2 Oct, Kuala Lumpur – INCEIF welcomes Dato’ Dr. Azmi Omar as the new President & Chief Executive Officer (PCEO). He takes over from Mr Daud Vicary Abdullah, INCEIF’s second PCEO, who retired in July.
Dato’ Azmi’s previous post was as the Director General for Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Jeddah. IRTI was established in 1981 with the principal aim to undertake research, training and advisory activities in Islamic economics and Islamic finance, and to facilitate the economic, financial and banking activities in IDB member countries to conform to Shariah.
Prior to IDB, Dato’ Azmi was the Dean of the IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance as well as a Professor at the Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics & Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He was the former Deputy Rector (Deputy Vice- Chancellor) in charge of Academic and Research from 2002 until 2008. He has also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Economics & Management Sciences at the same university from 1996 to early 2002. He was formerly the Shariah adviser to Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Berhad and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia.
He obtained his Bachelor and Master degrees in Finance from Northern Illinois University, USA and PhD from Bangor University, Wales (UK).
In a statement, Dato’ Azmi said: “I look forward to the challenges this new role brings and hope to continue the work laid by my predecessors. With the support of Bank Negara Malaysia and the industry, INCEIF will continuously push and expand the frontiers of Islamic finance knowledge in both the national and international sphere.
“Although the Islamic finance industry is growing in terms of breadth and depth, there are still hurdles in making it mainstream. As a global university, INCEIF hopes to contribute towards the development of the industry by developing talent and making an impact through research especially in the area of applied research that is solution-driven and industry-related.
“Together with the students, faculty members, staff and other stakeholders, I hope that we can make an indelible mark on the industry, a mark that will be the catalyst of appreciation for all the ethical tenets that Islamic finance advocates,” Dato’ Azmi added.
INCEIF was set up by Bank Negara Malaysia in 2005 to develop human capital and knowledge leadership for the global Islamic finance industry. In its 11th year of operation, INCEIF remains the only university in the world to focus solely on postgraduate studies in Islamic finance. As a result, the university has attracted partners from all over the world who showed interest in tapping into its pool of Islamic finance experts. Among them are International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva; Capital Market Development Authority, Maldives; and University of Reading in Malaysia.
Dato’ Dr Azmi Omar Comes Onboard
SOURCE: http://www.inceif.org