Tan Sri Azman Hashim has been in the banking industry since 1960 when he joined Bank Negara Malaysia. He practised as a Chartered Accountant in Azman Wong Salleh and Co. from 1964 to 1971. He was on the board of Malayan Banking Berhad from 1966 to 1980 and was its Executive Director from 1971 until 1980. He was the Executive Chairman of Kwong Yik Bank Berhad, a subsidiary of Malayan Banking Berhad, from 1980 until 1982 when he acquired AmInvestment Bank Berhad.

Tan Sri Azman is Chairman of the Asian Institute of Finance Berhad, Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers, Asian Banking School Sdn Bhd, Malaysian Investment Banking Association, the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, Malaysia South-South Corporation Berhad and Chairman Emeritus of Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC).

He is the President of Malaysia South-South Association, Malaysia-Japan Economic Association, Malaysian Prison FRIENDS Club and a Member of the APEC Business Advisory Council and East Asia Business Council. He is also the Leader of the ASEAN Japanese Business Meeting (Malaysia Committee, Keizai Doyukai). He is the Pro-Chancellor of Open University of Malaysia and a member of the Governing Body of Asian Productivity Organisation.

Tan Sri Azman is also involved in several charitable organisations as Chairman and Trustee of AmGroup Foundation and Perdana Leadership Foundation and Trustee for Yayasan Azman Hashim, Malaysian Liver Foundation, Yayasan Tuanku Najihah and Yayasan Canselor Open University Malaysia. Tan Sri Azman is also the Founder and Council Member of Azman Hashim Family (L) Foundation and Azman Hashim Charitable (L) Foundation.

Prior to co-founding Ikhlas, Nazir led CIMB as Chairman from 2014 to 2018, and as Group CEO from 1999 to 2014. As Group CEO of CIMB, he spearheaded CIMB’s transformation from a local investment bank to the fifth largest universal bank in ASEAN, the largest Asia Pacific-based investment bank and a world leader in Islamic finance. He served on the Investment Panel of the Employees Provident Fund (2002 to 2017) and the board of Khazanah Nasional (2014 to 2018). Nazir is currently the Chairman of PLS Plantations and Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad, a development finance institution.

Nazir has received some of the most prestigious awards from international journals and institutions as a banker and a corporate leader. He is recognised as a passionate advocate of ASEAN through his achievements at CIMB, founding of the ASEAN Business Club and inaugural chairmanship of the World Economic Forum ASEAN Regional Strategy Group. He is currently the Chairman of ASEAN Business Advisory Council Malaysia.

Nazir holds a BSc from Bristol University and an MPhil from Cambridge University. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and at the Blavatnik School of Government (“BSG”), Oxford University. He is also currently a member of the BSG’s International Advisory Board.

With a career that spans medical research, leadership roles in higher education and then banking, Dame Susan chairs the Global Steering Group of GEFI (Global Ethical Finance Initiative). She also chairs the boards of Scottish Water, Business Stream, North American Income Trust.

The first woman to head a UK or European clearing bank as Chief Executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland plc, she was also a director of the Bank of England, Senior Independent Director of both J Sainsbury’s plc and SSE plc and lay member of Court at Edinburgh University. She was founding chair of Scotland’s Fiscal Commission, the country’s official, independent economic and fiscal forecaster and recently became a non-executive director on the board of the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility.

Focused on the creation of long-term value in business and enterprise, she works with the UK’s Place-based Climate Action Network and previously led a business-focused collaboration on carbon reduction and a sustainable Scottish economy. A leading voice on ethics in finance, she chaired the Financial Services Culture Board and supported the Chartered Banker Institute by leading her industry to support the creation of professional standards for bankers. Susan also helped develop numerous social finance and impact investing entities in the US and the UK.

Alongside several honorary degrees and professional fellowships, Dame Susan is a Freeman of the City of London.

Datuk Yvonne Chia is one of ASEAN’s foremost corporate figures, widely respected for her role in mentoring and spearheading strategic initiatives that drive regional development. With over four decades of leadership in the banking sector, she has expertly steered institutions through both periods of economic growth and crisis. Datuk Yvonne is especially recognised for her expertise in leading complex mergers and acquisitions (M&As), leaving an indelible mark on Malaysia’s banking landscape.

Throughout her career, she has cultivated deep goodwill with a diverse range of stakeholders, including union leaders, government bodies, regulators, shareholders, and communities. Her foundation in banking was established during her tenure at Bank of America (1976–1994), where she spent 15 years honing her skills in credit, project finance, liability management, and business creation. This strong foundation enabled her to become a highly effective strategist, skilled at forging influential relationships and navigating the intricacies of both corporate and governmental environments. Her visionary leadership allows her to identify emerging trends across industries and influence policy and decision-makers.

As Group Managing Director and CEO of RHB Banking Group (1994–2002), and later as Group Managing Director of Hong Leong Bank (2003–2013), she played a pivotal role in expanding these institutions, which now collectively represent nearly 20% of Malaysia’s banking assets.

Her leadership transcends the banking sector. She has served as a Trustee for the Merdeka Award Trust, honouring Malaysians for outstanding contributions to the nation. From 2020–2023, she also chaired Cradle Fund, under the Ministry of Finance, where she helped identify and support startups with global potential, fostering a new generation of disruptors shaping the future through technology and social innovation.

Currently, she serves as Independent Non-Executive Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, Standard Chartered Saadiq, and Press Metal Holdings Berhad, and she sits on the board of Silverlake Axis Ltd., a technology company listed on the Singapore Exchange. She also previously served as Senior Lead Director of Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad for a decade.

A passionate advocate of lifelong learning, she is a council member of the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers, where she actively contributes to education and development for the future of banking in the digital world. She notably is the Project mentor for the Future Skills Framework for the financial services sector. She is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham School of Economics, where she champions ESG principles and women in banking initiatives.

Recognised as a game-changer, Datuk Yvonne consistently drives strategic initiatives that deliver long-term value. Her thought leadership on banking, governance, ESG, transition finance, and the future of work has made her a sought-after speaker and curator at regional conferences. She continues to mentor the next generation of leaders in the financial services industry.

Fluent in English, Malay, and Hokkien with basic Mandarin, she is an economics graduate from the University of Malaya, a Fellow Chartered Banker, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals. As well as an award-winning banker and in recognition of her contributions to Malaysia’s financial sector, she was awarded the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah title in 2012, by the King of Malaysia which carries the honorific "Datuk".

Shireen spearheads the Institute’s sustainability, thought leadership and strategic communication and collaboration initiatives.

Her professional experience spans CRM Strategy, Branding and Capital Markets. Prior to joining AICB, Shireen worked in Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) in the areas of international regulatory standards and capacity building. She has also worked in international advertising agencies and business conglomerates based in Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.

Shireen graduated from the University of Kent, UK with a LL.B. (Hons) in Law.

Omar Shaikh is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI).

Omar is a Chartered Accountant (CA) with expertise in ethical and responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. With extensive experience in financial services, he has advised multiple governments and regulators as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance, specialising in ecosystem building. He began his career at EY London, where he qualified as a CA and served as Head of Islamic Finance.

Omar has led the development of several pioneering initiatives in sustainable and Islamic finance. These include the Path to COP, a project focused on leveraging finance for nature-based solutions, and a SDGs Financial Products Platform, created in collaboration with the UNDP to promote innovative financing structures aligned with the SDGs. He also played a key role in establishing the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce, launched in partnership with the UK Government and the Islamic Development Bank, which advances the integration of Islamic finance with global sustainability goals. Additionally, Omar co-authored the award-winning Edinburgh Finance Declaration, the world’s first interfaith initiative to align Islamic finance principles with those of the Church, creating a shared values approach to ethical finance.

Omar earned a Bachelor of Accountancy (BAcc) from the University of Glasgow and holds select board advisory roles, including with the UK Islamic Finance Council and The Prince’s Trust Scotland.

Adrian works with LSEG’s customers to support their transition to sustainable, low-carbon business models, by enabling access to sustainable equity and debt financing and driving best-practice corporate disclosures. He also leads LSEG’s commercial focus on new asset classes such as carbon markets.

Prior to joining LSEG, Adrian was the CEO of the international carbon certification body Gold Standard, leading the development of carbon markets and impact finance models for deploying clean technologies, sustainable land use and the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals.

Adrian has been at the forefront of sustainable finance for the last 18 years, having established ABN AMRO’s Environmental Markets business in 2006, creating one of the first integrated sustainable finance offerings in the investment banking sector and later supporting renewable energy and cleantech clients as a Director in RBS’ corporate finance team.

Amanda Young was the Chief Sustainability Officer for the Investments business at abrdn, where she led the sustainable investment strategy for the firm and the Investment Sustainability Group. She has over two decades of experience in responsible investment. Previously, Amanda held positions at Newton Investment Management, CCLA Investment Management and Rabobank International. Amanda graduated from Lancaster University with a BSc in Psychology and has completed the University of Edinburgh Business School’s Executive Women’s Leadership Programme. She is the Chair of the Sustainability and Responsible Investment Committee of the Investment Association, a board director for Social Investment Scotland’s SIS Ventures fund and represented abrdn on the Scottish Taskforce for Green and Sustainable Financial Services. Previous appointments include Chair, workstream for the UK Government’s Taskforce on social impact investment, co-Chair of the Scottish Purposeful Business Commission, Board Director of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) and Chair of the FTSE Russell ESG Advisory Committee. Amanda has appeared on the Financial News top 100 most influential women in European Finance for six years. She was the inaugural winner of Women in Investment Awards Sustainable & ESG Investment Woman of the Year in 2021 and was on Financial News’ inaugural Fifty Most Influential in Sustainable Finance list in 2022.

Aries Poon oversees a team of economists and country-risk experts for S&P Global Market Intelligence. His team provides comprehensive economic forecasts, country-risk scores, and geopolitical analyses on 48 economies across Asia-Pacific. Aries has published widely on a range of topics, from China's banking system and energy sector to Asia-Pacific's semiconductor industry and the global green bond market. He previously worked as the editorial lead, also at S&P Global Market Intelligence, overseeing the coverage of banking, insurance, financial services and real estate in Asia Pacific.

Before joining S&P Global in 2018, Aries had worked for the Wall Street Journal as the chief of its Hong Kong and Taipei newsrooms. He was also a finance editor at Caixin Global in Beijing. A Hong Kong native, Aries has a Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford. He is also a lecturer for the Global Studies undergraduate program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

With over 15 years of experience in Shariah advisory and Islamic banking, Ashraf Gomma Ali is the Chief Shariah and Sustainability officer for MBSB Group providing guidance for the group around Sharia, Islamic banking, ESG, sustainable development, and positive impact. He holds a CSAA from AAOIFI, a MIFP from INCEIF, and a LLB in Shariah from Umm Al-Qura University.

He is passionate about making the financial system a source of mercy for humanity and believes that Islamic finance, ESG, and impact share a natural connection and a spirit of Ihsan. He has advised on billions of dollars of projects worldwide, including project financing, sukuk, corporate finance, and treasury products. He has also served as a Shariah board member for both traditional and digital Islamic banks and as a consultant for IFC and UNEP FI on Islamic banking, ESG, and sustainability.

Charles Haresnape joined Gatehouse Bank as Chief Executive Officer in May 2017. Prior to joining Gatehouse Bank, he was Group Managing Director at Aldermore Bank from January 2011, where he was responsible for residential and commercial mortgages, plus property development. Before joining Aldermore, Charles worked at Connells, one of the UK’s largest estate agency groups, where he was Group Mortgage Services Director. Prior to Connells, he was responsible for intermediary mortgage lending at both NatWest and RBS, plus the branch mortgage sales force within NatWest. He has worked for a number of other household names in the UK banking and building society sectors, including Nationwide and HBOS where he was a senior executive, responsible for mortgage sales and portfolio acquisitions. Charles has been Deputy Chairman of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and Chairman of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA).

John Pang is a Senior Research Fellow, Belt and Road Caucus for Asia Pacific. John has served in policy and thought leadership in government, business and academia, focusing on ASEAN. He has held fellowships and research positions at Columbia University, New York University and the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, where he helped start the Center for Multilateralism Studies. He was the founding CEO of an ASEAN research institute and a council of Southeast Asian business leaders. As a senior executive at McKinsey and Company and other international consulting firms he advised decision-makers in government, telecommunications and aviation, energy, infrastructure, tourism and financial services.

He served as special advisor to the minister in Malaysia’s Ministry of Education, where he led policy work on education reform and technology, and in the Prime Minister’s Office on track II diplomacy, media, and communications. He chaired the Global Agenda Council for Southeast Asia of the World Economic Forum from 2013-2015 and was a member of the Global Board of Open Society Foundations from 2016-2019.

In postgraduate study and research at the London School of Economics and Stanford University, he worked on issues in the Philosophy of Economics and Political Philosophy. He works on the re-framing of international relations discourse, especially as it applies to China and Southeast Asia towards the emergence of a multipolar world order. His commentary appears regularly on CGTN, Beijing Review and Global Times. He is based in Hangzhou.

Rafe Haneef is the Group Chief Executive Officer of MBSB Holding, overseeing MBSB Bank and MIDF group. Before this, he led Group Transaction Banking at CIMB until June 2023. With a 25-year banking tenure, Rafe has held leadership roles at HSBC, ABN Amro, Fajr Capital, CitiGroup, and was the CEO of HSBC Amanah Bank and CIMB Islamic Bank. As CIMB’s Group Chief Sustainability Officer and CEO of CIMB Foundation, he prioritised sustainability as a core strategy for the group. Rafe studied law and Islamic law at the International Islamic University Malaysia and completed his Master of Laws at Harvard Law School.

Richard Folland has been Carbon Tracker’s policy and government affairs adviser since 2014 and in 2023 joined as the Head of Policy and Engagement. Richard has over 30 years of experience as a diplomat and advocate, operating at the highest level, based in Europe and elsewhere. He has worked on the climate and energy agenda, as a policymaker and as a private sector advisor, for 15 years. A former head of international energy policy at the UK Foreign Office, Richard has also been JPMorgan’s European Advisor on Energy and Climate Change, the Executive Director of the Climate Markets and Investment Association (CMIA), and the Head of Energy and Environment at Inline Policy. He was Co-Founder of the strategic advisory firm, Sustineri, working with institutional investors on climate and sustainability issues.