viii About the Contributors
of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a PhD from Newcastle University.
He has participated intensively in the credit card industry from a technical,
legal, business, and Shari’a perspective. He is deemed one of the pioneers in
Islamic banking due to his profound background on Shari’a principals, and
his strong technical abilityand innovativeness inbusiness generally.Bank of London and Middle East(BLME) is a wholly Islamic bank,
authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, based in the
City of London. BLME is dedicated to offering Shari’a-compliant investment
and financing products to businesses and high net-worth individuals in
Europe and in the Middle East and North Africaregion. BLME’s products
and services are available to both Islamic and non-Islamic institutions, from
those who use Islamic finance regularly to institutions who have had no
previous involvement with Islamic finance. BLME aims to service all clients
by embracing the virtues of fairness and respect, with a truly differentiated
service and product offering.
Natalie Schoonis head of product development for BLME. Natalie holds
a PhD in residual income models and the valuation of conventional and
Islamic banks, and has been working for international financial organiza-
tions since the start of her career. Natalie began her career in Islamic
finance in the mid 1990s while working in Bahrain, Kuwait and Dubai.Credit Suisseis one of the world’s leading banks that provides its clients
with private banking, investment banking and assetmanagement services
worldwide. Credit Suisse offers advisory services, comprehensive solutions
and innovative products to companies, institutional clients and high-net-
worth private clients, as well as retail clients in Switzerland. Credit Suisse
is active in over 50 countries, employs approximately 49,000 people, and is
comprised of a number of legal entities around the world, with its
headquarters in Zu ̈rich.
Mansur Mannanis a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in
England and Wales, and has extensive experience as a professional
accountant in both the UK and the Middle East. He has worked with Shamil
Bank of Bahrain, where besides heading audit and compliance functions, he
participated in technical committees on Islamic finance. He moved to the
UK to assist in setting up the first Islamic bank in the country, and in 2005,
he joined Credit Suisse as member of the finance structuring team with a
mandate to provide Islamic solutions for finance transactions, as well as
structured products on a global basis. His experience in structured Islamic
financial transactions is extensive, ranging frommurabaha-based financing
to complexmusharakatrades andsukuks.Denton Wilde Sapte, LLPis an international law firm with over 600
lawyers, and a network of offices and associated offices spanning the UK,
Europe, Middle East, Commonwealth of Independent States and Africa. Its
expertise covers the full range of commercial legal services and its clients