Could you provide a brief journey of how you arrived where you are today?
I graduated in 2003 with a degree in finance from the London School of Economics, UK. Then I joined Axis-REIT as an investment analyst as they were then preparing to launch what would be Malaysia’s first real estate investment trust (REIT).
After a year at Axis-REIT, I joined Aberdeen Asset Management as an investment analyst. I was hired to be based in the soon-to-be-opened KL office but spent my initial one year in Singapore learning the ropes of the investment management business. After four years at Aberdeen, I was appointed as the head of equities, a role that was created to cater for the expanding assets under management and larger size of the team, in 2007. In 2009, we decided to apply for an Islamic fund management license and I was appointed as the director of Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management. I was made the CEO of Aberdeen Islamic in 2011 after the initial set-up phase was completed.
What does your role involve?
My role involves running the day-to-day functions of Aberdeen Islamic as well as heading up the equities desk in KL. It involves ensuring that the investment process workflow is adhered to, visiting companies, assigning tasks, monitoring portfolios and meeting clients. I am also responsible for building Aberdeen’s Shariah business globally.
What is your greatest achievement to date?
The trust vested in me to lead an equities desk and the Islamic business. I joined Aberdeen as a pioneer member in KL and as the business grew I played a part in it. Another great achievement was establishing the Islamic business from what was a piece of blank paper to what it is now.
Which of your products/services deliver the best results?
Aberdeen’s products are carefully planned before they are launched. Aberdeen’s strength lies in equities, Sukuk and properties where we can structure Shariah compliant property funds. One of our key differentiators is that we have 30 offices in 24 countries which means that we have on-the-ground presence to service our clients.
What are the strengths of your business?
Aberdeen has employed the same consistent investment process globally for the past 30 years. We have been disciplined and have always done the hard work of visiting every company before investing, writing a detailed research report on every company and never being influenced by market noises. As with all investment firms, people are our biggest asset and we are fortunate to have a solid group of professionals.
Aberdeen also has a very low turnover rate among employees, and this a testament to the culture of the company that has emphasized on hiring young graduates, training them and giving them an opportunity to take up leadership roles within the company.
What are the factors contributing to the success of your company?
We are patient business builders, the same way that we are also patient investors. We had realistic expectations of the business when we opened the Shariah business in KL. We waited for the right time to accumulate assets, then built the team and currently we are working on an exciting project which will be unveiled next year. Keeping the people happy is very important as they are the real assets of the company.
What are the obstacles faced in running your business today?
Finding the right people is a problem. We started with a team of six and we will have 16 by the end of 2012. Besides that the challenge is growing the business consistently every year. There is bound to be a period of saturation at some stage. Building a diversified pool of investors is also vital but challenging.
Where do you see the Islamic finance industry in the next five years?
The Islamic finance industry is growing rapidly and Malaysia is taking the lead. There should be more awareness of the industry and more countries participating in Islamic finance transactions.
Name one thing you would like to see change in the world of Islamic finance.
I would like to see more simple products being introduced and an increase in investor education. The industry is nascent and is still growing. In any market, the growth catalyst is the mass market, and if we can get buy-ins from retail customers on Shariah compliant products, the foundation of the industry stays strong.