Speaker profiles
(in alphabetical order)

Dr Angelo M Venardos
Author of Islamic Banking & Finance in South-East Asia & Executive Director, Heritage Trust Group.

Dr Angelo M Venardos has degrees in Economics and Marketing, an MBA, a Masters of Jurisprudence (Corp & Comm Law) and a Doctorate of Legal Science in the area of the global regulation of offshore financial centers. A banker by training, he commenced his international career in Hong Kong in 1978. Born in Australia of Greek parents, Dr Angelo is a permanent resident of Singapore, where he is the Executive Director and Founder of the Heritage Trust Group.

He has been an active speaker at international Islamic Banking seminars, forums and conferences conducted in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

Azman bin Ismail
Managing Director, IIFIN Planners Sdn Bhd

Azman Ismail specializes in Takaful, IT and fi nancial planning. He is the Managing Director of IIFIN Planners Sdn Bhd, a licensed Investment Advisor (Financial Planning) under the Securities Commission and a Member of the Information Panel, Amanah Raya Berhad, the Public Trustee of Malaysia. He started his career in the Takaful industry as a computer programmer with Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Sdn Bhd in 1985. He was the Assistant General Manager, MNI Takaful Sdn Bhd (now known as Takaful Nasional Sdn Bhd) where he was instrumental in setting up both the family and general Takaful operations. He is a pioneer in the fi rst two Takaful companies in Malaysia and since leaving Takaful Nasional in 1996, he has been providing Takaful and re-Takaful consultancy services to companies in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei. He has also conducted training in Islamic wealth management for banks and Takaful operators in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore.

He was appointed Technical Specialist by SIRIM QAS for the ISO 9000 certifi cation of insurance companies. He has also been involved in the Shariah inspection of investments for several years. He lectured regularly at the PNB Investment Institute and is an external lecturer for the Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance program conducted by the International Islamic University, Malaysia. In addition he lectured at several national institutions. He has conducted various seminars on Takaful, fi nancial planning and wealth management including Bank Negara Malaysia, banks and unit trust companies.

Professor Bala Shanmugam
Director of Banking & Finance, Monash University

Professor Bala Shanmugam is the Director of the Banking and Finance Unit in the School of Business and Information Technology, Monash University, Malaysia. He also holds the Chair of Accounting and Finance. His last appointment was Associate Professor of Banking and Finance at the University of New England, Armidale Australia. He holds a PhD in Finance from the University of Wollongong, a Master of Business Studies (Banking) Honours from the National University of Ireland, Dublin, and Bachelor of Arts Honours (Banking) from the University of Wales, Bangor.

Professor Shanmugam’s main interests are in the area of Islamic and Electronic Banking. His expertise extends further in the area of Islamic Finance, Microfinance, Privatization and Corporate Governance. He has an outstanding track of publications with a total of 64 journal articles and 20 books to date. Professor Shanmugam has also presented in more than 32 Conferences around the world and is a common figure in the media appearance and citations.

Professor Shanmugam has extensive industry experience, has published extensively (over 40 refereed publications and 15 books), and has served as editor for a number of journals. His book on Bank Management has been the standard text for tertiary level as well as professional studies in Banking in several Commonwealth countries (including Australia and Malaysia). Professor Shanmugam is a co-author of E-Banking in Malaysia, 2002.

Baljeet Kaur Grewal
Director/Chief Economist & Head, Research, Kuwait Finance House

Baljeet Kaur Grewal is newly appointed Director/Chief Economist & Head of Research with Kuwait Finance House. Prior to joining KFH, Baljeet was attached to Aseambankers, ABN AMRO Bank and Deutsche Bank, London with experiences ranging from Credit Structuring, Product Innovation and Capital Market Research. She has broad experience in investment banking, having participated in notable Islamic fund raising transactions in Asia. To date, she has undertaken research in Islamic finance with a principle focus on debt capital markets and Sukuks. She has written and published 31 articles on Developing Economies & Debt Markets, Islamic Debt Structures and South East Asian Economies; and has addressed numerous international Islamic conferences & forums.

Baljeet holds a 1st Class Honours in International Economics and also conducted extensive Research with the London School of Economics. She has a dedicated column in an International Islamic Bulletin, a local daily and two European magazines discussing economic and bond market overview.

KFH began its Malaysian operations in August, and has been focusing on corporate investment, launching new Islamic products, as well as its involvement in Islamic structured financing. KFH also launched Asia’s largest Islamic real estate fund in a joint venture with Singapore-based Pacific Star Group. 

Jennifer Chang
Executive Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Jennifer Chang is the Senior Executive Director in the Tax and Business Advisory Division of PricewaterhouseCoopers.  She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and the Securities Institute of Australia and has worked extensively in both Australia and Malaysia. 

Her consultancy works has involved advising on tax; regulatory and exchange control implications of establishing operations in Malaysia; corporate group structures for domestic and international tax efficiencies, mergers of financial institutions; establishing funds including venture capital funds, advising on various aspects on financial activities in Labuan; advising and implementing structured finance transactions; Islamic structures, asset securitization transactions; de-mutualiztion of exchanges, etc…

She has been involved in a major tax study conducted by the Securities Commission on the capital markets, in addition to formulating various proposals to the Ministry of Finance on behalf of clients on fiscal initiatives to promote the financial services industry such as unit trust, REITs, securitization, Islamic banking and Labuan.

She has also recently been involved in committee discussions with the Bank Negara and LOFSA on tax incentives to promote Islamic Banking products and Labuan. 

Megat Hizaini Hassan
Partner & Head, Islamic Banking & Finance Practice Zaid Ibrahim & Co.

Megat Hizaini Hassan is a partner in the law firm of Zaid Ibrahim & Co. and is the Head of the firm’s Islamic Banking and Finance Practice.

Megat advises on matters relating to Islamic banking and finance, as well as corporate legal and regulatory developments. He advises clients on the structure and documentation for Islamic banking and financing facilities, and appropriate structures for Islamic financing. He has advised clients on financing and investment structures based on the Shariah principles of Bai’ Bithaman Ajil, Bai’ Inah, Murabahah, Ijarah, Bai’ al-Istisna’, Bai’ Salam, Musharakah and Mudarabah. He has also advised clients on issues relating to the legal and regulatory framework of Islamic banking and finance.

Megat graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia, as well as Master of Law (LL.M.) degrees from the University of Cambridge and Harvard Law School, respectively. He was a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar at the University of Cambridge, the International Islamic University Scholar at Harvard Law School and a Royal Dutch/Shell Scholar at the International Islamic University Malaysia. He was called to the Malaysian Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1991.

Megat is the co-author of the book entitled “The Law and Practice of Islamic Banking and Finance” published by Sweet & Maxwell and has authored articles on Islamic banking and finance for several publications. He was formerly a lecturer at the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia and had continued to teach at the university on a part-time basis.

Mohamed Ridza Abdullah
Managing Partner, Mohamed Ridza & Co

Mohamed Ridza is the managing partner of Mohamed Ridza & Co.   He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honors) degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia.  Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner and head of the Islamic Banking and Finance Division of Zaid Ibrahim & Co. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (London),a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Corporate Governance Committee and the National Investigation Committee of the Malaysian Association of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. He was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1993. 

His current practice includes oil and gas, corporate and commercial law, construction law and Islamic banking and finance. He has advised clients locally and internationally on Islamic banking documentation utilizing various Shariah concepts ranging from Islamic trade finance, Islamic corporate and retail banking and takaful.  He also advises clients on Islamic offshore financing, Islamic private debt securities and Islamic asset backed debt securities. 

He is instrumental in developing Islamic banking documents for several financial institutions.  He has spoken extensively in seminars involving corporate matters and Islamic banking and finance. He has co-authored a book titled the “Law & Practice of Islamic Banking & Finance”. He is a director of Tabung Haji Travels & Services Sdn Bhd, an independent director of Pelangi Berhad and KPI Corporation Philippines. He sits in the audit committee of Tabung Haji Travel and Pelangi Berhad.

Shabnam Mohamad Mokhtar
Lecturer, University Putra Malaysia

Shabnam Mohamad Mokhtar is currently a lecturer at the Department of Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Economics & Management, University Putra Malaysia. She obtained her Bachelor of Accountancy (First Class Honors) from University Putra Malaysia where she received the Chancellor Gold Medal Award as an overall best student of the university. She successfully completed her Master of Accounting with distinction from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA. She teaches accounting and finance subjects including Bank Management and Islamic Finance at undergraduate level for both full time and executive students. She is also the member of the Center of Excellence in Applied Finance and Accounting Studies (CEAFAS), UPM. Her research interest is in the area of Islamic Banking and Finance where she has developed several articles and working papers. Recently her research group obtained a grant from INCEIF to conduct research regarding Islamic Financial Institutions.