Leadership in IBF is fast evolving. While the likes of Prince Mohamed Al Faisal and Sheikh Saleh Kamel have ably led the industry from a small niche to a US$2 trillion industry, the younger generation of leaders have taken the baton from their senior peers to take the industry to the next level. This issue commemorates our sixth Global Islamic Finance Report (GIFR), which has a central theme of Islamic financial leadership. If you have yet to order a copy of GIFR 2015, please do so now to benefit from a special discount.
This special issue of ISFIRE brings to our esteemed readership personal perspectives of five leading personalities in their respective fields. The most interesting interview is perhaps that of Dr Mansoor Durrani who shares with us his views on IBF in general and Islamic project finance in particular.
His detailed interview provides insight into the practice of Islamic project finance. Dr Durrani has successfully developed one of the ablest teams of Islamic project finance and has worked with one of the leading players in IBF, i.e., National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia. As a leading personality in IBF, Dr Durrani’s views must serve as essential guidelines for those who are already practicing IBF or those who contemplate starting a career in this growing field.
Another interesting interview is that of Nik Norishky Thani who came to prominence when he joined Dubai International Financial Centre as Executive Director Islamic Finance. Currently, he is serving as Head of Islamic Projects at Permodalan Nasional Berhad or National Equity Corporation (PNB), Malaysia, and has a lot to share with our readership in terms of his leadership role in IBF. In his distinct narrative style, he explains what has been a main motive for him to join IBF. To him, IBF is only a tool to achieve greater goals for the renaissance of Islam, and this is what he would like to achieve through his involvement in the industry.
Madzlan Mohamed – Senior Partner and Head of Islamic Finance at Zaid Ibrahim & Co – is our third interviewee in this special issue. His leadership role at IFSB and his current position provide ample proof of the relevance of his thoughts to the development of IBF in future. Nasir Ali Khan, a risk expert working at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, shares some interesting insights in a crispy manner.
Professor Dr Normah Haji Omar is our interviewee from the academic world. She has pioneered a new discipline in IBF, namely Islamic financial criminology, and her insights into the development of IBF are also relevant to the current practices of IBF.
With every new issue of ISFIRE, we have definitely improved the outlook of publication and depth of analyses. Unlike many other publications in the field of IBF, ISFIRE attempts to bring genuinely new perspectives and exclusive stories on a wide range of topics. With your patronage and continuous support, we shall endeavour to improve it even further to make it a unique source of Islamic financial intelligence.
Enjoy the rest of the magazine, and do let us know how we can improve it further.
