, since 2008, and under his leadership, Franklin Templeton has established itself as a leader in global Sukuk investing. Dino frequently shares his views as a commentator on regional and international media and is a regular speaker at industry events.

Preceding his tenure at Franklin Templeton, Dino was part of a small team that, in 2000, helped build from scratch and run what became SHUAA Capital’s financial services business. He was initially head of Capital Markets and later became head of Debt Asset Management and, in 2002, fund manager of the first fund to focus exclusively on MENA debt. Prior to that, he was an early employee at one of the first pan-Arab investment banks, Middle East Capital Group (MECG).

Dino holds a bachelor of arts in business administration and an MBA from the American University of Beirut. He won the first Failaka Islamic Award for “The Best Sukuk Fund” in 2010, the first Employee Provident Fund of Malaysia (EPF) Award for “Best Global Sukuk Portfolio Manager” in 2014 and 2019, and the MENA Fund Manager Award for “Outstanding Achievement by an Individual” in 2016. Franklin GCC Bond fund won the Mountain View Fund Award 2019 in the Bond Funds Global category. His team was awarded the Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Awards for MENA Fixed Income Strategy, 1 Year (2022) and 3 Years (2021, 2022, 2023) and Global Sukuk Strategy, 1 Year (2021) and 3 Years (2022, 2023).

Simon Thompson

Simon Thompson was recently appointed as Managing Director of the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC) that brings together some of the world’s leading climate finance organizations to enhance collaboration and respond to growing requests for capacity building support from financial institutions in EMDEs.

Previously, Simon served as Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute from 2007 after working for a number of international professional bodies and standard-setters.  He is a Fellow of the Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.  

Simon is the author of Green & Sustainable Finance: Principles and Practice, published by Kogan Page. 

He chairs the UK’s Sustainable Finance Education Charter on behalf of the Department for Net Zero and Energy Security and is a Board member of the UK’s Financial Services Skills Commission (FSSC). Simon is a former Vice President of the European Bank Training Network.  

Simon was awarded Honorary Doctorates by Bangor University (2022) and BPP University (2015) for his contribution to banking, business and education.  

Interim Executive Director Education, Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership

Alice Spencer

Alice is the interim Executive Director of Education at CISL which encompasses three portfolios: a range of digital courses, accredited postgraduate programmes including the Masters of Sustainability Leadership and executive education. CISL has been at the forefront of sustainability education for over three decades and brings a deep understanding of the changing global context and access to a wealth of world-leading research to help inform business strategy and inspire more ambitious action.

In her previous role as Director, Executive Education, she was global lead for CISL’s flagship seminar – the Business & Sustainability Programme – delivered for a diverse range of executives annually in Cambridge, Melbourne and Singapore.

Prior to joining CISL, Alice worked for several years in Australia and New Zealand in Corporate, Not-for-Profit and Government roles, engaging with national and corporate strategies and social and environmental impact projects. These included updating land and water legislation in South Canterbury, New Zealand; working across several large (150,000-400,000 hectare) cattle stations in the Northern Territory, Australia with R.M.Williams to improve social and biodiversity outcomes in addition to carbon farming as an alternative revenue stream; and writing the Natural Resource Management Plan for catchments and islands adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.

Alice has an MA Hons in Geography from the University of Edinburgh.

Managing Director, GEFI

Omar Shaikh

Omar is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and Board Member of the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC)

A Chartered Accountant by profession, he specialises in ethical/responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. He has extensive experience in financial services and has advised multiple governments and regulators on ecosystem building as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance. His background includes working with EY London, where he qualified as a CA and was the former Head of Islamic finance.

Through his GEFI work, Omar has established a number of initiatives, including the Path to COP, the SDG Financial Products platform with UNDP, which promotes innovative financing structures for the SDGs, the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce launched with the UK Government and IsDB, and the award-winning interfaith Edinburgh Finance Declaration—the world’s first shared values approach to finance between Islamic finance and the Church. He also served on the Board of the University of Oxford Faith-Aligned Impact Finance Project

Omar received a BAcc and a PhD from the University of Glasgow along with an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University conferred for his work in developing ethical finance. Beyond finance, he is actively involved with Colourful Heritage which works with Glasgow Museums to preserve and celebrate South Asian heritage in Scotland, The King’s Trust Scotland and Olivewood Primary School.

Simon Thompson

Simon Thompson was recently appointed as Managing Director of the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC) that brings together some of the world’s leading climate finance organizations to enhance collaboration and respond to growing requests for capacity building support from financial institutions in EMDEs.

Previously, Simon served as Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute from 2007 after working for a number of international professional bodies and standard-setters.  He is a Fellow of the Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.  

Simon is the author of Green & Sustainable Finance: Principles and Practice, published by Kogan Page. 

He chairs the UK’s Sustainable Finance Education Charter on behalf of the Department for Net Zero and Energy Security and is a Board member of the UK’s Financial Services Skills Commission (FSSC). Simon is a former Vice President of the European Bank Training Network.  

Simon was awarded Honorary Doctorates by Bangor University (2022) and BPP University (2015) for his contribution to banking, business and education.  

Senior Programme Manager, Global Capacity Building Coalition

Clementine La Nagard

Clementine La Nagard is a key member of the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC), contributing to initiatives aimed at enhancing climate finance capacity. She has been involved in showcasing the GCBC beta platform, a resource designed to support financial institutions in climate finance capacity building. Clementine’s work focuses on mobilizing capital for sustainable development and aligning with UN and G20 goals. Clementine holds an MS (Hons) in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex.

Chair, GEFI Global Steering Group

Dame Susan Rice

With a career that spans medical research, leadership roles in higher education and then banking, Dame Susan chairs the Global Steering Group of GEFI (Global Ethical Finance Initiative). She also chairs the boards of Scottish Water, Business Stream, North American Income Trust.

The first woman to head a UK or European clearing bank as Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland plc, she was also a director of the Bank of England, Senior Independent Director of both J Sainsbury’s plc and SSE plc and lay member of Court at Edinburgh University. She was founding chair of Scotland’s Fiscal Commission, the country’s official, independent economic and fiscal forecaster and recently became a non-executive director on the board of the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility.

Focused on the creation of long-term value in business and enterprise, she works with the UK’s Place-based Climate Action Network and previously led a business-focused collaboration on carbon reduction and a sustainable Scottish economy. A leading voice on ethics in finance, she chaired the Financial Services Culture Board and supported the Chartered Banker Institute by leading her industry to support the creation of professional standards for bankers. Susan also helped develop numerous social finance and impact investing entities in the US and the UK.

Alongside several honorary degrees and professional fellowships, Dame Susan is a Freeman of the City of London.

Managing Director, GEFI

Omar Shaikh

Omar is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and Board Member of the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC)

A Chartered Accountant by profession, he specialises in ethical/responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. He has extensive experience in financial services and has advised multiple governments and regulators on ecosystem building as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance. His background includes working with EY London, where he qualified as a CA and was the former Head of Islamic finance.

Through his GEFI work, Omar has established a number of initiatives, including the Path to COP, the SDG Financial Products platform with UNDP, which promotes innovative financing structures for the SDGs, the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce launched with the UK Government and IsDB, and the award-winning interfaith Edinburgh Finance Declaration—the world’s first shared values approach to finance between Islamic finance and the Church. He also served on the Board of the University of Oxford Faith-Aligned Impact Finance Project

Omar received a BAcc and a PhD from the University of Glasgow along with an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University conferred for his work in developing ethical finance. Beyond finance, he is actively involved with Colourful Heritage which works with Glasgow Museums to preserve and celebrate South Asian heritage in Scotland, The King’s Trust Scotland and Olivewood Primary School.

Simon Thompson

Simon Thompson was recently appointed as Managing Director of the Global Capacity Building Coalition (GCBC) that brings together some of the world’s leading climate finance organizations to enhance collaboration and respond to growing requests for capacity building support from financial institutions in EMDEs.

Previously, Simon served as Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute from 2007 after working for a number of international professional bodies and standard-setters.  He is a Fellow of the Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.  

Simon is the author of Green & Sustainable Finance: Principles and Practice, published by Kogan Page. 

He chairs the UK’s Sustainable Finance Education Charter on behalf of the Department for Net Zero and Energy Security and is a Board member of the UK’s Financial Services Skills Commission (FSSC). Simon is a former Vice President of the European Bank Training Network.  

Simon was awarded Honorary Doctorates by Bangor University (2022) and BPP University (2015) for his contribution to banking, business and education.