Global Islamic Impact Investment Forum announces international Advisory Board

London, December 13th 2021, Today the Global Islamic Impact Investment Forum (GIIIF) has announced the members of the 2022 Strategic Advisory Board.

The pioneering, international forum will bring together decision making stake holders from Islamic Economies all over the world, and each Advisory Board member brings with them a depth of experience and understanding in Sustainability and/or Islamic Finance which will provide an exceptional pool of resources to the GIIIF network. The Boards initial members are:

•Daud Vicary Abdullah is the Managing Director of DVA Consulting Sdn. Bhd. and a Partner at Gateway Global LLP. He is the former President and CEO of INCEIF, The Global University of Islamic Finance. He has been in the finance and consulting industry for over 47 years, with significant experience in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Since 2002, he has focused exclusively on Islamic Finance where he has contributed to several books on the subject and has co-authored a book on Islamic Finance entitled “Islamic Finance: Why it makes sense.” He is also a frequent speaker and commentator on matters relating to Islamic Finance.

•His Excellency Talal al Rahby, an Omani economist and politician who currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Vision Oman 2040 implementation unit. Previously the visionary behind Oman’s Tanfeedh programme, al Rahby brings to the table a wealth of experience in planning and implementation of economic diversification efforts in the GCC region.

•Maali Khader, Maali Q. Khader is a highly experienced, effective, and trusted lawyer. A luminary in corporate governance, sustainability, legal training, and advice sectors, Maali holds a few concurrent roles, chief of which is CEO of the influential Middle East Institute of Directors (MEIoD). There she delivers advanced environment, social and governance (ESG) advisory and training to prestigious organisations. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration, an Accredited Mediator from RICS,
a member of CIPE MENA Advisory Council and a Member of the Responsible Business Roundtable established by the OECD.

•Zoë Harries, Based in Dubai, she heads the Advisory Division at World FZO. She is the founder and CEO of Impact Zones Global and Middle East and a Partner and Director at EZDA Alliance. Zoë’s mission is to mobilize the public and private sector to achieve the SDGs, while accelerating trade and promoting sustainable investment.

•William Tohmé, Tohmé joined CFA Institute in 2018 and is based at the organisation’s office in Abu Dhabi, which opened in the same year in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Previously, Tohmé was director of institutional business development at Lazard, where he developed the sovereign institutional client business in the Middle East. He has also served as director for Middle Eastern institutions at Alliance Bernstein.

•Anne Marie Thodsen, Anne Marie Thodsen is the Managing Director of The Umbrella Institute, a UAE based ESG & Sustainability advisory. The Umbrella Institute is specialized in business behaviour and triple bottom line transformation, ESG & Sustainability reporting, and program development. Thodsen was a judge at the Gulf Sustainability and CSR awards in 2020 and holds a degree in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

•Yasser Dahlawi, CEO of Shariyah Review Bureau, Saudi Arabia brings unique experience in counselling enterprises and executive teams as they embark on journeys to Sharia compliant markets. In his 25 years of work experience, Yasser has advised clients in a range of industries including Islamic banking, Islamic Insurance, Real Estate and Private Equity but his primary area of work involves assisting the financial sector to develop and establish Sharia compliant businesses.

•Mohab al Hinai An innovator, entrepreneur and self-driven trendsetter, Mohab is a technology enthusiast with over seventeen years of experience in the field technology and innovation. He co-founded Sustainable Investments LLC, an Omani firm that focuses on introducing cutting-edge technological innovations in the MENA region with special focus on food security, energy and health.

•Adrian Christofides Adrian started his career at HSBC Private Bank in London in 2007 in the Wealth Management Investment Group. Adrian primarily focused on portfolio management for the Ultra High Net Worth clients in the offshore team. After a number of successful years he joined Goldman Sachs Investment Management Division covering key private clients in Europe. In 2013 Adrian was appointed Director of Falcon Private Wealth Ltd an asset manager owned by a leading Middle Eastern Sovereign Fund covering Family Offices and Institutional Clients in the EMEA regions. Currently Adrian is part of the seniors sales team at Sova Capital.

•Charlotte O’Leary, the CEO and an executive director of Pensions for Purpose. Charlotte is also a member of the Impact Investing Institute's Pensions Expert Panel, an ambassador for the Transparency Taskforce and a founder of 10 Billion World, an end-to-end sustainability project management business aimed at businesses and organisations setting net zero and carbon reduction targets. Charlotte has over 15 years of professional experience in asset management, starting in fund analysis and progressing through to institutional business development. Charlotte has worked for some very well-known institutions, including Jupiter, Pictet and Cambridge Associates. Through her roles, Charlotte has built a knowledge and passion for responsible and sustainable investing.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a dynamic and strategic advisory board to the GIIIF family. The Global Islamic Impact Investment Forum is more than an event, it is a carefully curated, significant gathering of international hearts and minds dedicated to contributing to a sustainable, better world for our children.” Said Sophia Shepodd Innocenti, Founder of the GIIIF “the synergy between Islamic Finance and Impact Investing is impossible to ignore, and Islamic Finance has the potential to unlock the UN SDGs and fill the enormous funding gap we currently see,”.

This group of advisors will council the team at GIIIF, and fulfil the important and unique strategic function of developing the Lil Mustaqbal Pledge (translating to English as the For the Future Pledge) for the GIIIF network of attendees. A tailor-made roadmap which takes the event’s intentions forwards and allows for a transparent evaluation of the network’s achievements by 2030.


About the Global Islamic Impact Investment Forum

The Global Islamic Impact Investment Forum will bring together stakeholders including Regulators, Financial Services Professionals, Government Representatives, and Funds from Islamic Economies all over the world and will take place in London on September 7th 2022.

As the next generation demand more extensive change in the way leaders invest with a focus on green projects and community enabling support, now is the time for global Islamic stakeholders to explore intent, opportunity, outreach, and the legacy of Islamic Impact investment.

For more information or to schedule an interview on this subject with one of our spokespersons please contact:

Head of Public and Media Relations
Ms Jennifer Tillotson
+44 1642 711811
+44 7850247378
info@thegiiif.com
www.thegiiif.com