Council Members

 Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar is currently the Chairman of the Malaysia International Islamic Finance Centre (MIFC) Leadership Council, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and the Chairman of INCEIF University (The International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance). Between June 2004 and July 2018, he was the Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s strategic investment fund (“Khazanah” with AUM of approximately USD40bn then), and between December 2021 and December 2023, he was the Chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji Malaysia (Hajj Pilgrims Fund Board with AUM of approximately USD20bn).

Other current affiliations include as a member of the Global Future Council on Investing of the World Economic Forum (Davos),  the Steering Committee of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI), Edinburgh, the Advisory Board of the University of Oxford Technology and Management Centre for Development and the Investment Advisory Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Azman is also a Development Leadership Dialogue Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, an Advisory Board member of the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar and a Senior Fellow at IKIM Malaysia (the Institute for Islamic Understanding).

Between 2019 and 2022, Azman was the Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge and a Bye-Fellow of Darwin College, Cambridge.

He is currently a member of the Majlis Kebangsaan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Malaysia (National Council for Islamic Affairs, Malaysia) and from 2020 to 2022, the Majlis Pemulihan Negara (National Recovery Council (for Covid-19)) in Malaysia. He is also a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, an Advisory Board member of Mundi Ventures (a Madrid based European Tech VC), a member of the Board of Governors of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, and a board member of MERCY Malaysia, an international humanitarian NGO.

During the 14-year period as Khazanah’s Managing Director and CEO, the institution established itself as a leading sovereign fund in the region as its net portfolio value rose 3.5x from RM33.3bn in 2004 to RM115.6bn at the end of 2017, an increase of RM82.3bn or a compounded rate of 9.6% p.a. over the period.  During this tenure, Azman, among others, spearheaded the GLC (Government-Linked Companies) 10-Year Transformation Program from 2005 to 2015, the development of the Iskandar Malaysia special economic development zone, the internationalization of Khazanah and its companies into China, India, South East Asia, Turkey, Middle East and Europe and North America, and investing into new growth sectors, notably in financial services, telecommunications, infrastructure, healthcare and technology.

Azman also founded, chaired or served on various boards of companies and national public interest bodies, including Axiata Group Berhad and Iskandar Investment Berhad. He also drove the creation of IHH Healthcare Bhd, which is today, one of the largest listed hospital healthcare groups in the world. Prior to Khazanah, he co-founded a boutique financial advisory, BinaFikir Sdn Bhd, and prior to that was the Head of Research at Union Bank of Switzerland (“UBS”), Malaysia and Salomon Smith Barney, Malaysia. He started his career at Malaysia’s national utility, Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

In addition to its core work of investing and portfolio management, Khazanah, under Azman, was recognized as a leading proponent of, inter alia, Impact and Responsible Investing, Corporate Governance, Islamic and Sustainable Finance, Human Capital Development, and Corporate Social Responsibility by implementing a holistic framework of “Building True Value” from a financial, economic and societal value creation standpoint. In this regard, during his tenure, Azman led the foundation of several notable institutions and practices, including Yayasan Hasanah, Yayasan Khazanah, Khazanah Research Institute, the Khazanah Megatrends Forum, the Trust School Program, Kembara Khazanah, Think City, Amanah Warisan Negara and Taman Tugu Park.

Azman obtained an M.Phil in Development Studies (with distinction) from Darwin College, Cambridge University, as a Chevening scholar, and a Diploma in Islamic Studies from International Islamic University Malaysia. In 2018, he was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Wawasan Open University, Malaysia. He is also a CFA Charter Holder and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants (ACCA). His professional accolades include as the Chairman of the Year 2017, Malaysia (by MSWG-ASEAN Corporate Governance), Value Creator for Outstanding CEO of Malaysia  2016 (The Edge), Most Outstanding Individual for contributions to Islamic Finance (by KLIFF, 2011) and the Special Humanitarian Award by MERCY Malaysia (2019).

From 2016 to 2018, he was elected by the World Economic Forum (Davos) to the Board of Stewards for the Future of Economic Progress and the Board of Stewards for the ASEAN Regional Strategy Group, and in 2011, a member of its Global Agenda Council on the Role of Business. From 2005 to 2018, he was a member and trustee of the Asia Business Council, and until November 2019, he was a founding trustee of the Asia School of Business.

Azman has also served on various public service and policy making bodies in Malaysia including the National Export Council, National Innovation Agency, National Science Council, Special Economic Committee, Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Global Science and Innovation Agenda Council to the Prime Minister and on the Advisory Panel to the Minister of Education. For his services to the nation, Azman was awarded the Panglima Setia Mahkota (P.S.M.) medal by the King of Malaysia in 2008 which carries the honorary title “Tan Sri”, and the titles “Dato” (2004) and “Datuk Wira” (2017) by the states of Pahang and Melaka respectively. Born in Melaka in 196, the second child of three to parents who were teachers, he makes home in Kajang, Malaysia with Mastura Abdul Rahman, and together, they have five children.

Andrew Sheng is well known in global financial circles as a former central banker and financial regulator in Asia and a commentator on global finance. He is Distinguished Fellow of Asia Global Institute, the University of Hong Kong. Andrew is the Chief Adviser to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, a Board Member of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the sovereign wealth fund of Malaysia, a member of the international advisory council of the China Investment Corporation, the China Development Bank, China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Securities and Exchange Board of India.  He is also an advisor to the United Nations Environment Program Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System.

Andrew served as Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong from 1998 to 2005, having previously been a central banker with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank Negara Malaysia. He also worked with the World Bank from 1989 to 1993. From 2003 to 2005, he chaired the Technical Committee of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

He has published widely on monetary, economics and financial issues. His 2009 book entitled, “From Asian to global financial crisis: an Asian regulator’s view of unfettered finance in the 1990s and 2000s”, was published by Cambridge University Press. His forthcoming book is “Shadow Banking in China: An Opportunity for Financial Reform”, with Ng Chow Soon (John Wiley).

He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing and the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. In 2009, he became the Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.

He writes regularly on international finance and monetary economics, financial regulation and global governance for Project Syndicate, AsiaNewsNet and leading economic magazines and newspapers in China and Asia. A chartered accountant by training, he has a BSc in Economics and Honorary Doctorates from the University of Bristol and University of Malaya. In April 2013, Andrew was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also appeared in the Oscar-winning film “Inside Job” in 2011.

Dato Dr Nik Ramlah retired as Deputy Chief Executive of Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) in March 2016, having served the organisation for 23 years. She has extensive experience in policy and regulatory reform, capital market regulation, corporate governance and Islamic finance. Prior to joining the SC, Dato Dr Nik Ramlah was an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya.

Dato Dr Nik Ramlah is currently a member of the MIFC Leadership Council and is a board member of INCEIF University as well as the Institute for Capital Market Research Malaysia. She is also Board member of Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia, Permodalan Nasional Berhad, Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad, Axiata Group Berhad, United Malacca Berhad and EDOTCO Group Sdn Bhd.

She has under her belt over 25 years experience in the Malaysian capital markets. Up till end 2021, Rejina was the Founding MD for the Malaysian office of Nomura Asset Management which she grew from scratch to an award winning firm with over MYR30 billion in assets under management. She was one of only three Malaysians listed in the inaugural 2021 Listee of the Kindness & Leadership 50 Leading Lights Asia Pacific and was also named by Asia Asset Management magazine as 25 industry leaders of the Asian asset management industry.

She started Wahine (pronounced Wa-hee-nay) Capital as a means of helping women gain financial confidence for themselves. They released their first prototype, W Vault on 28th May 2023. Like most women, she plays multiple roles- she is a proud mum to two adults who live in Auckland, New Zealand and the only child of septuagenarian parents and the better half to her husband for the last 27 years. She also sits on various Boards and advisory committees as part of her giving back to the capital markets.

Dato’ Abdul Rahman is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of PNB, Malaysia’s leading asset management firm where he also served between 2016 and 2019. Prior to his current role, he was the Group CEO of CIMB Group, one of ASEAN’s largest financial institutions.

A Chartered Accountant, he began his career in 1992 at Arthur Andersen, London, and has led various corporate organisations, including Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad, Media Prima Berhad as well as Ekuiti Nasional Berhad, a government linked private equity firm.

Datuk Prof. Dr. Mohamad Akram is a Professor at INCEIF University. He was also the former Chief Executive Officer of ISRA Consulting and Executive Director of ISRA Management Centre. Prior to joining ISRA he was an Assistant Professor at the Kulliyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM). In the period 2002-2004, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

At present, he is the Member of Bank Negara Malaysia Shari’ah Advisory Council, Chairman of Shari’ah Board of Employees Provident Fund Malaysia (EPF), Chairman of Shariah Supervisory Council of Labuan Financial Services Authority (FSA), Chairman of Shariah Advisory Committee For Shariah Compliant Fund (SACF) of Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB), Member of The Shariah Advisory Committee of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Chairman of ASNB Wakalah Sdn Bhd, Member of Shariah Board DDCAP, London, Member of Internal Shariah Supervisory Committee, Dubai Islamic Bank, Member of Shariah Advisory Council International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM),Bahrain, Member of AAOIFI Public Interest Monitoring Consultative Committee (PIMCC), Member of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) Internal Shariah Supervision Committee, Chairman of the Shariah Supervisory Board (SSB) of the “Amanat Advisory” LLC, Member Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE), Central Bank of Nigeria, Member of Shariah Supervisory Board, Bank Musqat Meethaq Islamic Bank, Member of The Panel of Recognized International Market Experts in Finance (“P.R.I.M.E. Finance”), Member of Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM) and other boards locally and internationally.​

Prof. Akram holds a B.A. Honours degree in Islamic Jurisprudence and Legislation from the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan and a Ph.D. in Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh) from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. He has presented many papers related to Islamic Banking and Finance and other Fiqh topics at national and International level and has conducted many training sessions particularly on Islamic Banking and Finance for different sectors since 1999. He is a registered Shariah Advisor for Islamic Securities with the Securities Commission of Malaysia and has acted as Shariah advisor in the issuance of several sukuks. In addition, he is also prolific author of academic works specifically in the areas of Islamic Banking and Finance. He is the recipient of Zaki Badawi Award for Excellence in Shariah Advisory and Research. Recipient of the Most Outstanding Individual Contribution to Islamic Finance during KLIFF 2016 organised by CERT. Winner of the 2017/1439H Malaysian Islamic Personality Award conferred by The Government of Malaysia on the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).​​

Sharifatul Hanizah is the Executive Director of Islamic Capital Market (ICM) of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC).

She leads a team that facilitates the developmental and operational initiatives for Malaysia’s Islamic capital market (ICM). This encompasses initiatives through the deepening and broadening of ICM products and services to further strengthen Malaysia’s position as a global hub for ICM as well reviews of industry proposals and Shariah status for listed/pre-initial public offering securities.

Sharifatul Hanizah has an extensive and diverse experience of over 30 years in the fields of investment analysis, portfolio management, equity trading and unit trust while serving in various organisations such as Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), RHB Investment Management Sdn Bhd and Muamalat Invest. During her tenure in PNB and RHB, Sharifatul Hanizah’s board experience was vast, spanning consumer goods, technology and manufacturing companies. She served on the boards of exchange-listed and private companies as a Nominee Director for PNB and RHB.

Prior to joining the SC in August 2019, Sharifatul Hanizah was the Chief Executive Officer of SIDC, the learning and development arm of the SC. She is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (F Fin), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), an Islamic Financial Planner (IFP) and a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM).

Dato Paduka Iqbal Khan is a Founding Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of Fajr Capital, an Islamic investment firm focused on the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Cravia Group, Jadwa Investment and MENA Infrastructure.

Prior to Fajr Capital, Dato Paduka Iqbal was the founding CEO of HSBC Amanah, where he built the business and team over eight years into one of the fastest growing and most successful emerging businesses in the HSBC Group. He was simultaneously a member of the Board of Directors of HSBC Bank Middle East, The Saudi British Bank, and HSBC Investment Bank (Saudi Arabia).

Dato Paduka Iqbal has played a prominent role in developing and promoting Islamic finance and investment on the international stage, serving as an advisor to government initiatives in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. He is currently a Member of the Global Development Council at Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development.

Dato Paduka Iqbal holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and chemistry and a master’s degree in political science and international Relations, both from Aligarh Muslim University. He is also the recipient of several industry and global accolades, including:

• The Royal Award for Islamic Finance (2012), a biannual award jointly organized by Securities Commission Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia, and presented by His Majesty the King of Malaysia;
• The State Award of “The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei” (2014), presented by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam; and
• A Lifetime Achievement Award (2015), presented by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Adnan Zaylani is the Deputy Governor with responsibility over the investment, financial markets and financial sector development. Adnan started his career at the Bank as a foreign exchange trader and portfolio manager in 1994 and played key roles in managing the international reserves, the National Trust Fund and several other public sector funds. He also oversaw financial market operations and was involved in advising the government on its cashflow management and debt strategy, participating in its international Sukuk roadshows in 2015 and 2016. He became the Assistant Governor in 2016 and has overseen various portfolios; among others the financial markets, investment, foreign exchange administration, currency management, legal and financial sector development which included the development and advancement of Islamic Finance.

Among Adnan’s key contributions has been the Financial Sector Blueprint that included the development chapter on Islamic Finance, the Digital Banking Framework including Islamic Digital Banks and the formation of the MIFC leadership council (MLC). He continues to be involved in various Islamic Finance development initiatives, in particular for the Islamic Financial Markets as well as his roles in International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM), Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and INCEIF University and as the Bank’s representative on the MLC. He is a member of the Bank’s Board of Directors and is also a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Committee.

Adnan holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, MSc in Global Market Economics, London School of Economics and BSc in Economics, London School of Economics. He is also an Adjunct Professor at University Malaysia Terengganu.