A Team of Global Financial Experts

Our various Committees are made up of world-renowned experts and practitioners from the financial services industry, to ensure that our accreditation framework, standards and practices are truly globally benchmarked.

The FAA Accreditation Council

The FAA Accreditation Council membership (Council) consists of independent members locally and internationally appointed by FAA Board who are subject matter experts in various sectors of financial services, quality assurance, and training and development.

The roles and functions of the Council are:

  • To review, approve or reject learning programmes submitted by Registered Training Providers (RTPs) for FAA Approval (FAV), FAA Provisional Accreditation (FPV) and/or FAA Full Accreditation (FFA);
  • To review and approve reports and findings from the Compliance exercise;
  • To review and endorse quality assurance and accreditation standards and policies;
  • To provide guidance and advice to RTPs on the quality of learning programmes in terms of meeting FAA requirements;
  • To provide directions on enhancement of quality of learning programmes in the financial services industry (FSI);
  • To provide advice and feedback for continuous improvement in quality assurance and accreditation processes of FAA; and
  • To promote quality assurance and accreditation initiatives of FAA.

 

Council Members

Datin Teh Ija Mohd Jalil
Chair
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Datin Teh Ija Mohd Jalil

Datin Teh Ija Jalil was appointed a Director of FAA in 2013. She also chairs the FAA Accreditation Council which oversees quality assurance and accreditation initiatives, including the review of learning programmes submitted by registered training providers, and the endorsement of quality assurance and accreditation standards and policies.

She is currently an Independent Non-Executive Chairperson of HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad where she is a member of the Risk Committee of the Bank. She also currently serves on the board of Securities Industry Development Corporation (SIDC).

Datin Teh graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from University of Malaya and Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She began her career in the civil service and built her competency in the areas of economic policy-making, and international trade and finance, through her 24 years in the government service.

She joined the Securities Commission (SC) Malaysia in 2000 and retired from the regulatory body in 2017 after serving 17 years in various capacities including as Head of SIDC, Executive Director of Corporate Resources, and Advisor of Special Projects in the Chairman’s Office. During her time in SC, she was involved in capital market policies development and regulation, human capital development, and training and education including professional and investor education.

Her experience includes trade and financial services negotiations as Malaysia’s Lead Financial Services Negotiator in the World Trade Organisation, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation. She also represented the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and APEC Finance Ministers meetings during her tenure with MoF from 1990 to 1999.  In addition, she also served as an independent non-executive Director of UEM Sunrise Berhad (UEMS) from March 2018 to June 2021. At UEMS, she was the chair of Nomination and Remuneration Committee, and a member of the Audit Committee as well as Governance and Risk Committee.

Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Azmi Omar
Member
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Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Azmi Omar

Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Azmi Omar is President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) – The Global University of Islamic Finance. Prior to his current position, he served as the Director-General at Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Development Bank Group, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At IRTI, Professor Azmi pioneered and introduced an innovative policy research which culminated in flagship reports such as IRTI Islamic Social Finance Report and IDB-World Bank Global Report on Islamic Finance. Professor Azmi has also provided advice and technical assistance in Islamic Finance to several IDB member countries.

He is a member of Board of Trustees of RFI Foundation and formerly a member of the External Advisory Group for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Interdepartmental Working Committee on Islamic Finance. Professor Azmi was awarded “The Most Outstanding Individual Contribution to Islamic Finance” in the KLIFF Islamic Finance Awards 2015 and “Lifetime Achievement Award in Islamic Economics and Finance” at the 3rd World Islamic Economics and Finance Conference Pakistan in 2020.

Professor Azmi has previously worked at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), as Deputy Rector (Academic & Research), Dean, Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance (IIiBF) and Dean, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences.

He is a member of Shariah Committee at Securities Commission Malaysia, Bank Rakyat Malaysia, Etiqa Takaful Malaysia and MUFG Bank Malaysia and was formerly an Islamic Finance Expert Advisor to the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank. Recently, he led a team that developed the Indonesia Shari’ah (Islamic) Economy Masterplan 2019-2024 for the government of Indonesia. Recent consulting projects led by Professor Azmi include the development of the Indonesia Shari’ah (Islamic) Economy Masterplan 2019-2024 for the government of Indonesia and the Kazakhstan Islamic Finance Masterplan 2020-2025 for the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) and Republic of Kazakhstan.

Professor Azmi holds a BSc (Finance) and MBA from Northern Illinois University, the United States of America and a PhD in Finance from Bangor University, Wales, United Kingdom. He is also a holder of Chartered Professional in Islamic Finance.

Mr Gerald Ambrose
Member
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Mr Gerald Ambrose

Gerald Ambrose is the Chief Executive Officer of abrdn Islamic Malaysia Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Aberdeen Standard Islamic Investments (M) Sdn Bhd), the group's Islamic fund management hub. Gerald joined abrdn Malaysia Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Aberdeen Standard Investments (M) Sdn Bhd) in 2005 after the company was selected to be the first licensed foreign-owned fund manager under the government's Special Scheme. Previously, Gerald was an institutional sales director covering ASEAN equities at Kim Eng Securities in Singapore, HSBC James Capel in London and BNP Paribas Securities London, the latter sending him to set up the institutional broking operations of its associate, Mohaiyani Securities Sdn Bhd, in 1990. Before that, Gerald served as a submarine officer in the Royal Navy 1980 - 1987.

Gerald Ambrose graduated with an MA (Hons) degree in Land Economy from Pembroke College, Cambridge University.

Ms Carrie Leung, MH
Member
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Ms Carrie Leung, MH

As the Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (HKIB), Ms LEUNG is responsible for driving the ongoing development of competency and professional standards among local banking practitioners.

Prior to joining HKIB, Ms LEUNG was Head of Service Quality and Training at one of the note issuing banks where she acquired extensive experience in building and managing “total quality excellence”. Under her leadership, the bank obtained several highly-regarded industry awards for the quality in their training and customer service.

Ms LEUNG also actively participates in the development of Hong Kong Banking Qualifications Framework (QF) which sets the professional standards for industry competency amongst the local banking practitioners.

In addition, Ms LEUNG is extensively involved in the education and human capital development of the banking and financial industry in Hong Kong and is the member of numerous committees organised by different government departments and public organisations, and The Council of Lingnan University. Of the particular notes, she was appointed as the Council Member of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) and the Lingnan University Hong Kong (LU).

Ms LEUNG was one of the recipients of the Most Extraordinary Women in Finance Award 2009 from Benchmark Magazine. She has been awarded with the Medal of Honour (MH) by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2018.

Professor W. Jean Kwon
Member
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Professor W. Jean Kwon

Professor W. Jean Kwon, holding full professorship and the Edwin A.G. Manton Endowed Chair Professorship in International Insurance and Risk Management, teaches and conducts research at the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science (GSRM), St. John’s University, New York City, the U.S.

Prior to joining GSRM, Professor Kwon was an educator with Georgia State University (US) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), an insurance regulator with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and an industry specialist with The Institutes (US).

Besides his full-time commitment at St. John’s University, he extends his service to the International Insurance Society (nomination subcommittee), the Center for the Study of Insurance Regulation (GSRM), Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance (editor-in-chief), and Singapore (Economic) Forum (board member). He has offered advisory and consulting services to numerous entities in the intergovernmental, public and private sectors. He continues to visit universities around the world and speaks frequently at meetings for policymakers and industry leaders.

Professor Kwon has written several books and actively publishes papers in academic and professional journals. He co-authored a Kulp-Wright Award winning book, Risk Management and Insurance: Perspectives in a Global Economy, and received three times the Research Excellence Award of the International Insurance Society and the Geneva Association. Professor Kwon helped to establish the Asia-Pacific Risk and Insurance Association (APRIA) in 1997 and create the World Risk and Insurance Economics Congress (WRIEC) in 2005.

Professor Kwon specialises in country and insurance market analysis, emerging risk analysis, insurer operations and insurance regulation. He obtained his MBA in risk management and insurance at The College of Insurance (now GSRM) and his PhD from Georgia State University. He is also a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).

Mr Choo Yee Kwan
Member
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Mr Choo Yee Kwan

Mr Choo Yee Kwan is a Chartered Banker, and is an Independent Non-Executive Director of HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad and the Chairman of its Risk Committee. He is also a member of the Audit Committee and Nominations and Remuneration Committee of the Bank.

Mr Choo is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of Danajamin Nasional Berhad since 2018. He is the Chairman of the Board Risk Committee and a member of the Board Underwriting Committee and the Board Remuneration and Nomination Committee of the Bank.

Mr Choo served the banking and risk management industry for 38 years prior to his retirement in 2014. His last position was as Country Chief Risk Officer for OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC). Before that, he was the Chief Risk Officer for Maybank Group and Group Chief Risk Officer for Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad. During his 14-year career at Maybank Group, he had served as Division Head for Credit Control, International Banking, Corporate Remedial Management, and Group Risk Management. He also served on the Corporate Debt Restructuring Committee set up under Bank Negara Malaysia.

Prior to Maybank, Mr Choo served the National Westminster Bank plc of the United Kingdom in the areas of Global Specialised Industries, and Group Credit Control. Mr Choo also served on the Education Committee of Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers and the University Malaya Medical Centre Ethics Committee. He is currently a Teaching Facilitator in the Asian Banking School.

Mr Choo holds honours degrees in economics and law from University of Malaya and University of London respectively, and is a Barrister-at-Law (of Lincoln’s Inn) following his call to the Bar of England and Wales in 1984.

Dr Hazman Shah Abdullah
Member
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Dr Hazman Shah Abdullah

Dr Hazman Shah Abdullah was a Professor of Administrative Sciences at Universiti Teknologi MARA until his retirement in 2018.  During his tenure at the university, he also served as the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Quality Assurance). Dr Hazman was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Quality Assurance) of Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) from 2015 until 2018 and continues to serve as a quality assurance expert for MQA. 

Dr Hazman has assessed more than 200 academic programmes of higher education institutions at all levels for National Accreditation Board (1996-2007), Malaysian Qualifications Agency, Maldives Qualifications Authority, Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council, Nepal and National Agency for Academic Assessment and Accreditation, Timor Leste. He has also participated in international institutional and programme assessments, and training under the auspices of World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asia-Pacific Quality Network, EU-SHARE Consortium and ASEAN Quality Assurance Network. He now serves as Technical Expert on ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework for AQAN and appointed as Senior ASEAN Expert on ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework by ANZFTA Economic Cooperation with ASEAN.

Dr Hazman continues to be active in the assessment, development of standards and training of assessors. 

He obtained his Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from University of Malaya, Masters in Public Administration from University of Southern California, USA and Doctor of Business Administration from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He also has a Certificate in International Development Finance and Certificate in Public Financial Management from University of Southern California, USA.

Dr Tariq M. Al-Sindi
Member
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Dr Tariq M. Al-Sindi

Dr Tariq Al-Sindi is the Chief Executive of the Education & Training Quality Authority of Bahrain. He is currently the Secretary General of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE) and Executive Board member at the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).

Along with his 34 years of experience in teaching, research and academic administration, Dr Tariq has served as a consultant in various national and international missions including the UNESCO and World Bank. He also took part in numerous academic programmes and institutional accreditation review-teams in Oman, United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and participated as a Jury member in the e-Government Excellence Award.

Dr Tariq also conducted many projects for the private and government sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and published several papers in the area of Information Systems, Quality Assurance and Qualifications Framework. 

Dr Tariq was the recipient of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Medals of Appreciation in 2017 for his efforts to serve the Kingdom.

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