Saif Ahmed
Managing Partner

Saif is a career Islamic banker and corporate finance professional with experience in investment banking, financial advisory, private equity, Islamic banking & finance across USA, UK, India and the Middle East. As a prominent Islamic banking & finance expert in India, he advises clients on Shari’a-compliant funding solutions and is involved in developing innovative Islamic finance and investment products for the Indian market while also conducting executive level training programs on Islamic finance. Saif is also the Managing Director at Zayd Chit Funds Pvt. Ltd, India’s first Shari’a-compliant chit fund (ROSCA) company and a Managing Partner at Zamzam Capital LLP, an Islamic investment management company. He began his career as an investment banker working for Merrill Lynch in New York and London, and later worked as an Islamic banker in Kuwait with the subsidiaries of the world’s second largest Islamic bank, Kuwait Finance House. Saif graduated summa cum laude from Bates College, USA with a double major in Economics and Mathematics and has also studied at the London School of Economics and Indian School of Business. He is a Series 7 and 63 charter holder from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), USA.

Shafik Ahmed
Partner

Shafik is an experienced business management and engineering professional with a global experience of over 30 years in setting up various businesses in diversified sectors such as power, heavy equipment, oil field services, electro-mechanical contracting and financial services. Shafik is also a Director at Zayd Chit Funds Pvt. Ltd, India’s first Shari’a-compliant chit fund (ROSCA) company and a Partner at Zamzam Capital LLP, an Islamic investment management company. He began his career in India as a Production Engineer and has held international stints in countries such as the UAE, Nigeria and Azerbaijan, and later established International Agencies in Bangalore which was a electro-mechanical contractor and a leading supplier of high-end precision machine tools to various public sector units (PSUs) in India. Shafik graduated in Mechanical Engineering from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore and is a long standing member of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FKCCI).

Nor Azmi Abdullah
Partner

Nor Azmi established the law firm of Messrs Azmi Abdullah & Co. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1995 and continued practising law till 2011. His areas of legal practice include banking, energy and corporate exercises. In 2003, Nor Azmi jointly organized a consortium of Islamic banking and Islamic insurance (takaful) groups from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) led by a boutique Islamic investment bank from Kuwait, for mergers and acquisitions activities within ASEAN. He was the Chairman of the European Centre for Islamic Finance based in Stockholm, Sweden from 2008 till 2011. Nor Azmi was made Secretary-General of the GCC-ASEAN Economic Centre (GCCAEC) in 2008 (till to-date). GCCAEC aims to increase multilateral trade and commercial activities between the GCC and ASEAN economic blocs. Several special purpose vehicles have been incorporated for GCCAEC’s activities, amongst others, the Gulf Petroleum (M) Sdn. Bhd. that is currently pursuing downstream activities in the oil and gas sectors within Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam, in collaboration with local partners. In his capacity as the Secretary-General, Nor Azmi has been appointed as Chairman, Board Member and Member of Steering Committee of the special purpose vehicles/projects under the auspices of GCCAEC, across the GCC and ASEAN. Nor Azmi graduated with an LL.B (Hons) from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) and with an LL.M (Commercial Law) from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. He received several recognitions and awards including the Global Leadership Awards in 2012.