Abid Shakeel - Managing Director
Abid is the Founder of IQ. He has held executive roles in banking and insurance and is one of few practitioners in the UK with experience of both industries. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a member of the Technical Group of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments for the Islamic Finance Qualification.
Prior to founding IQ, Abid was Strategic Development Director at Principle Insurance Holdings Ltd, the UK's first FSA authorised and regulated Islamic insurance company providing general insurance based takaful products. Abid worked on the development of a new Target Operating Model, selecting new business process outsourcing providers, launching the new home takaful product and managing the testing life-cycle pre live. Abid also managed the business development function and relationships with other Islamic Finance providers in the UK.
In his last role at Lloyds TSB, Abid was Head of Islamic Finance across the Lloyds TSB Group of companies. The bank offered Shariah compliant consumer banking, commercial & corporate banking, capital markets products as well as investment products through Scottish Widows Investment Partnerships. Abid oversaw Shariah compliance and governance across the Group as well as sales, marketing and product development. The Group had Islamic finance operations in the UK, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Prior to becoming Head of Islamic Finance, Abid enjoyed success in a variety of senior management positions at Lloyds TSB Bank including strategic, operational and P&L management roles.
Abid's experience includes undertaking operational reviews, HR recruitment and retention, balanced scorecard development, personal development of senior management teams, performance dashboard development, segmentation reviews including mass affluent/wealth management/private banking propositions, P&L management, risk & compliance oversight and Shariah compliance and governance. Abid was also a member of the Accelerated Solutions team, the internal consultancy team at the bank which led the process re-engineering of the banks IT systems.
Abid is a regular speaker at conferences and has spoken in Dubai, Bahrain, London and Paris.
Liaqaut Ali - Business Development Director
Liaqaut joined IQ and became a member of the Executive Management team in 2009. He joined from Principle Insurance Holdings where he held the role of Business & Community Development Manager. Engaging with key players in the British and International Islamic finance sector, he was instrumental in establishing and developing the Salaam Halal Insurance brand, the UK's first Shariah compliant Takaful company.
He is also an Executive Member of the Islamic Finance Education Council (IFEC) which is working on raising awareness of Islamic finance across the UK through engagement with communities, local Government and Islamic financial institutions.
Stephen Vickers - Director, Advisory Services
Stephen joined IQ and became a member of the Executive Management team in June 2009. A Management Accountant (CIMA) with 20 years of work experience within the general insurance and motor industry. Stephen has become regarded as a problem solver to address underperformance issues within companies, through operational effectiveness and performance improvement. His detailed knowledge and understanding of current and relevant issues faced by the general insurance and automotive industry is invaluable when on engagements and has seen clients make a step change in their efficiency and financial performance after Stephen's recommendations have been implemented.
Stephen brings excellent analytical skills to understand the problems businesses are facing across all five of the functional areas of operations, systems, markets, finance and people. His skill in undertaking rapid current state assessments on a business allows his client to make informed decisions to make changes to maximise on profits through the prudent and effective use of resources.
Stephen has been working with clients in the Middle East since 2009 in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Zahid Awan - Consultant
Zahid joined IQ in June 2009 as a graduate management trainee and quickly progressed through the development programme. In March 2010, Zahid was appointed to the position of Consultant and provides support to the senior management on client engagements by working across mutliple worksstreams as well as providing PMO support. Zahid also leads on client care throughout engagements, maintains the company website and is responsible for ongoing marketing activities for IQ.
With his first degree in Business Studies Zahid is contining his professional development by studying for the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments Islamic Finance Qualification (IFQ).