Islamic Finance & Economic Empowerment Consultant
4US Consulting
Total years of experience :11 years, 8 months
● “Islamic Social Finance Report” project for the “Islamic Research & Training Institute (IsDBG)”:
The assignment consists in the elaboration of the ISF Report’s draft (in English), which provides field and regulatory framework analysis of the Islamic Social Finance sector (Zakah, Awqaf, Islamic Microfinance & Cooperatives) in Maghreb region. The report will also include recommendations and directives to promote Islamic Social Finance in the region. As the Project Manager, I have the responsibility to plan, coordinate, monitor, execute and deliver the project, which involves the following actions:
○ Prepare and organize the project kickoff workshop that brought together the main experts in Islamic Social Finance sector in the Maghreb region.
○Build a team of researchers/consultants from Maghreb countries;
○ Prepare the Project schedule with the relevant milestones.
○ Conduct regular team meetings to monitor project execution and discuss overall status;
○ Initiate timely corrective actions to curtail potential issues and make sure baselines are respected.
○ Act as a focal contact person for regular client communications;
○ Interact with local & regional institutions to facilitate research work;
○ Review every researcher’s deliverable & recommend amendment if necessary.
● “Waqf for Development International Institution” project for "UNDP and the Palestinian State":
○ Involved in preparing the Terms of Reference for the creation of the institution and its affiliates entities;
○ Drafted the “Investment Approach Manual” for the institution’s investment fund.
● “Zitouna Tamkeen MFI” projects for “Zitouna Bank & Zitouna Tamkeen” in Tunisia:
Involved in:
○ Design of the startup economic empowerment project of the institution and elaboration of its socio-economic study in collaboration with Delice Holding team (1st dairy holding in Tunisia);
○ Process of shortlisting candidates for the institution’s key positions;
○ Preparing the Islamic Development Bank's capital participation application and responding to various requests for clarification/additional information of IDB's team;
○ Preparing a detailed application for a grant from "Qatar Friendship Fund" and responding to various requests for clarification/additional information of the Fund manager team (Ernst & Young);
○ Elaboration of the institution’s startup support program (objectives, activities, man/days, etc.);
○ Development of the institution’s presentation sheet for current / potential shareholders;
○ Creation of the 1st Islamic Crowdfunding platform in the country;
○ Preparation of ALM Committee charter.
○ Documentary market study, financial products structuring, preparation of partnerships with national and international actors, strategic choices, guidelines and objectives etc;
○ Elaboration of the institution’s manual of procedures;
○ Interaction with the Microfinance authority about the license application (meeting & phone calls);
● “Waqf for Development” project for the “Islamic Development Bank” in Saudi Arabia:
○ Established a study on the distinguished international experiences in the field of development (Awqaf, Foundations, Private Equity funds, Microfinance institutions, etc...).
○ Assisted in the preparation of/ participated in conducting interviews with the IDB Group’s Top Management.
● Miscellaneous achievements:
○ Successfully arranged a strategic partnership with one of the Islamic finance consultancy leaders (IFAAS);
○ Presented “Waqf for Development” concept during “4th Waqf Cadre Training Workshop” in South Africa;
○ Reviewed the French translation of the AAOIFI’s Zakat Standard on behalf of Imtithal Co;
○ Prepared the Company’s applications for two international awards in Islamic Economics.
● Consulted on the subject of creating an incubator SME Waqf fund by Yunus Social Business Company (Founded by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Prize Laureate);
● Acted as a member of the "Strategic Orientation Council" of the Institute of Citizenship (IdeC), which is responsible of the design & implementation of a presidential project intending to create Community Action Agencies financed by an investment fund and Islamic Microfinance institutions;
● Worked on the international business development of ProFinance Company through building international partnerships to commercialize business IT solutions;
● Participating in the creation of an SME fund and Namaa Microfinance institution by contributing to the:
○ Development of the overall strategy;
○ Elaboration of the business plan (selection of areas / sectors of potential investment, the institution model, its product offer, etc.);
○ Organization of meetings with various stakeholders for fund-raising and creating partnerships.
● Advised Winterveldt Madrassa NGO in South Africa on fund-raising and establishing a Waqf;
● Proposed/presented a project of creating a Waqf fund to support Islamic Microfinance institutions activities to the Board of Management of Zitouna Bank & Namaa Tunisia NGO;
● Facilitated investment contact between Tunisian & Malaysians investors to invest in Car and Healthcare industries;
● Arranged a partnership agreement between international advisory and construction firms for establishing a feasibility study of a Waqf for the Islamic Development Bank Group.
● Realisation of the preliminary work for the creation of a Sukuk Quotation Benchmark on Bloomberg;
● Strong contribution to the redaction of a guide to the implementation of an Islamic Finance activity in Tunisia;
● Preparation of a Banking Murãbahah description for test series on the “i-MAL” tool for Popular Bank of Mauritania;
● Monitored, analyzed and reported risks and results of trading and Asset & Liabilities Management activities:
○ Reconciled front-to-back securities positions (sale, purchase, repurchase);
○ Monitored and reported trading positions of indexes and equity derivatives (Futures, Options, Swaps);
○ Tracked Stop Losses by activity/trader and implemented of necessary correctional measures;
○ Analyzed and reported the activities P&L and risks (mainly by using VaR and Greeks ratios).
● Monitored the bank participation in a US based Private Equity fund and wrote an investment synthesis for the Top Management;
● Verified on daily basis the market data relating to derivatives valued for the group's regional banks;
● Calculated, monitored and validated on weekly basis the bank's margin calls on derivatives with its investment-banking subsidiary;
● Contributed to the setup of a daily currency positions monitoring tool.
Acquired knowledge and skills :
● Elaboration of financial analysis of listed companies;
● Operational aspects of securities portfolio management;
● Management of customer's orders in the front-office.
Acquired knowledge and skills :
● Control of internal (intra-group) and external cash flows;
● Elaboration of credits application packages for the group’s subsidiaries;
● Processing letters of credit and various stakeholders relationship management;
Acquired knowledge and skills :
● Practical side of a Forex trader and managing relationships with the various counter-parties;
● Control of the financial situation of clients on the local system powered by Central Bank database;
● Commercial operations of the branch front office (check payment, deposit & drawing operations, etc).
-Core Modules: Islamic Capital Markets, Islamic Financial Structuring, Islamic Asset Management, Banking Management (Basel reglementations), Islamic Law, Islamic Commercial jurisprudence. -Graduation Thesis: Monetary Waqf for Microfinance: A povery alleviation alternative for Tunisia?
-Core Modules: Financial Risk Management, Portfolio Management, Financial Mathematics, Principles of Insurance.. -Graduation thesis: “Risks and Results Monitoring Device at Credit Agricole S.A”
-Core Modules: Financial Markets, Corporate Finance, Audit, Accountancy, Business strategy, Marketing Strategy. -Graduation Thesis: “The impact of the financial crisis of 2008 on the Tunisian stock market”,