SIMON ARCHER is a Visiting Professor at the ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK, with responsibility for Islamic finance. He served as Professor of Financial Management at the University of Surrey and worked as Midland Bank Professor of Financial Sector Accounting at University of Wales, Bangor. Professor Archer studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University, and worked as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen in London before moving to Price Waterhouse, Paris, where he became a partner in charge of management consultancy services. He has consulted to the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB). He has authored many books and academic papers on international accounting and issues in Islamic finance.

RIFAAT AHMED ABDEL KARIM has been the Chief Executive Officer of the International Islamic Liquidity Management since October 2012. He has been Visiting Professor, ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK, since 2008. He has played a pioneering role in the development of Islamic finance, while his leadership in drafting accounting, auditing, governance, Shari'ah, and regulatory standards has been instrumental in establishing the position of the Islamic financial services industry in the mainstream of global banking. He was secretary-general of the Islamic Financial Services Board (ISFB) and secretary-general of the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). In addition to international recognition of his academic publications, which are mainly in tier-one international journals, in the field of Islamic finance, Professor Karim has garnered numerous accolades for his pioneering work, including the first Euromoney Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Islamic Finance Award.