Speaker Profiles

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi Qasimi is the United Arab Emirates' Minister for Economy. In November 2004, she became the first woman in the country's history to assume a cabinet position, appointed to manage the UAE's newly merged economy and planning portfolio. She is one of the most prominent female politicians in the Middle East.

In her cabinet role she has steered the UAE along a course of economic modernization, diversification into new oil and non-oil-based manufacturing and service activities, and encouragement of the private sector. In her simultaneous capacity as chairman of the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority she has been at the forefront of driving capital market reform with improved governance and regulatory guidelines.

H.E. Sheikha Lubna was also the Chief Executive Officer of Tejari, the Middle East's premier electronic business-to-business marketplace. After honouring Her Excellency as the "Distinguished Government Employee Award" in 1999, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and United Arab Emirates Defence Minister appointed her as the head of Tejari at the launch of the marketplace in 2000.

Prior to managing Tejari, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna was the senior manager of the information systems department at the Dubai Ports Authority, a position she held for more than seven years. Before joining DPA, Her Excellency acted as the Dubai branch manager for the General Information Authority, the organisation responsible for automating the federal government of the United Arab Emirates. She has more than 20 years of information technology and management experience in the Middle East region.

In 2001 H.E. Sheikha Lubna headed the Dubai e-government executive team responsible for instituting e-government initiatives throughout the public sector. Her Excellency holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University of Chico, and an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah in 2002.

Alaa Amer became the Vice Chairman of the Capital Market Authority in Egypt in November 2005. He has considerable experience in investment banking, privatisation, venture capital, portfolio management and corporate finance.

Prior to joining the CMA, Alaa was the Executive Director of Al-Ahly for Development and Investment, a leading investment bank that has operated in Egypt since 1995. Alaa has also been a member of leading banks such as Misr Iran Development Bank and the Arab African International Bank.

He is a member of the board of directors of the Egyptian Insurance Regulatory Authority as well as the The Mortgages Guarantee & Subsidy Fund. He is the founder and a member of the board of directors of the Egyptian Capital Market Authority.

Alaa has a BA in Economics and an MA in Management from The American University in Cairo.

Dr Mohamad Alchaar has a vast amount of experience in financial markets and institutions as well as central banking directorship in developing countries. He was Director of Market Performance Analysis at Fannie Mae, and previously Vice President at Johnson & Higgins in Washington DC. Mohamad has taught for several years at The George Washington University, where he received his PhD in Monetary Economics. He also advised and trained the staff of the Dubai Financial Market and the Abu Dhabi Securities Market.

Mohamad has published several acclaimed books in the field of banking and financial markets, such as "Financial Markets" and "Economic Inquiries", both of which are best sellers, and "Fundamentals of Banking Operations". He has also published scientific articles in the field of monetary policy and exchange rates analysis. He is currently the Secretary General of the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions which is an international body that consists of more than 120 members from 24 countries.

Abdul-Rahman Mohammed Al-Baker has held the position of Executive Director of Financial Institutions Supervision at the Central Bank of Bahrain since January 2006. Over the previous 19 years, he held a variety of positions at the Central Bank's predecessor organisation, the Bahrain Monetary Agency, the last being Director of Financial Institutions Directorate.

Mr. Al-Baker, who holds an Accounting Degree from the University of Bahrain, is also a graduate of the Gulf Executive Program, which was conducted by the University of Virginia, and has attended various Federal Deposits Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Inspection courses.

Tariq Ali has 30 years of professional management experience. During the career he held key positions in Commercial, Investment and Islamic banking with reputed banks in Bahrain and Canada, heading treasury & capital markets, credit, trade finance, operations and risk management departments

He holds a Masters Degree in Economics, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Anti-Money laundering Specialist from USA and Professional Financial Planner (PFP) from Canada. He has studied Law and is a Lead Auditor in Quality Management System Certification from UK. He is trained by Institute of Bankers London, Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Canadian Securities Institute. He has written research papers in finance & regularly contributes to professional publications.

Maryam Al Suwaidi is the holder of a Masters Degree in Commercial Law from the University of Wales (U.K.). She is currently concluding her Ph.D. studies at the London School of Economics with a doctoral dissertation covering selected aspects of securities regulations. She has broad experience covering diverse environments including contributions to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and service as a lecturer at the Institute of Training & Judicial Studies - Abu Dhabi. She joined the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) in 2002 as the principal Legal Advisor to SCA. Currently, she is the Director of Issuance and Disclosure at SCA.

Mrs. Al Suwaidi has participated on many committees and teams including the Companies Licensing Joint Committee between the Ministry of Economy and the Securities and Commodities Authority chaired by the Minister of Economy; the SCA Review Committee of Laws and Regulations; the SCA Leadership Team; and the UAE negotiation team for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States of America.

Nick Bannister is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of International Affairs and Services for NASD. He is responsible for working with international securities markets, regulators and officials to expand the use of NASD's regulatory expertise and services around the world.

Nick has spent his entire professional life in the securities business. He came to NASD from ABN AMRO N.V., a prominent international bank, where he was most recently Chairman of the Wholesale Banking Division in North America. He was appointed to the board of ABN AMRO USA, which controlled the bank's overall US operations. He was responsible for a staff of 4,000 and all product lines within the wholesale division. Prior to running the wholesale branch in the US, he was responsible for AMRO's global equities business.

Nick began his professional career at Lazard Brothers and also worked at Alex Brown & Sons, Warburg Securities, and UBS, where he held senior management positions including head of the international sales team and head of global sales.

Anthony Belchambers is a barrister and currently Chief Executive of the Futures and Options Association. Previously he served as General Counsel for the UK Joint Exchanges Committee where his responsibilities included co-ordinating exchange activities and lobbying on behalf of the London-based derivatives markets in relation to international, EU and UK regulation and taxation issues. Prior to joining the JEC, he was Company Secretary and General Counsel to the Association of Futures Brokers and Dealers, where he played a major role in securing the licensing of the first UK regulatory authority to cover derivatives and helped to draft the UK regulations for derivatives.

He is also Chairman of MiFID Connect, a member of the Court of the Guild of International Bankers and a co-founder of both the Alternative Investment Management Association and the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum. He initiated the establishment of the UK's Associate Parliamentary Group on Wholesale Financial Markets and Services and the EU-US Coalition on Financial Regulation.

Anthony is closely involved with HM Treasury and the Government's UK Trade & Investment organisation in developing London's role as a global financial centre. He is a regular member of the Lord Mayor's business parties on overseas missions.

Michael Blair QC specialises in financial services law and practice, having joined his Chambers in 2000. He previously held successive senior positions in regulation in the City of London, most recently as General Counsel to the Board of the Financial Services Authority. From 2000 to 2002 he was the Chairman of the three recognised self-regulating organisations for the UK financial services industry: the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation, the Personal Investment Authority and the Securities and Futures Authority.

He served on the Bar Council for ten years, latterly as Treasurer from 1994 to 1998. He is a Member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal, a director of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, and the President of the Guernsey Financial Services Tribunal. Outside the legal and regulatory field, he is the Chairman of the UK Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration. He is a Bencher of his Inn of Court, the Middle Temple, and chairs its Finance Committee. He was given the award of Queen's Counsel (honoris causa) in 1996.

Niall Coburn is a Director, Enforcement, at the DFSA. He undertakes and directs DFSA enforcement activities within the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Prior to joining the DFSA in March 2003, Niall held a senior position as a principal enforcement lawyer with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, the national corporate regulator of companies and financial services.

He has conducted large-scale corporate investigations, both in Australia and internationally, and has been involved in the prosecution of a number of high-profile corporate criminal cases. One of the defendants in these cases was sentenced to 11 years' jail after being convicted of international fraud. In 2002, Niall received an ASIC Australia Day Honour medal for his work in corporate investigations.

Niall has been with the DFSA since its inception and was responsible for drafting the Markets Law, DIFC Court Law and other laws. Niall has also conducted investigations with United Arab Emirates and international agencies. He is working closely with the Dubai Police Academy to present and design courses that help investigators to combat financial crime in the region.

Niall is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of Australia, and was formerly a barrister at the Victorian Bar. He has a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Law from Melbourne University. His publications list includes 14 articles and the reference book "Coburn on Insolvent Trading and Corporate Investigations", published in 1999 with a second edition in 2002.

Richard Collins joined the QFCRA as Managing Director, Authorisation, in December 2006. He is a graduate in mathematics from the University of Cambridge, England; he has worked at Price Waterhouse, London, and has over fifteen years' experience of working in financial services regulation at a number of premier financial institutions, including the investment banking arm of Barclays Bank, JP Morgan and Rabobank International, prior to being Group Compliance Director at Lloyds TSB for four years. Most recently before taking up his assignment in the QFCRA he was a partner with Kinetic Partners, a UK based international consultancy firm. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, a Fellow of the Society of Advanced Legal Studies and a Tribunal Member of the UK Accountancy Investigation and Disciplinary Board.

As Managing Director, Authorisation, he heads the division responsible for assessing and approving applications from firms and individuals seeking authorisation from the QFC Regulatory Authority to conduct regulated activities in the QFC. In addition to this core function, the division also administers the application process for non-regulated activities on behalf of the QFC Authority.

Jane Diplock took office as the Chairman of the New Zealand Securities Commission in September 2001. She was reappointed as Chairman in February 2006 for a further five year term.

Before her appointment as Chairman, Jane was the National Director, Infrastructure and Strategic Planning at the NZSC, and New South Wales Regional Commissioner with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Jane has also held various senior executive positions with Westpac Banking Corporation and was the managing director of the New South Wales Technical and Further Education Commission.

Jane was appointed as an officer of the General Division of the Order of Australia in January 2003 for services to: business and commerce; public administration, particularly in the areas of education and training; and the community through a range of social justice, health, educational and cultural organisations.

During her chairmanship, the NZSC has obtained additional responsibilities and powers, notably in enforcement of securities law and oversight of securities markets. The NZSC has also taken a higher profile in education about securities and in international securities regulation.

Jane is Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions, a post held concurrently with her chairmanship of the NZSC. She was elected to this post in May 2004 and was recently re-elected for a further two-year term. She is a member of the Trustee Appointments Advisory Group set up by the International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation. Jane is one of the eight leaders of international organisations (including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Financial Stability Forum and African, Asian and Inter-American development banks) on this group. Jane is a member of the Trans Tasman Leadership Forum, and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management Inc.

Khalid Hamad Abdulrahman Hamad currently holds the position of Executive Director of Banking Supervision at the Central Bank of Bahrain. He served for 19 years at the Central Bank's predecessor organisation, the Bahrain Monetary Agency, reaching the position of Director, Banking Supervision. In 2003, he left the BMA to work for Ernst & Young in Bahrain, serving as Senior Manager and then as Executive Manager, Risk Management & Regulatory Services Group. He moved back to the BMA in February 2006.

Mr. Khalid Hamad graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Portland (USA) in December 1986. He also participated in the Strategic Leadership & Executive Management Program, University of Columbia, New York, in 1996.

Yousif Hasan currently holds the position of Director, Retail Banking Supervision at the Central Bank of Bahrain. His position entails supervising conventional retail banks, financing companies, credit card companies and specialized banks. During the previous 12 years, he served in a variety of positions within banking supervision at the Central Bank's predecessor organisation, the Bahrain Monetary Agency.

Mr. Hasan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Management, majoring in Finance, from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. Mr. Hasan is now also currently studying on a part-time basis for a Master's Degree in Business Administration from DePaul University, USA, where graduation is expected in December 2006. He has also participated in the Gulf Executive Development Program, run by the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, USA.

Errol Hoopmann has primary responsibilities in policy and legislative development at the DFSA. He chairs the authority's Tomorrow's Regulatory Leaders Committee and leads the curriculum and training aspects of the TRL programme.

Before joining the DFSA in 2003, Errol was a principal lawyer of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission where he was responsible for the conduct of major enforcement activities. In 2001 and 2002, he was responsible for coordinating ASIC's response to the HIH Royal Commission, which inquired into the largest collapse of a financial services institution in Australia's history.

Errol has a Bachelor of Laws and Graduate Certificate in Business Management. He is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and of the High Court of Australia.

Husam Hourani heads the firm´s banking and finance department and has nine years experience advising on banking and finance related matters in the U.A.E. He graduated from Kent University, England with an honours degree in law in 1992 and was subsequently awarded his Masters degree in 1993 from IISL in Spain.

Husam has considerable experience in establishing new and existing banks and financial institutions on the U.A.E and in the DIFC. He also regularly advises on enforcement and banking litigation matters. Along with being presented Best Lawyer award from Tamweel in 2005, he is also a member on the DIFX Listing Committee. Legal500 states that Husam Hourani has been described by clients as "the most knowledgeable banking lawyer in Dubai, insofar as the local market is concerned" and is noted for his expertise in relation to the newly established DIFC. Furthermore, Chambers Global affirms that Husam is "extremely responsive and knowledgeable," yet "doesn´t put on any airs and graces".

Michael Lesser has had 35 years' experience as a supervisor of banks and financial institutions. A recipient of the Robert H. McCormick Award for Excellence in International Bank Supervision, Michael previously worked at the New York State Banking Department as Deputy Superintendent of Banks, with overall responsibility for the supervision of depository institutions. He has headed various divisions at the NY State Banking Department, including Large Complex Banks, Foreign Banks, Research and Technical Assistance and held the position of Chief Bank Examiner.

Michael also had responsibility for overseas examinations and international regulatory liaison. A frequent speaker on BSA/AML compliance and bank supervisory matters, Michael has drafted protocols (both interstate and federal-state) for the US foreign bank supervision cooperation agreements. He has also worked on the drafting of the rating system and examination manuals used in the US for offices of foreign banking organisations. Michael holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics from the City College in New York.

Rachel Loeffler is the Deputy Director - Middle East and Africa at the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Terrorist Finance and Financial Crimes. In this capacity, she works with governments and the private sector to combat the financial underpinnings of global terrorism and has led the U.S. delegation to the Middle East North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF). Prior to her position at the Treasury Department, she received her MBA/MA from the Wharton School and the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and her BA from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Joyce Maykut joined the DFSA in January 2004 as General Counsel and became Secretary to the Board in August 2006. Called to the bar in British Columbia, Canada in 1974, she practised criminal law with the Canadian Department of Justice and then privately for several years. In 1981 she joined the office of the Attorney General of British Columbia and, over the next nine years, acted as Counsel and Senior Solicitor to various administrative tribunals, including the Securities Commission. Joyce was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1988.

She was Vice Chair of the British Columbia Securities Commission for almost 14 years until December 2003, and was active in the Canadian Securities Administrators, Council of Securities Regulators of the Americas, the North American Securities Administrators Association and the International Organisation of Securities Commisions.

Michael Matossian joined Arab Bank plc in November 2005 as the Global Head of Group Regulatory Compliance. Michael has more than 25 years of experience in regulatory risk management, anti-money laundering and compliance. Over the past 13 years his roles have included Chief Compliance Officer, Senior Vice President and Director of Regulatory Risk Management, Director of Anti-Money Laundering, Bank Secrecy Act Officer and General Auditor at three different leading US financial institutions; he spent ten years working for a "Big Four" public accounting firm, and two years with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Michael participates on several national and international task forces that address anti-money laundering and compliance matters. He holds the following certifications: Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Risk Professional, Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

Khalil Nooruddin Prior to undertaking his current role in 2004, Mr Nooruddin worked for twenty years as a corporate and Investment banker. His last assignment in this field was with Investcorp Bank where he served as a member of the firm's Management Committee for ten years.

Before his banking career, Mr Nooruddin worked as an operations research analyst with Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) in Bahrain and Caltex Petroleum Corporation in New York. Khalil Nooruddin is a Chartered Financial Analyst, holds a Master of Science degree in Quantitative Analysis from Stern Business School in New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia.

Khalil Nooruddin is also involved in the following banking industry and professional societies in Bahrain: Vice Chairman, Alpine Wealth Management; Board Member, Ithmaar Investment Bank; Board Member, Bahrain Competitiveness Council; and Chairman, Bahrain Investment Professional Society (CFA Bahrain).

Jamie Orchard has a distinguished background as a barrister and solicitor for more than 18 years. He has received a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours), a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practices and a Master of Laws, all from the Queensland University of Technology. Additionally, Jamie has received a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Queensland and a Certificate in Arabic and Arab Studies from the University of Durham.

Jamie has, for the last 15 years, focused on financial services regulation. He has held roles as Director of Enforcement of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Managing Director of Enforcement of the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

Brian Quinn is a Board Member at the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. He has worked for the International Monetary Fund and enjoyed a 26-year career at the Bank of England where he held a number of senior positions, including Executive Director, Banking Supervision and Banking Operations, and Executive Director, Supervision and Surveillance. In 1995 he was appointed Acting Deputy Governor. He has served as a consultant to the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Chairman of Nomura Bank International. He has a PhD from Cornell University.

Michael Raffan is a partner in our financial institutions group and head of our financial services regulatory practice. He has a wide range of financial services and regulatory experience and regularly advises investment managers, banks, investment banks and securities houses, as well as regulatory authorities, central banks and market associations on financial services and regulatory issues, in the UK, across Europe and in the Middle East.

Michael is the consultant editor of the 'Practitioner's Guide to EU Financial Services Directives', which is written by members of the firm's regulatory practice and the second edition of which was published in September 2006.

Ralph Ricks is Adviser to the Governor. He has worked at the Central Bank of Bahrain since 2002. Prior to his appointment, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, as a member of the firm's Financial Services Regulatory Consulting Group, which he joined in 2000. Before moving to PwC, he worked at the UK's Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England, in various banking supervision and policy functions. He also undertook a two year secondment from the Bank of England to the UK Cabinet Office.

Dr David Rutledge has extensive international experience in the commodities, financial and related derivatives markets in the US, Australia and the Middle East. David, who hails from Australia, has held positions as Managing Director, Zurich Capital Markets; Chief Executive, Sydney Futures Exchange; Chief Executive of the Queensland Sugar Corporation; Vice President and Chief Economist at the New York Commodities Exchange; and Senior Vice President of Market Development at the New York Board of Trade.

David holds degrees in Economics and Statistics from the University of Sydney and Stanford University, including a PhD from Stanford. He is a Fellow of the Securities Institute of Australia.

David joined DMCC in February 2003 as Executive Director, Commodities. Since December 2004 he has been Chief Executive, responsible for the overall management of DMCC's activities in the commodities, precious metals and diamonds sectors. David has been instrumental in the development and management of the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange, Dubai's newly formed multi-commodities exchange. He was the founding Chairman of the DGCE and is now a non-executive director. He is also the Chairman of the Dubai Diamond Exchange.

Andrew Sheng was chairman of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, a post that he held from October 1998 to September 2005. He was the deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority from 1993 to 1998, responsible for the Reserves Management and External Departments. Between 1989 and 1993, Andrew worked with the Financial Sector Development Department of The World Bank in Washington DC. From 1976 to 1989, he held various positions at Bank Negara Malaysia, the Central Bank of Malaysia, including Chief Economist and Assistant Governor in charge of bank and insurance regulation.

In October 2003, Andrew was appointed the interim chairman of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions' Technical Committee. He is the convenor of the China Banking Regulatory Commission Council of International Advisors and a member of the G-30 Accounting Project. In 2001, he co-chaired Working Party Two of the Group of Thirty Clearing and Settlement Project Steering Committee and, in 1999, he chaired the Financial Stability Forum's Task Force on Implementation Standards.

Andrew is the recipient of Hong Kong's Silver Bauhinia Star. He is a Justice of the Peace, a Chartered Accountant and holds a first class Honours degree in Economics and a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. He is a board member of the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.

Phillip Thorpe began his career as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand before moving to Hong Kong to take on various senior posts with the Hong Kong Securities Commission. He was later appointed the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange. In 1989 he moved to London as Chief Executive of the Association of Futures Brokers and Dealers and subsequently became an Executive Director of the Securities and Futures Authority of the UK.

Following this post, he served as Chief Executive to the London Commodity Exchange, Chief Executive of IMRO (the fund management regulator), and Managing Director of the then newly formed Financial Services Authority in the UK. More recently, he has held the post of Chief Executive of the Institute for Financial Markets in Washington DC and the Chief Executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

Sarah Watts joined the Dubai Mercantile Exchange in April 2006 as the Chief Compliance Officer.

Sarah has worked in the commodities compliance sector for 13 years and joined the DME from Standard Bank Plc, where she was Senior Compliance Manager with global oversight of Resource Banking, Asset Management, and Private Client Services. Before her employment at Standard Bank, Sarah worked in the Market Surveillance Division of the London Metal Exchange Ltd, having previously worked at the Japan Metal Centre from 1994 to 1997. Sarah is currently the holder of Complinet's "Most Effective Compliance Trainer at a Regulated Firm" award.

Michael Webb is a graduate in Law of Victoria University of Wellington. Prior to joining the QFC Regulatory Authority, Webb was a leading New Zealand commercial barrister. He specialised in securities, banking, corporate, insolvency and public regulatory law, acting in advisory, contentious business and transactional matters. He has been closely involved in financial markets, corporate and insolvency law development and reform.

He has also acted in lead legal roles in regulatory regimes for the electricity and telecommunications sectors. From 1992 to 2003 he was a member and Acting Chairman of the New Zealand Securities Commission. Other appointments have included as a director of significant New Zealand and Australian companies and recently Chair of the Ministerial Task Force on Financial Intermediaries in New Zealand.