Prof. Dr. Milena Valeva (Ph.D.)
(Senior Corporate Consultant)

Prof. Dr. Valeva is interested in the inter-disciplined fields of Islamic Finance,Business & Society and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), creatively urging on social work and business. Her academic experience covers a wide spectrum from social and economic to philosophical thinking. At Amanah IIFE, Prof. Dr. Valeva works as Senior Corporate Consultant and support the company to provide cutting edge solutions to wide range of customers in various regions including Europe, Middle East and Asia. She did her Ph.D. from International Hochschulinstitut Zittau and Universität Leuven (Belgium) in the area of Business Ethics, Ethical Banking & Islamic Banking. She has over 10 years of ccorporate consulting matchless experience. Her analytical skills are embedded in a highly developed inter-cultural awareness and competence. She speaks five international languages including German, English, Polish, Russian and Bulgarian.

Muhammad Umer Farooq
(Head Corporate Advisory and Consultancy)

Muhammad Umer Farooq is an experienced professional banker and corporate consultant with more than 16 years of rich experience to his credit. Before joining Amanah IIEF as Head of Corporate Advisory and Consultancy, Mr. Farooq served as Senior Manager at Standard Charted Bank Dubai in the UAE. He has also worked as Bank Advisor for the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, a German higher education institution formerly known as Bankakademie International, in Pakistan. He trained banking professionals and upper management at the National Institute of Banking and Finance and State Bank of Pakistan and served in various other positions in the banking industry, including Senior Credit Administrator at Mashreq Bank in Dubai and Manager Credit Risk at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank in Abu Dhabi UAE. He also contributed to the development of Microfinance and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) while serving in the SME Bank Limited and Bank Alfalah Limited. Moreover, Mr. Farooq also served Punjab Small Industries as Joint Director Finance in Faisalabad. As a renowned trainer, Mr. Muhammad Umer Farooq has conducted a large number of training events for Islamic and traditional banking professionals in various countries. He is considered as a valuable resource person in the area of Islamic Banking and Finance. Mr. Umer Farooq possesses an MBA in Banking and Finance, with distinction, from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, and has completed first two levels of the CFA program. He has obtained various certifications, training and coaching from leading organizations including Moody’s Analytics, which is part of Moody’s Credit Rating Agency. Mr. Farooq speaks three international languages including Arabic, English and Urdu.

Muhammad Rifat
(Business Development Manager)

Muhammad Rif’at has a distinctive international career with long list of achievements and he is currently working as Business Development Manager at Amanah IIFE. He oversees business development and operational activities of company in South East Asian Region. Mr. Rif’at has special interest on the development of Islamic Banking and Finance as an alternative source of funding for infrastructure development especially for South East Asian countries including Indonesia. Mr. Rif’at has worked in various important positions in Indonesia such as Project Officer at Kader Bangsa Fellowship Program and Junior Researcher at Indonesia Volunteers for Change. He also worked as Sales Marketing at Freeman Sdn. Bhd. at Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei Darussalam, just to mention few. He has strong interest in Islamic Microfinance, Sukuk and Takaful. Mr. Rif’at obtained Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Financial Management from Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Germany and B.A in International Political Economy from National University in Indonesia. He speaks five international languages including German, English, Indonesian, Malay and Arabic.

Salah-Eldin Hassanein
(Assistant Business Development Manager)

Salah-Eldin Hassanein, originally from Egypt, is a passionate young researcher in the area of Islamic Finance and has strong motivation to contribute to the global financial stability of the contemporary financial system by implementing the principles of Islamic Finance. Currently, he is working as Manager Business Development for Amanah IIFE and coordinates our operations in French and Arabic speaking countries. Mr. Hassanein has lived in five countries and worked in key global financial centers including Dubai and Paris. He has obtained degrees from the University of Munich in Applied Arts Germany and La Rochelle Business School France. Mr. Hassanein wrote his thesis on Comparing Islamic Banking with Conventional Banking and How to Prevent Future Financial Crisis. He speaks three international languages including Arabic, English and French.

Hafza Shafi
(Manager Marketing and International Collaborations)

Hafza Shafi has extensive experience and expertise in marketing and international collaborations and is currently serving as Amanah IIFE’s Manager of Marketing and International Collaborations. She obtained Bachelor’s degree from the University of the Punjab, Lahore and is currently pursuing ACMA. from the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP). Ms. Shafi speaks two international languages including English and Urdu.

Faiza Salma
(Manager E-Learning Programs)

Mrs. Faiza Salma is passionate about Islamic Banking and Finance and has more than 10 years of international research and development experience. She is currently serving as Manager E-Learning Programs. She obtained Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance and a Master's of Science in Economics from Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan. Mrs. Salma currently also provides valuable expertise in support of the R&D initiatives undertaken by Amanah IIFE. She speaks three international languages including German, English and Urdu.

Haseeb Ahmad
(Consultant)

Haseeb Ahmad has more than seven years of experience in the Islamic Banking and Finance industry and worked for the Murabahah and Ijara Financing Departments at Bank Alfalah Limited (Islamic Banking Division) where he participated in business development projects and was awarded the Best Customer Services Employee Award for his service and dedication. Mr. Ahmad currently serves as Consultant at Amanah IIFE. He earned an MBA from Coburg University of Applied Science in Germany, and speaks three international languages including German, English and Urdu.

Muhammad Imran Bhatti
(Legal Advisor)

Muhammad Imran Bhatti is L.L.M qualified and possesses a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, and currently serves as Senior Lawyer at Lahore High Court and as Legal Advisor at Amanah IIFE where he provides technical support and guidance in support of various projects related to the Islamic financial services industry, including the Halal industry. He holds a membership of Lahore Bar Council and Punjab Bar Council. He speaks two international languages including English and Urdu.

Wajid Ali
(Researcher)

Mr. Wajid Ali is an enthusiastic young professional having more than five years of experience in disciplines of Economics and Finance at different institutions in Pakistan. Currently, he is working as a Researcher at Amanah IIFE. His main tasks include research and development, preparation of training manuals and providing key insights about latest developments. Mr. Wajid obtained Master of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Central Punjab (UCP), Lahore and M.A Economics degree from University of the Punjab, Lahore. He speaks three international languages including English, Urdu and German (basic).

Shahzad Arshad
(Research Associate)

Mr. Shahzad Arshad is an energetic and exceptionally well-organized researcher. He is well-trained, ambitious with strong dedication to contribute to Islamic Banking and Finance and Takaful. He was Research Assistant at the University of Central Punjab and worked on different research projects. Mr. Shahzad holds MPhil in Economics from the University of Central Punjab, Lahore with five years of academic background in Economics and Finance. Currently, he is working as a Research Associate at Amanah IIFE. His main tasks include research and development, of E-learning courses. He speaks three international languages including English, German (basics) and Urdu.

Prof. Dr. Najeeb Zada
(Head Shariah Advisory Board)

Prof. Dr. Najeeb Zada is currently a faculty member in the historical Islamia College University Peshawar which is a century old monument of education in Pakistan. He earned his PhD in Islamic Finance from the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF), known as the Global University of Islamic Finance and located in Malaysia. Prior to this, he completed three Master degrees in Islamic Studies, Arabic, and English linguistics respectively. He also studied in a traditional Islamic school in Pakistan and successfully earned the degree of al-Shahadat al-A’alamiyyah (equivalent to a Master in Islamic Studies and a Master in Arabic). During his five years’ stay in Malaysia, Dr Najeeb assisted in the successful completion of various research projects at ISRA (International Shari’ah Research Academy for Islamic Finance) and INCEIF and is still providing his expertise and assistance towards some research projects undertaken at ISRA. Additionally, he has presented more than ten research papers in international conferences held in Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan that were organized and/or funded by INCEIF and the Islamic Development Bank of Jeddah respectively. Dr Najeeb is also included on the list of refereed reviewers for the International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management (indexed in Scopus). His areas of research include insolvency, bankruptcy, restructuring as well as the legal, regulatory, supervisory and Shari’ah aspects of Islamic finance in general and sukuk in particular.  He speaks three international languages including Arabic, English and Urdu.

Mufti Abubakar Siddique
(Shari‘ah Advisory Board Member)

Mufti Abubakar Siddique is a seasoned Shari’ah scholar with more than 15 years of experience in Quran, Hadith and Islamic Fiqh (jurisprudence). He is actively involved in various research and development projects, and has served as Chief Editor of the monthly research magazine Al Ikhwan. Because of his in-depth knowledge and experience, Mr. Siddique is considered as one of the most authentic resource in the area of Islamic Banking and Finance and Halal industry. He possesses an M.A. in Islamic and Arabic studies from Wafaq Ul Madaris Salafia, Pakistan, and is Dars Nizami qualified. He speaks three international languages including Arabic, English and Urdu.