UK - EVENTS - Islamic Finance - Is it here to stay? (Cambridge - May 31, 2011)

Islamic Finance - Is it here to stay? 

31/05/2011

When:	31/05/2011 5:45pm - 7:00pm followed by a drinks reception
Where:	LT1 - Cambridge Judge Business School Trumpington Street Cambridge, Cambridgeshire  CB2 1AG United Kingdom
Contact:	Sharifah Bakar-Ali (sbb31@hermes.cam.ac.uk)

Schedule: 5:30pm: Registration 5:45pm - 7:00pm: Panel Discussion 7:00pm - 8:00pm: Drinks and canapé reception Registration Information

Online registration is available until: 29/05/2011 Register for this event » View the 1 person who has already registered (full story)

Details

Join students, alumni, academic staff and industry professionals for the first Islamic Finance Forum to be held at Cambridge Judge Business School. The event aims to provide an insight into Islamic finance and a better appreciation of the contemporary issues surrounding this fast growing area in banking. Cambridge Judge Business School's ultimate goal is to establish a more structured research establishment in Islamic Finance at the School. This event is expected to pave the way for this effort.

Taking the form of a panel discussion, moderated by Dr Kamal Munir of Cambridge Judge Business School, topics will include:

• An introduction to Islamic finance
• Comparison between Islamic finance and conventional banking
• The different legal and regulatory environments in which Islamic banks operate
• Position of Islamic finance after the financial crisis
• Growth of Islamic finance in South East Asia

Panellists, among others, will include:

• Ms Baljeet Kaur Grewal - Managing Director & Vice Chairman, KFH Research Ltd. Baljeet heads the Global Economic & Investment Research and Advisory teams at KFHR, the first Islamic bank worldwide to have a notable research presence in Islamic finance. Prior to this, Baljeet was the Head, Investment Banking Research at Maybank Group, Malaysia. Prior to that, she was attached with ABN AMRO Bank and Deutsche Bank, London, with experiences ranging from Credit Structuring, Loan Syndication and Economic & Capital Market Research. She has broad experience in investment banking, having participated in notable Islamic fund raising transactions in Asia & the Middle East; as well as in strategic planning and execution of investment banking organisational change. To date, she has undertaken research in Islamic finance with a principle focus on debt capital markets and Sukuks in emerging markets. She has written and published numerous articles and papers on Developing Economies & Debt Markets, Islamic Debt Structures and South East Asian Economies; and has addressed numerous international Islamic conferences & forums. Since inception, KFH Research Limited has been awarded 9 international awards of research excellence, and is widely regarded as the Best Islamic Finance research house globally. Baljeet has a 1st Class Honours in International Economics from the University of Hertfordshire and has undertaken extensive research in Development Studies with the London School of Economics. She is also the award recipient of the prestigious Sheikh Rashid al-Makhtoum award for Regional Contribution to Islamic Finance in Asia 2006, as well as accolades honouring women in Islamic finance.
• Ms Farmida Bi - Senior Partner, Norton Rose, London. Farmida is a partner in a globally acclaimed Islamic finance group at the London office of leading international law firm, Norton Rose LLP. She is a graduate of Downing College, Cambridge. Farmida qualified as a solicitor in 1992 and as a New York attorney in 1999. She was a partner at Denton Wilde Sapte in London from 2002 to June 2008 and joined Norton Rose LLP as a partner on 1 July 2008. A recognised expert in the innovative Islamic capital markets field, Farmida is the only female named as a ‘leading individual’ for Islamic finance in the legal industry guide, Chambers UK 2010, which ranks solicitors and barristers in over 60 specialist areas of law. Farmida has advised on many of the most important Sukuk issues in the market such as the Tamweel securitisation, recognised as the first Islamic true securitisation, and on the US$3.5 billion PCFC Sukuk issue to fund Dubai World's purchase of P&O. She also advised the UK Government on its proposed sukuk issue in the form of Sharia compliant Treasury bills.

 

• Ms Arul Selvi Ramiah - Consulting Counsel, International Monetary Fund. Arul brings 15 years of legal expertise in the financial sector garnered across top US law firms and senior regulatory roles. At the IMF, Arul belongs to a team of specialist lawyers focused on financial regulatory reforms. She advises countries on emerging international best practices and financial sector law reform efforts with a focus on financial safety nets, systemic risk regulation and bank resolution frameworks. Arul has also advised numerous countries on their Islamic banking frameworks. In this context she advises on issues ranging from Islamic deposit insurance, Shariah governance and the interaction between Islamic banking regimes and conventional banking frameworks. Having worked in both the private and public sectors across different markets in both the US and Asia she brings a unique perspective to her current role at the IMF. Prior to the IMF, Arul served in a senior management role at a major Asian securities and futures exchange. There she spearheaded various key initiatives in both the securities and derivatives market place. Her earlier transnational expertise in major US law firms structuring and documenting cross border deals enabled her to bring an industry perspective in developing balanced regulatory solutions. Arul is a dual qualified attorney admitted to practice in both US (California) and Singapore. She graduated from Harvard Law School and is the author of a legal treatise (Halsbury’s Law) and various articles on law and regulations. Mr Richard Thomas - CEO, Gatehouse Bank plc and Director, Gatehouse Napier Ltd. Richard has worked in the Islamic Financial Services sector for 30+ years. Prior to joining The Securities House Group of Companies to set up Gatehouse Bank as the 5th stand alone fully Sharia compliant bank in UK, he was Head of Islamic Financial Services at the Arab Banking Corporation in London ("ABCIB"), as well as CEO of ABCIB Islamic Asset Management Limited and Alburaq. He also held senior positions in London related to Islamic financial services at United Bank of Kuwait – Al Manzil and Saudi International Bank in London. Key achievements in this career include the earliest liquidity management tools including Sharia compliant cross border trade finance product developed for the purpose and ground breaking asset backed instruments including Al Safeena and Al Hamila (marine industry) Sukuk and involvement with Sharia compliant US real estate REIT fund development. UK compliant home finance products developed at Al Manzil and Alburaq remain critical to the IFS offering in the UK. Most recently Gatehouse Bank launched Gatehouse Napier Ltd, the first FSA authorised UK Takaful broker focussing on commercial real estate, trade finance and FI – PI + DO risk cover. Richard is a founder member of the TCUK UK Islamic Finance Secretariat also the UK Trade & Investment's Special Representative for Kuwait, assisting in the Government's policy on the promotion of bilateral business and trade development between these countries. He is also an Advisory Council member of British Expertise and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.

  

Schedule:

5:30pm: Registration
5:45pm - 7:00pm: Panel Discussion
7:00pm - 8:00pm: Drinks and canapé reception


How to register: book online above

Cambridge Judge Business School would like to thank KFH Research Ltd, the main sponsor of this event.

KFH Research Ltd is the world's first Islamic investment research arm to be established by an Islamic Bank, Kuwait Finance House. The research house, based in Malaysia, produces a wide range of publications covering macroeconomic and microeconomic issues, developments in Islamic capital markets as well as sovereign and investment products.