Ahmad Majid Lootah Enjoys over 20 years of practical experience in banking and financial sector, both conventional and Islamic. He is currently the Managing Director & CEO of Al Hilal Capital, a privately owned financial services & investment development firm, providing innovative solutions for the Islamic Economy. He is also the chairman of Ahmad Lootah & Associates Chartered Accountants & Shariah Auditors. He has extensive experiences being a director of several financial services & technology companies, both public & private, in the UAE and abroad. In addition to the above roles, he is currently serving as a board member of The International Chamber of Commerce in The UAE (ICCUAE) and is the Chairman of ICC Banking Commission.

He previously worked for well-known financial institutions & organization in the UAE and abroad such as: ABN – AMRO Bank, The Finance Department at Government of Dubai and M.L. United Investments in New York. Before becoming the Chief Executive of Al Hilal Capital, He served as the head of banking services at Arab Bank for Investment and Foreign Trade and member of its executive management committees for more than eight years as well as serving as general manager of World Financial Services in Dubai.

In addition to being a Chartered Accountant, Accredited Financial & Banking Expert to UAE Authorities, Anti-Fraud specialist, he is a Certified Shariah Advisor and Auditor by The Accounting & Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and member of several of international institutes and professional associations.

He holds an Executive MBA with honours from the joint EMBA program of The University of Sharjah, American University in Beirut, and the University of Arizona. He earned his BSc. in Finance, Investments and International Business from Farmers School of Business at Miami University, USA. EMBA from University of Sharjah, and he is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Adminstarion with the University of Sharjah (UOS).

In his free time, Ahmad Lootah enjoys family gatherings, reading, art, chess, swimming, fishing, motorcycling and searching for new adventures, traveling around the world exploring different cultures.

He has been actively involved in trade finance for more than a quarter of a century and has delivered technical assistance for trade finance in more than 100 countries. Vincent’s primary activity is trade facilitation with the major Multilateral Development Banks and his recognized specialty is trade related dispute resolution where he often acts as Expert Witness in Trade Disputes and Legal Cases.Vincent also holds the positions of the Associate Director of the Institute of International Banking Law and Practice (IIBLP).

Michael began his career working in a bank in the City of London. After just over a year, he escaped into academia where he subsequently completed a degree in Politics and Economics. After his graduation and a well-deserved rest, Michael enjoyed a brief flirtation with the Civil Service before joining the ICC-International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in May 1994.

Michael is the Director of the IMB and the CEO of ICC Commercial Crime Services. Michael oversees the daily operations of the Bureau’s London activities. In addition to advising member banks with suspect or irregular presentations, Michael closely co- ordinates with the IMB’s trading, shipping and insurance company members with regards to loss prevention and advice and works closely with the Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Michael has been instrumental in identifying systematic international fraudsters, invited to provide evidence and appear as a witness in trade related criminal cases and assisted in the investigation of the largest fraud in trade finance history. As part of his duties Michael has also investigated a number of cases worldwide relating to cargo losses, the suspicious sinking of vessels and their cargoes and the phenomena known as phantom ships.

He has travelled on investigations to a number of countries, spoken at numerous conferences and seminars worldwide and written papers on areas connected with the subject of piracy, fraud and malpractice in international trade.

Cyrus began his career with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Mumbai in 1992. While he initially explored a career in law, he soon found his true calling at sea, joining the Merchant Navy in 1993. Over the next 14 years, he rose through the ranks—qualifying as a Master Mariner in 2003—and gained extensive experience sailing on general cargo ships, bulk carriers, crude oil tankers, and RO-PAX vessels.

In 2007, Cyrus transitioned from ship to shore, joining the International Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Crime Services. Today, he oversees the maritime piracy desk and leads eorts to combat fraud, sanctions breaches, and deceptive shipping practices such as dark shipping and AIS manipulation. His expertise also extends to investigating shipping and cargo insurance frauds and developing due diligence services to support global trade finance.

Cyrus’s role goes beyond maritime crime. He serves as the designated ISMS Manager, ensuring compliance with ISO 27001:2022 and Cyber Essentials Plus through robust information security policies and systems management.

With his unique blend of seafaring experience and expertise in financial crime prevention, Cyrus has become a respected voice in the industry. He has organised, managed, and presented at numerous international courses and conferences on financial fraud, compliance, and maritime piracy.

David assists in overseeing the daily operations of the International Maritime Bureau and co-ordinates with the IMB’s banking, shipping, and insurance members with regards to trade finance fraud, document manipulation, cargo mis-delivery, theft, sanctions issues and loss prevention.

David supervises IMB investigations and casework and has carried out investigations into several large-scale shipping and financial frauds and conducted on the ground investigations into smuggling and cargo mis-declaration.

David regularly provides expert testimony and witness statements to financial regulators and law enforcement. He also leads IMB training seminars and regularly speaks at conferences and seminars about trade finance fraud, cargo theft and maritime sanctions.